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Massachusetts lift law clarification

R

RIPPEDK5

Guest
2WD TRUCKS:

1) tires are NOT allowed to stick out side the wheel wells without full coverage
2) Lift law is 2" up or down +/- 1" factory tolerance

3) tire size may be inclreased only 2" maximum or lift height equivalent
ex: 3" lift (includes factory tolerance) + 3" tire increase= 6" total overall

2" lift law is for 2WD ONLY

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4WD TRUCKS:

Lift height formula is:

WHEEL BASE x WHEEL TRACK / 2200 (safety factor)=?

(Your calculation may come out to 2" but is not limited to 2") (subtracting any decimals lower than .50" and adding any decimals above .50")

(add 1" factory tolerance to lift height)

ex: 160" (wheel base) x 72" (track width)/2200=5.23" (or 5") + 1"= 6" lift

Tires may also be increased and equivalent to lift height (or ex: 6") for a total 12" overall

By Federal law chapter 90

Law states ALL FOUR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES (or any vehicle capable of providing torque to all wheels) are allowed tires sticking out of a reasonable amount (such as 4" or 6" of tires sticking out) but must have suitable guards that "REDUCE" (does not have to fully cover) spray to the sides and to the rear

ALL trucks or 4x4 use the formula and no longer a set number for height (any questions please ask for further in depth answers)

note: ALL FEDERAL LAWS SUPERCEDE ALL STATE LAW-> do not let a station tell you certain laws apply when they dont (such as tires cant stick out when they can)

if you require more clarity please ask
 
heck, I can only "legally" have 9" total lift here in Joysey... with a max tire size of 38...
 
blazinzuk said:
where did you find the federal law?
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X2


And are those details in the original post for Massachusetts, or are those the details of the federal law? If those are for MA, please provide more detail on the federal law and where to locate a copy directly. It might be an interesting read.


:usaflag:
 
glad we dont have that crap here and hydros for lowriders are legal too as long as your tires are on the ground whel driving on public roads ... except for a parade or other event
 
Mass is strict. 4" lift with 33's was about it for my old 3/4ton. I understand the law but I don't understand how they determine "stock" height? I had an '86 high sierra K2500 that sat all of 2-3" higher than my '78 K2500. I asked a guy at the inspection station about it once and he said it depends how "good" it looks????

I know CT goes by headlight and/or bottom of door height. I don't know the spec.

Federal law is certainly important, but the thing to keep in mind is we have home rule government in the US so each state has the right to create laws more restrictive than federal law. I am not sure how that works saw if you come to MA running 15" of lift and 44's with out of state tags. My presumption is that you would be cited, but if it meets inspection in your state as well as Federal law then ?? a grey area perhaps. It seems that this is likely not the case because it would be unreasonable to expect MA law enforcement officials to know the regulations of every state, mexico, canadian and so on. They would probably saw that it was up to the driver to read MA traffic laws before driving in the state.
 
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Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards...

http://fmvss108.tripod.com/fmvss108text.htm

Look around page 297. Federal law goes by headlamp, tail lamp, and marker light height. For headlights it is >22" and <54" to headlight center line. For bumpers, the only requirement is crash worthiness.

State law can be more restrictive than Federal law as granted by the constitution of the US. Gun laws, speed limits, and emission standards are all pretty good examples of this. http://www.alljeep.com/tech/lift_laws.htm has a pretty good list of State lift regulations.

So, if your state has no lift laws you are regulated by Federal law. I doubt you will find one anyhow, but state law cannot supersede and require less than Federal law.

I didn't look into how far your tires can protrude beyond wheel wells.
 
The alljeep.com website isn't accurate for the state of Maine. They have the old laws listed.

Mike
 
Probably a better list............

http://www.roughcountry.com/lift_laws.html#MA

MA is of course wrong on all of them because over 10k pounds is regulated by federal law. I know a guy with a 4wd C60 and he runs an 8' bed and 50 something inch tires...and has no problems getting a sticker.
 
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/FmcsrGuideDetails.asp?menukey=571

This is a good site,

look under section 90 for tires that stick out. Navigate the site to find what you need, some things are hidden but look carefully


I know shops that had to put stickers on vehicles because the vehicle passed by federal law. the registry forces the shop to do it regardless of the law in that state.

As the shop that i am the inspector of had a such case with certain lift heights and tires from jeep drivers..

Some federal laws can can overcome statelaws regardless if the law is more stringent in that state..

I would love to see you drive with 15" of lift and 44" tires in Mass. regardless of state tags...You WILL receive a fine or you will get towed to an inpound
 
pseudomike said:
Probably a better list............

http://www.roughcountry.com/lift_laws.html#MA

MA is of course wrong on all of them because over 10k pounds is regulated by federal law. I know a guy with a 4wd C60 and he runs an 8' bed and 50 something inch tires...and has no problems getting a sticker.
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I would sure love to know the shop he gets that at.. it is few and far between to get a shop to do 6" of lift and 35" tiresl et alone 50" tires...when the registry finds out that shop will recieve major fines, regarless of weight

I also do DOT and commercial inspections and he is required to do a DOT inspection now (any vehicle over 10,000 pounds with commercial tags)

I garrantee he wont get another sticker (btw-- DOT and commercial vehicle have lift height laws aswell)
 
RIPPEDK5 said:
I would sure love to know the shop he gets that at.. it is few and far between to get a shop to do 6" of lift and 35" tiresl et alone 50" tires...when the registry finds out that shop will recieve major fines, regarless of weight

I also do DOT and commercial inspections and he is required to do a DOT inspection now (any vehicle over 10,000 pounds with commercial tags)

I garrantee he wont get another sticker (btw-- DOT and commercial vehicle have lift height laws aswell)
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Actually, that is incorrect. A good friend of mine has an inspection shop. Vehicles 10K lb and over GVW are exempt from Massachusetts lift laws. The word for word legal code is below. Worth noting is that 10,001lb GVW is commercial...so..a vehicle with GVW >10K lbs is exempt from Massachusetts lift laws.. As a commercial vehicle you are still subject to Federal law, which if you read the MGL is verbatim of the federal headlight, tail light, and marker light code.

Section 7P. No person shall alter, modify or change the height of a motor vehicle with an original manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of up to and including ten thousand pounds, by elevating or lowering the chassis or body by more than two inches above or below the original manufacturer’s specified height by use of so-called “shackle lift kits” for leaf springs or by use of lift kits for coil springs, tires, or any other means or device. The registrar shall establish rules and regulations for such changes in the height of motor vehicles beyond said two inches. No motor vehicle that has been so altered, modified or changed beyond the provisions of this section or the rules and regulations established by the registrar shall be operated on any way.
 
I just talked to the guy a few minutes ago. He is running govt. surplus Michelin 16.00x20 tires. They are 52" tall, and are the largest DOT approved tire in the US. His headlights and tail lights meet federal code, and his tires do not protrude beyond the bed and fender sides. He has a current MA commercial inspection sticker which as of Oct, 1 2008 satisfies Federal DOT requirements. He is required to keep a log book and has his DOT number on the side of the truck.

The truck is a 1983 Chevy C60. It is registered with a GVW of 19000lbs. He said a big savior is there is no specification for a 4wd C60 because they did not exist except for aftermarket conversions. He actually uses the truck for work. He is a part time farmer, full-time logger.
 
pseudomike said:
I just talked to the guy a few minutes ago. He is running govt. surplus Michelin 16.00x20 tires. They are 52" tall, and are the largest DOT approved tire in the US. His headlights and tail lights meet federal code, and his tires do not protrude beyond the bed and fender sides. He has a current MA commercial inspection sticker which as of Oct, 1 2008 satisfies Federal DOT requirements. He is required to keep a log book and has his DOT number on the side of the truck.

The truck is a 1983 Chevy C60. It is registered with a GVW of 19000lbs. He said a big savior is there is no specification for a 4wd C60 because they did not exist except for aftermarket conversions. He actually uses the truck for work. He is a part time farmer, full-time logger.
Click to expand...


What i want to know is if in fact he is legal, then that station that you speak of does full over 10,000lb. commercial inspections correct?

If you have the full commercial book, it states that they have the same lift laws as the under 10,000. I dont know what shop hes running but just because a tire is DOT approved does not mean it is legal for any vehicle..

So infact his vehicle required a DOT inspection..correct? where is a picture of his inspection sticker that says "COMMERCIAL" on it for 2009?

Trust me, I do up to 26,000 lbs and the "Commercial Inspection book", has the same formula for those trucks as under 10,000...

I will ask the registry what they say about it and get you an answer...
 
Yes, it's a 10K over inspection station.

I'm not trying to be a ball buster. I'd love to see the law if it's incorrect. I have scoured and scoured all of the MGL and found nothing. Every law pertaining to alteration of vehicle height specifically excludes over 10K gvw including the section (540 CMR 6.00) with the formula for wheel base and vehicle height. 540 CMR 4.05 - Procedure for Commercial Vehicles Inspections specifically states that as of 10/1/2008 for vehicles over 10k lbs Massachusetts has adopted FMCSA 49 CFR sections 390-397 for inspection procedures of commercial motor vehicles. 49 CFR 390-397 states nothing about vehicle height except headlight, tail, marker light heights, maximum vehicle height of 13'6", and the requirement for DOT highway approved tires. They cannot just throw stuff in the inspection book that is not a law. I seriously doubt that the full inspection book states vehicles over 10K lbs are subject to the lift law formula when the Massachusetts law very clearly states otherwise.
 
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I was mis-informed by the registry on the over 10,001 pound trucks that are commercial.. They do not have a cap on lift height or tires that stick out how ever you must have mud flaps to cover the rear..
 
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