RT Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Hey boes, Does anyone know if a sump is considered a structural point of the vehicle in regards to the 100mm ground clearance laws? chur boes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgySam Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 im not positive but im guessing yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Im pretty sure its not. Its usually cross members and chassis rails etc. Any part of the body, sills and fuel tank. Cops are usually dicks too and will try and bend their rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 http://www.lvvta.org.nz/stdSuspensionSystems.pdf Section 4.1 b (v) unless specified as an original condition by the original vehicle manufacturer, the road clearance of the unladen vehicle is not less than 100 mm measured to any part of the vehicle other than the wheel rim, brake backing plate and the outer knuckle of the suspenion joint, or body kits such as front spoiler and side skirts of a lightweight construction; I'm not too sure where the structural part comes from, but I have heard that in the past. I've also heard that the exhaust is not counted either but that is clearly not that case according to the above. I'm sure I was told that by a wof inspector too. There is another one that could catch you out also, the car cannot touch the bump stops when fully laden. I guess that means when its 5 up and a full load in the boot? I'd say theres not a lot of lowered cars out there that this would occur in, you'd need very firm springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted December 6, 2009 Author Share Posted December 6, 2009 fitting / cutting bump stops isn't a problem. I just talked to the certifier and even he's not 100% sure on this.. some cars have ridiculously low sumps, like lotus elise etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Cars like lotus elises are covered where it says about being an original condition. They just write that in to allow cars to be registered that are actually lower than 100mm. To be modified I can tell you from the above that sumps are definitely something that would have to be above 100mm. Thats only if you don't want it to be certified though, a cert would rule this out as a whole different set of rules applies. As far as cops go, I've heard that they just get a 100mm block and try to ram it under the car. If it hits anything they pink sticker the car Apparently they aren't too worried about what part of the car it hits. My sump is also the lowest part of my car unfortunately and I think I'm going to have a new one made from steel because being cast alloy, its quite fragile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBreeze Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 There is another one that could catch you out also, the car cannot touch the bump stops when fully laden. I guess that means when its 5 up and a full load in the boot? I'd say theres not a lot of lowered cars out there that this would occur in, you'd need very firm springs. um, my cars do that from factory and i know many others do too -z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclejake Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Slightly O/T but I sure as hell wouldn't want the sump being the first thing to hit the ground on a lowered vehicle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBreeze Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 thing with sump is, being between front wheels, even if it is the lowest part its unlikely to hit first. unless you drive over a speedbump sideways or something stupid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 thing with sump is, being between front wheels, even if it is the lowest part its unlikely to hit first. unless you drive over a speedbump sideways or something stupid entirely untrue. Most roads in NZ aren't flat from left to right, they have a crest in them. I've also noticed that the road surface is lower where cars drive all the time, so if you are in a low car and you drive where other cars tires go, you'll hit the road. You need to offset the lane and drive on the parts others don't Also passing is dodgy because the white line is the highest part of the road and the bastards put cats eyes on it, so crossing that its a cunt too. And if you don't believe me ask my cracked sump that has already needed to be welded up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Didnt spank diddys criz pop the cats eyes off on the crossmember? Ill have to brush up on all of this and carry it in the car with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My name is Russell Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Agree ... I ripped a hole in my escorts sump on a crest, brought the car to a halt from 40km/hr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 also man hole covers can some times stick up higher than the road surface,ive still got a peace of one i smashed with the crossmember in my cressida which then riped holes in the floor as it made its way out the back of the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 well, turns out from the certifier whose been in discussions with wellington that the sump is NOT a structural point of the vehicle. Regardless of the fact that if you hit something you're engine is screwed is beside the point that because if you are stationary your car can be crushed from around this point independently which negates the sump to not being part of the vehicle structure, exhaust + body kits etc are definitely not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowzer Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Fuck that musta been brutal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Mk1 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 yeah, i caught sump on my estate on saturday whilst pulling off the road (not to fix it either!) kinda suprised me, but no harm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 well, turns out from the certifier whose been in discussions with wellington that the sump is NOT a structural point of the vehicle. Regardless of the fact that if you hit something you're engine is screwed is beside the point that because if you are stationary your car can be crushed from around this point independently which negates the sump to not being part of the vehicle structure, exhaust + body kits etc are definitely not. Thats pretty good news, straight from the certifier. So that means that you don't require a cert for the lowering then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHGWAG Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Quick Question: What are the laws regarding a lowered car that has been certified for it's lower than 100mm height? Do the chassis rails still have to be more than 100mm off the ground? Wanting to know this as I can lower the 7 to be 50mm off the ground without the kit on it, with the kit it's 35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share Posted December 7, 2009 you can certify your car to be as low as your want. The question I posed was how far you can lower your car without certifying. The answer is to 100mm from the lowest structural point of the car, which doesn't include the sump, exhaust or spoilers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Quick Question:What are the laws regarding a lowered car that has been certified for it's lower than 100mm height? Do the chassis rails still have to be more than 100mm off the ground? Wanting to know this as I can lower the 7 to be 50mm off the ground without the kit on it, with the kit it's 35 Yeah thats right, as RT has put it above. Would pay to read up on the link I posted above though, all sections before section 4 so you know what you'll have to do. Can't sit on bumps fully laden, etc and a certifier I spoke to in the past wan'ts 30mm of travel before it hits the bumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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