Stayin' legal in VA with a lift?

Hi all,

first of all, I've been ASSuming all along that I needed new rear springs for my Cherokee because the rear springs appear to be flatter than a board. However, I just went out and measured and center of center cap to flare is 16.5" and looking online it appears that stock measurement should be 17". So my springs really aren't all that bad, despite appearances...? Should I just keep on truckin' and not worry about it? I *was* planning on going with an offroad rear bumper - possibly rigidco - to allow for towing. That'll make the sag worse, yes?

More important question. I was seriously considering just biting the bullet and going with a 2.5" OME lift. However looking on the VA DMV web site it says that the bottom of my bumpers must be w/in 22" of the ground. Looks like I only have about 3" to play with F&R to be within the letter of the law. (so if I got a 2.5" lift, and then changed my tires to 29s or 30s, I'd be pushing the limits right there.) If I reregister the heep as a truck, I can go up to either 28" or 29" depending on GVWR (I assume that it is >4500 lbs. so 29") Is that what everyone is doing?

I realize that this probably isn't a concern for most people, but I tend to be one of those people who if my stuff isn't 100% right I'll get a nassssty ticket, and I don't want to be that guy. I'm already breakin' the law with my e-codes...

I am on about 3 inches of lift and 35's. Never been hassled. I have a friend cruising around in an XJ on 35's and about 9 inches of lift. I think you will be just fine. 3 inches and 31's will never get you hassled.

Find a "word-of-mouth" shop to do the inspection to get it passed. Once your licensed, tagged, and plated - I don't see how you could get hassled.

JeepN4kc said:

Find a "word-of-mouth" shop to do the inspection to get it passed. Once your licensed, tagged, and plated - I don't see how you could get hassled.

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Inspection stations in Va don,t care how high your lifted, thats NOT part of the inspection.However the State Boys, can enforce that law..most don,t....
Also you Can not register an XJ as a Truck, its a passenger vehicle,,,weight doesn,t matter.
I,m on 33,s with 4 1/2" of lift and have gone thru many state road checks... no problems...
Don,t be stupid and attract un-wanted attention......then they have an excuse.

Wayne Sihler said:

...
Don,t be stupid and attract un-wanted attention......then they have an excuse.

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i havent lived in VA, but i have lived in states where there are laws in those regards. i find that the above statement is true for the most part. i dont think i've ever been hassled for anything like that unless i was driving like a complete ass. in fact i've only been poped once in 15 years of driving (knock on wood) and that was for obstruction of view for having stickers all over the rear window. they pulled me over for speeding, gave me a break on that and gave me a ticket for the stickers instead, which i gladly took, considering the alternative. they usually have better stuff to do than bother people for things like that. unless you give them a reason not to like you.

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Safety.shtm

Looks like 28" to me.

A Cherokee is not a "Passenger Vehicle", it is a "Truck". The rules that govern Trucks apply.

WB9YZU said:

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Safety.shtm

Looks like 28" to me.

A Cherokee is not a "Passenger Vehicle", it is a "Truck". The rules that govern Trucks apply.

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that's rather weird because it's titled as a station wagon and has passenger car plates in this state and at least several others.

Post up the link to the CA's registration form with the vehicle type "Station Wagon" on it, I gotta see this!

Generally, vehicles are classified (Typed) as Auto, Truck, Motorcycle, or Trailer.

Then you plate them by use. You can plate a Truck as an Auto if it has 50% or more seating, like a XJ or a 6 place Caravan.

The person at the DMV won't even blink an eye when you check the boxes for "Type of vehicle" as "Truck" and "Type of plate" as "Auto", esp with "Jeep" as the make. Though they may take exception if you try the same thing with a Compass

WB9YZU said:

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Safety.shtm

Looks like 28" to me.

A Cherokee is not a "Passenger Vehicle", it is a "Truck". The rules that govern Trucks apply.

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When you move to Virginia ,,,you try that,,,,,, It wont work.... Title you get will be listed as a passenger vehicle /2/4 dr sw,,,,,, STATION WAGON..

when we moved to VA from PA back in '99, VA DMV plated my MJ as a passenger vehicle. It was ok at the time because it was my DD on stock 235's, no lift. 10 years later, 6" of lift and 35's....I re-registered it as a truck so I could be legal begal. It sits right at 28" in the back, little less in the front (slight rake, which is intentional on my part).

Jeff

WB9YZU said:

Post up the link to the CA's registration form with the vehicle type "Station Wagon" on it, I gotta see this!

Generally, vehicles are classified (Typed) as Auto, Truck, Motorcycle, or Trailer.

Then you plate them by use. You can plate a Truck as an Auto if it has 50% or more seating, like a XJ or a 6 place Caravan.

The person at the DMV won't even blink an eye when you check the boxes for "Type of vehicle" as "Truck" and "Type of plate" as "Auto", esp with "Jeep" as the make. Though they may take exception if you try the same thing with a Compass

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http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk_pdf/ch30_inquiries.pdf

page 5. my title says body type model: SW, which is station wagon according to the dmv page above. there are no boxes to check, they go by the vin.
i have the title in front of me, it's definitely a station wagon.

Wayne Sihler said:

When you move to Virginia ,,,you try that,,,,,, It wont work.... Title you get will be listed as a passenger vehicle /2/4 dr sw,,,,,, STATION WAGON..

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Must be a midwest thing, or maybe it's specific to WI...

Well, one more reason not to leave WI! Some folks here think the Sate has issues. Pfft, they haven't looked at the East or West coast

Vanimal, I'll have look at the link later. The dmv.ca.gov site can't be reached for some reason. I will look though. I am interested to see how other States deal with the legalities of our recreation.

WB9YZU said:

Post up the link to the CA's registration form with the vehicle type "Station Wagon" on it, I gotta see this!

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Never thought about it before. Station wagon it is! :laugh3:

WB9YZU said:

Post up the link to the CA's registration form with the vehicle type "Station Wagon" on it, I gotta see this!

Generally, vehicles are classified (Typed) as Auto, Truck, Motorcycle, or Trailer.

Then you plate them by use. You can plate a Truck as an Auto if it has 50% or more seating, like a XJ or a 6 place Caravan.

The person at the DMV won't even blink an eye when you check the boxes for "Type of vehicle" as "Truck" and "Type of plate" as "Auto", esp with "Jeep" as the make. Though they may take exception if you try the same thing with a Compass

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Arizona registers them as station wagons also. Good thing !! Mud flap law only applies to pick ups and trucks

I wouldn't go any higher than about 5 inches of lift and make sure you have your tires covered, because typically you'll get pulled over for your tires hangin out before your lift height.

Mike Mike said:

Arizona registers them as station wagons also. Good thing !! Mud flap law only applies to pick ups and trucks

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Well, and here's the thing I question.

Does the State Patrol make enforcement decisions based on what the Body Type is on the Title and Registration, or what the actual configuration is?

Because if you go strictly on Body Type, many places won't let an Auto be lifted more than a couple of inches over stock. Trucks they seem give more latitude. For example was the VA statute I looked up. Bumper height on a Auto is 22" max, for a small GVW truck, it's 28".

This is Arizona, pretty much the rules are. If your not breaking DOT rules you can go as high, wide and long as you want. Theres pickups driving around here with 18-24 inches of lift and tires over 36in.

Well thanks for all the input guys... I guess the sidebar question is should I even bother to do anything. I am sitting at 16.5" hub to flare in the rear, and I just had the rear shocks removed last weekend because I was freeing up all the hardware and they still felt like they had some life left in them. I was just considering doing a lift because visually the springs "look" shot (flat.) Maybe I should pull a rear wheel and snap a pic to post this weekend for your consideration. I don't mind spending money to make this thing right, but then again, if I don't spend money on suspension that I don't need, that's more money for stuff I want like bumpers, tires, CB, etc. I'd be perfectly happy saving the money I would have spent on the OME stuff and just doing a 1-1.5" BB instead (shackles and spacers, and maybe a shackle relocation kit? And then maybe some quick discos in case I do go off road) and getting new tires and calling it soup. I do have the factory "HD" suspension and honestly I think it rides and handles great as is, and as the intent of this vehicle is a bad weather driver not a hard core crawler (not like I have anywhere to crawl, any "off-roading" I am likely to do is dirt trails) I don't see the need to go big on this one.

2nd sidebar question - I am not totally sold on the concept of removing my rear sway bar, as I could see myself doing some light towing with this heep, has anyone made a quick disco kit for thae rear? Looking at it it appears that a simple hitch pin type thing on each side would work, yes?

This is the fun part. Which comes first? If your springs are at the end of there usable life and you add weight from bumpers and stuff will they sag?
Figure out what you want to add and how much it's going to weigh. Put that much weight on the Jeep and measure for sag.

clean4drxj said:

I wouldn't go any higher than about 5 inches of lift and make sure you have your tires covered, because typically you'll get pulled over for your tires hangin out before your lift height.

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5-6 inches seems to be a good height to be at anyways. i'm at 5" with 35's. tried it at 3", too low, kept getting hung up (my fenders are mega trimmed, i could probably run at 1-2" of lift if i wanted). 5" doesnt seem much more tippy, and i clear more stuff.