KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

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KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby southernland on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 1:08 +0000

In response to a request by skog07 to start a state specific thread I thought I would have a go.

Information regarding QLD legalities are available from the QLD Department of Transport Modifications Guide which is based on the Vehicle Standards and Safety Regulation 1999. You can access the guide at:
http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/resources/file/ebde8d0521b67c6/Pdf_modification_motor_vehicles2.pdf

Please note I am in no way an expert and I hope my initial comments will be subject to friendly ridicule and lively debate.

The basics (there may be more specific points for each item in the modification guide):

  • The rim diameter may be varied from the standard size but the overall diameter of the tyre must not vary by more than +15mm or -26mm.
  • The rims and tyres must not protrude beyond the bodywork of the vehicle, including flares, when viewed from above with the wheels facing straight ahead.
  • For an off-road passenger vehicle fitted with front and rear beam axles, the maximum tyre width must not be more than 1.5 times the vehicle manufacturer’s widest optional tyre.
  • The speed rating of all tyres for an off-road passenger vehicle must be a speed of at least – 140km/h
  • Load ratings of tyres must be at least equal to those specified by the manufacturer on the tyre placard fitted to vehicles made after 1972.
  • The wheel track must not be reduced to less than the standard track specified by the vehicle manufacturer for the particular model of vehicle. Off-road passenger vehicles fitted with front and rear beam axles, may have an increase in track up to 50mm beyond the maximum specified by the vehicle manufacturer for the particular model of vehicle.
My contribution to this mess:

I would love to fit a 31 inch tyre like so many have before me, but they are outside the legal increase in Qld to my knowledge. My understanding is 15mm max overall diameter increase and the same or higher load rating. I can only go to 754mm (SR5 - 255/70R15 112S is 739mm). The 31 is beyond the 15mm OD increase and generally seem to be of a lower load rating across the brands.

I know I'm being picky here but I checked with my insurance company and they said "we don't mind what you do to your car, as long as it's legal". Whilst I don't want to wish a car accident upon myself, if I was in that situation with 31s I'm not insured, bad luck for me, for anyone else involved and the police might even decide to throw a few charges in for a vehicle that is not within legal specs. For a few inches of extra rubber I just think the risk far exceeds the benefits.

I called a few tyre shops when looking around for available brands. I was pretty amazed how many said to me, "look I can't recommend you put 31s on your hilux but we do it everyday and we haven't had any problems yet". It all just seems like a massive gamble.

I would love to be corrected if my research is not accurate. I simply can't find anything other than a passenger tyre that would legally fit my SR5.

Any ideas or feedback are welcomed.

Cheers,

Dan
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby D4D Hilux on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 1:37 +0000

Funnily I just had this conversation with the tyre shop today. He said he can't actually put the rego details on the reciept because both the load rating and overall diameter arnt within legal specs. Standard load rating is 110 and 31" tyres generally have a load rating of 109 so just misses out and the over all diameter increase was 48mm from standard and yes 15mm is all that is legally allowable in QLD. I guess this is the risk you take to better the offroad performance of your car.
All I'll say is there is ALOT of unroadworthy/uninsured cars out there. Hopefully either the government or the tyre companies come to there senses and rectify this situation.

My 2c
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby southernland on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 2:27 +0000

I agree with you D4D Hilux. The regulations are over ten years old and I would think maybe need updating to reflect a decade of engineering improvements in vehicles. In the mean time my offroad machine is floating around on passenger tyres.

One thing I have not yet looked into is the possibility of changing rim size. I wonder is there a different rim/tyre size combination that fits within Qld guidlines but opens up the range of available tyres? I might look into this unless someone else already has? The legislation allows it, as long as overall diameter and load specs are within regulation.

Cheers,

Dan
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby southernland on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 6:18 +0000

Have done a little research on changing the rim size of the SR5 in order to allow a greater selection of tyre options. It looks to me that by going to a 16inch rim you could legally fit the following tyres in QLD:

Make - Model - Size - Load - Speed - Overall Diameter
Mickey Thompson - ATZ 5 - LT225/75R16 - 115 - R - 742
Cooper - STT - LT225/75R16 - 115 - Q - 750
Cooper - ST - LT225/75R16 - 115 - N - 745
Cooper - ATR - LT225/75R16 - 115 - R - 747
Bridgestone - D694 - LT225/75R16 - 115 - R - 744
Bridgestone - D694 - LT245/70R16 - 113 - S - 751
BFGoodrich - All-Terrain T/A KO - LT245/70R16 - 113 - S - 750

Based on these I think I would be interested in looking at the two 245mm tyres. Only loosing 1cm of width on my current 255/70R15 stock tyres but gaining the benefit of an LT construction. Only problem is coming up with a bunch of rims. I guess I'll try a few tyre sellers next week and see if they can give me a price for tyres on the cheapest rim they can supply.

Hope this is useful.

Cheers,

Dan
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby chris_shoot on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 7:32 +0000

hi guys ,
so i have been trying really hard to find some tyres i notice different speed ratings on your post southernland my sr5 has S speed rating do you know if you can go back to an R
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby southernland on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:29 +0000

Mate it really depends who you talk to. As you mentioned the tyre placard says the vehicle must not run a tyre with a speed rating less than S. Reading through the QLD guidlines it suggests the tyres for an off road vehicle need only be rated to 140kmh minimum. This question you raise is of great contention and i suspect you may never find a definitive answer. Remember that any advice you receive is just that, and at the end of the day you will be responsible for the decisions you make. I always tend to err on the side of caution because nothing would be worse than having an accident and finding out my car is outside of roadworthy restrictions and not insured. As a result I will only use tyres that are S rated or higher, 112 load rated or higher and increase OD by no more than 15mm. The downside to my cautious view is that I am left with only two real A/T options: Cooper ATR or Bridgestone 694 who have a 265/70R15 which meets the requirements. I will be buying a new set of tyres in next month or so and will probably go with the Bridgestones simply due to my experience on the stock Bridgestone H/T tyres that came with the car. Brisbane out to the Simpson Desert and back without an issue and still driving on the same set today. Unfortunately I can't even get an LT tyre in this size. I hoped I could put some 30.5 tyres on as there is a big range but they are always under the required load rating according to my amateur research. As I noted in my previous post there are other options if I move to a 16inch rim but I don't have the cash to spend on them at present. I am sorry I can't just give you a yes/no response because for all my investigation there is no clear cut answer. If you come across an answer I would love to hear it.

Cheers,

Dan



chris_shoot wrote:hi guys ,
so i have been trying really hard to find some tyres i notice different speed ratings on your post southernland my sr5 has S speed rating do you know if you can go back to an R
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby rodw on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 4:52 +0000

southernland wrote: Reading through the QLD guidlines it suggests the tyres for an off road vehicle need only be rated to 140kmh minimum.

I don't think there is any doubt what the legislation says in QLD. 4WD tyres have to be rated to 140 km/hr. This is based on info the booklet QT publish which in turn is quoting from a Sate Act of Parliament.

I am sorry guys the role of Public Servants (like police and QT inspectors ) is to administer and enforce the QLD legislation, not what is said on tyre placcards by manufacturers.

This thread has more info viewtopic.php?f=27&t=5643

When I get some spare time, I wil try and quote up the legislation that the info booklet QT publishes is based on.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby chris_shoot on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 7:57 +0000

Thanks for your help guys so my insurance will only cover what is on my manufacturer specs my insurance sad they have no interest in QT's laws are. the insurance will be voided for anything outside manufacturers specs this is a big blow as i had big plans i guess this will teach me to do some more research prior to buying a car.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby hodgo81 on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 8:59 +0000

chris_shoot wrote:Thanks for your help guys so my insurance will only cover what is on my manufacturer specs my insurance sad they have no interest in QT's laws are. the insurance will be voided for anything outside manufacturers specs this is a big blow as i had big plans i guess this will teach me to do some more research prior to buying a car.


Chris have you look at other insurance companies? or have you enquired whether they will honour payouts if modifications are engineered? If they do, maybe you can get a bunch of mods done that they wont normally pay out for(eg. body/sus lift, big tyres) and get it engineered.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby rodw on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:12 +0000

hodgo81 wrote:
chris_shoot wrote:Thanks for your help guys so my insurance will only cover what is on my manufacturer specs my insurance sad they have no interest in QT's laws are. the insurance will be voided for anything outside manufacturers specs this is a big blow as i had big plans i guess this will teach me to do some more research prior to buying a car.


Chris have you look at other insurance companies? or have you enquired whether they will honour payouts if modifications are engineered? If they do, maybe you can get a bunch of mods done that they wont normally pay out for(eg. body/sus lift, big tyres) and get it engineered.


X2 - However, you really need to read their policy carefully. eg. I am with NRMA and they have far superior wording for the customer than Suncorp. There is nothing said about keeping the truck legal or to manufacturer's specs, just it has to be safe. I assume that by safe, that means it should not be modified in such a way that it is in breach of the ADR's or state regs but it is pretty broad...

By the same token an insurer rejecting a claim on some grounds when the car complied with the relevant standards would have no credibility and their decision would not stand up to challenge. However, if the police investigated an accident and found that your vehicle was illegally modified and charged you over the incident, then I would be worried about the insurance cover.

I personally think you need to read the policy and interpret what it says, not relay on verbal advice from your insurer. Then if you ring them, you just seek to clarify the policy wording, not make a ruling.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby Micko on Mon, 10 May 2010 5:26 +0000

Hi guys, my head is spinning after reading all that and I have to say, I am a little concerned!
Please forgive my ignorance on all this. Im not really a 4x4 buff but need 4wd at times for work.

Im in Qld by the way!
Anyhow, I have an SR cab chassis and recently got hold of a set of alloy SR5 rims. I took them to tyre shop and asked them "whats the go?" They got me onto Mickey T Baja 31x10.5 and thats what I had fitted.
I knew the size would be different so asked about legalities. They looked it up and told me I was JUST within guidelines. Odometer is out by about 6km (on paper) and front tyres do stick out a little due to no flairs. I realise that is illegal but from what they told me, everything else is OK.

Can someone here tell me categorically, if Im screwed? What are my options?

Thanks for any help!
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby Micko on Mon, 10 May 2010 5:27 +0000

Forgot to subscribe!
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby Diegothecat on Wed, 12 May 2010 6:22 +0000

Iv been wondering if you can get your tyres engineered? I asked the dude that did my mod plate for my seats and he wanst sure if you could get this done.

So does anyone know if you can just get a mod plate for the tyres??

Cheers Ben
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby hilux_bondy_007 on Wed, 12 May 2010 7:10 +0000

in qld u cant get mod plates for tyres
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby Boof on Thu, 13 May 2010 9:56 +0000

In all seriousness, it comes down to the individual, however I would be shocked to see anyone get an insurance claim denied due to a 31" tyre, its not something i would worry about. Do a scoot around the car yards and have a look how many Safety Certificated Luxes are in big name car yards with 31s on them. If you did have a claim denied the onus is on the insurance company to prove the tyre caused the accident. Same as they cannot deny a claim due to bald tyres, even though it makes the vehicle non roadworthy, they have to prove it was the cause of the accident.

But as I said at the start its up to each individual to make there own decsion on what they wish to do. 8-)

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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby VMN on Sun, 16 May 2010 9:13 +0000

I reckon you are legal with 31's in QLD. The manufacturer's largest tyre option for this vehicle is 30.5" on the TRD. So going to 31"s will be within the +15 mm increase allowed and it meets the speed rating requirements of 140 km/Hr. Anyway, that is just my opinion.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby jvs206 on Wed, 26 May 2010 10:58 +0000

I've only recently been shown documentation by the local Bridgstone dealer that states increase in overall diameter for 4WD tyres in Qld is 50 mm and as such 31 inch tyres are legal by a couple of mm.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby Boof on Wed, 26 May 2010 11:08 +0000

jvs206 wrote:I've only recently been shown documentation by the local Bridgstone dealer that states increase in overall diameter for 4WD tyres in Qld is 50 mm and as such 31 inch tyres are legal by a couple of mm.


I would be very interested to see this documentation, the reason being is that at this time the tyre ruling runs off the ADRs as mentioned by others above which only allows an increase of 15mm in height and the other one to note is that an IFS can only legally increase its track width by 25mm overall ;)

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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby buggerlux on Wed, 26 May 2010 10:04 +0000

The rim diameter may be varied from the standard size but the overall diameter of the tyre must not vary by more than +15mm or -26mm.

This is interesting from a Western Australian perspective. Ive just been away. Using standard rims and tyres my car was like a snow plough following 5 other 4WDs.

Sitting in the ruts behind Patrols, Jeeps, and a Mitsubishi the IS struts were filling my engine bay with sand yet everyone else passed over with standard vehicles not even touching the centre strip of sand.

After entering back on the road had a tonne of sand sitting in the engine bay. The standard bash plate had become concave from the pressure.

I was disappointed with the standard underbelly clearance as the car hit rocks when everyone else did it with ease. I was flattening the centre strip as the IS suspension carved the top off.

What Id give for an extra inch clearance. If the law doesn't allow any alteration I'm going to have to find another car. It wasn't like we did extreme anything.
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Re: KEEPING IT LEGAL - QLD Tyres and Wheels

Postby topcat on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 2:12 +0000

Has any update happened? I heard a rumor that jan 2011 would see it increased to 50mm...
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