[Outlaw Ram]

Apparently the lift laws in Maine do not matter to me because since my Ram has ABS it is not allowed to have ANY lift or tires that are bigger than from the factory. Hmmm how am I going to pass inspection.? How do you other guys do it??

 

[JasonB]

Does it have four wheel ABS or just rear wheel anti-lcok (RWAL), which is different.

 

[canyonero02]

i dont know about in other states, but here in illinois they sell a D-TRUCK lisence plate for $150 a year that pretty much lets you go as high as you want. ive never heard of not being allowed to lift a truck with 4 wheel abs. it cant just be rear wheel abs, because dont all rams come with that standard.

 

[LUV24BY]

I know of ANY limitations (with the exception of a Monster Truck) here in AZ.
I have seen 25" of lift and higher here....
LUV24BY

 

[canyonero02]

theres regulations here in IL on bumper height, but thats it. and it has to be less than 12 feet wide, which isnt even a concern.

 

[Outlaw Ram]

The truck is four wheel ABS so in all the inspection manuals it says it can't be modified at all. I was thinking that I could get a different registration liscence that ABS rule would not apply to. I definitely need to find a loophole for my next inspection. I could get it inspected at some small garage that doesn't care about the laws but I would rather be sure I dont have to worry about a fine or getting my truck taken off the road.

 

[79W-150]

Ask around to your buddies that have modified trucks. They'll know where to go to get a "no questions asked" inspection." Atleast they do in Virginia where I used to live, and now in MD.

I can get any vehicle thru VA inspection (assuming it can get there without a tow truck helping), and almost anything thru Maryland inspection thru "friends". I'm not saying they are the most legal inspections, but you don't have to worry about the inspector ratting you out because they'll slap him with a fine before they attack you.

Good luck man,

-Chris

 

[canyonero02]

ive never heard of having to get your vehicle inspected, here as your bumper height is within regulations you can do whatever you want.

 

[Outlaw Ram]

They have bumper height laws in Maine but if a truck is four wheel ABS it doesn't even matter cause its not supposed to be modified. The 92 Ram was the last Dodge to have a bumper height law which was 28" in the front. I'm gonna find out if Maine has the D-truck liscence, $150 per year is quite a bit but I'll have all the freedom I want.

 

[woody]

Here's an idea. Buy the Off-road sticker for the tailgate from a dealer, then just pull ABS enttirely.

I can understand why they have this law, although I don't agree with it.

Larger tires affect the ABS by lowering the frequency coming from the tone-rings. All other things being equal, the ABS system will kick in later. Unfortuntely, not all other things are equal, and like in my case, it kicks in SOONER, because of weight distribution issues.

So I'm just going to pull ABS from the truck during the summer, and put it back during the winter.

ABS has been technically an option on 2000+ trucks, due to the off-road package on the Sport's If you have a 2000-2001 Sport W/Off Road, you don't have ANY ABS or RWAL. So, if you don't have the OFFROAD, buy the sticker and tell the inspection person that it's not a standard ABS unit.

 

[Outlaw Ram]

If I tried to remove the ABS on my truck I would be doing jail time. Tampering with ABS is a federal offense.

 

[woody]

Um. Ok, that makes no sense.

Got a reference on that?

Aaron

 

[woody]

ABS is NOT requried equipment. Airbag, seatbelts, oh yeah, that's federal issues. But ABS isn't standard on the trucks, so removing it can't get you in trouble.

If I'm wrong, then please correct me, but with proof (preferrably a link to the law itself).

Thanks,

 

[Outlaw Ram]

Well I may not have a hyperlink but i'm applying for my inspection liscense and when I talked to the state trooper that visits our shop once a year he told me it was a federal offense. I thought he was just trying to discourage me from doing it on my truck, but then he showed me transcripts that in fact said it is a federal offense. You can do it if you want to but believe me when I say its against the law.

 

[woody]

Ok, I just went through the vehicle safety code. Vehicles over something like 10,000# must have ABS since 1997, and must be maintained.

Passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks fall under FMVSS No. 135, and the form submitted by a manufacturer to the NHSTA is here:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/standards/fmvsstestforms/form_13.pdf

You will note that the manufacture is required to supply instructions with this form as to how one would go about disabling ABS.

The last page is braking performance for ABS systems... Looks like the engineers at NHTSA aren't so happy about ABS as the marketing people. With ABS non-operative, you need to be able to stop within 85 meters. With the brakes hot, you need to stop within 89 meters in a second "Performance" stop.

Me thinks they are more worried about cars WITH ABS than without.

But, if you find information to the contrary, please let me know. I'm planning on disabling my ABS system, as the front brakes tend to lose all pressure once the system activates.

 

[Outlaw Ram]

Hmmmm, I'll look into it. My Ram is a 96 with RWAl, are you saying that I can legally take of my ABS?

 

[woody]

That's how I read it. I'm going to be testing panic stops without it, rain and shine, and see the effects.

Then, if I'm right and I like it better that way, then supposing I've not found that it's illegal, I'll pull the system.

However, I plan on keeping the truck so that if it later turns out to be an "illegal" mod, I'm putting it back the way it was. Can't afford big fines, or to lose my truck, so if I fail my inspection this spring, I'll put it back.

I'd like to research it more, though.

 

[Yota]

Who does the government think they are? Making all kinds of stupid laws up. In TN your rear bumper has to be under 31", Mine is 33" Oh well if I get stoppe i get stopped. And My tinted windows are illegal too. But don't tell anyone. CYa

 

[Outlaw Ram]

As far as emissions I can uderstand the government cracking down on it cause all these environmental wackos are outnumbering everyone else. As far as lift laws you should be able to do what you want. You pay for the truck, you pay for the lift (you pay for the tax <IMG SRC="/board/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif"> you should have some freedom in a FREE country. Cops get bored so they have to go after innocent people who dont have any bad intentions. Remember, "If its fun its illegal"

 

[JasonB]

"lift laws" are supposedly to protect the guys who like to run around in lowriders so that we don't take there head off since thats where our bumpers would hit when they cut in front of us while street racing and avoiding gum on the pavement so they don't get high centered!!!!!