run in with local authorities today

[CV95XJ]

Well It was right after school, I was leaving the school parking lot and hit a little patch of ice and spun the tires a little. Pull up to the stop sign and turn on the the main road, just then a cop pulls me over, right in front of the school. I sat their for a good 20 minutes while he wrote up 3 warnings, the first two were kind of expected, loud exhaust (I was doing some work on it the night before and didn't finish) and for spinning the tires. but the third really surprised me, he said my bumpers were way too high. I remember when I put this lift on I checked the bumpers and they were within reason.

Anybody know the legal bumper height for a 4500+ pound vehicle in illinois? The officer told me 26 inches and mine was around 35 inches front and rear. I think hes full of it, but I could be wrong, he also said my frame height was too high, so He wants me to take the whole lift off. I don't think its that high, RE5.5LA w/ 1 inch blocks and spacers. tell me what you think.

 

[r/c-pilot]

This is what SkyJacker's website says, I don't know for sure if its fact. Illinois
BumpersVehicles 4,500 or less - front 24”; 4,501 and 7,500 front 27” and rear 29”; and 7,501 and 9,000, front 28” and rear 30”.
OtherBody separation from chassis (no more than 3 inches). Where did you get th ticket ?

 

[downshift1]

The quote from rc-pilot is correct I just looked at the DOT regulations.

I would take out a tape measure and get an actual measurement.

If you're above it, try and relocate the bumper down so it's just within specs and then have a friendly cop sign off on it and take that to court.

 

[Rev Den]

Well....Hinckley huh?


Gotta say it bud, take it as you will...

Fix your exhaust.
Stop spinning the tires, my guess is you were excessive.
Stop drawing attention to yourself and you will be fine.

JMHO

No disrespect ment.

Rev

 

[CV95XJ]

no disrespect taken. . .

really was not excessive, more like hit a patch of ice while accelerating, and slipped a bit, exhaust is on the list for this weekend, but the thing is their is a loudest pipes and muddiest truck competition for our schools FFA next week, so I was kinda getting ready for that.

I WILL win muddiest truck this year. I got screwed last year whe a friend of mine dumped potting soild all over his jeep to make it look muddier than it was.

 

[r/c-pilot]

CV95XJ Check your PM'S

 

[CV95XJ]

oh yea, thanks for the info on the bumper height, Im building a new front bumper that hangs lower, and thinking of putting a towing package on that Ive got laying around, would that work?

and r/c pilot, I got the ticket on rt. 30 right in front of the highschool.

 

[Rust Heap]

OtherBody separation from chassis (no more than 3 inches). Where did you get th ticket ?

I remember this being discussed on another forum I'm on, but the 3inch rule is for body lifts which we all know is not possible on the unibody XJ. I'll post the link when I find it.

Here is the link:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=062500050HCh%2E+12&ActID=1815&ChapAct=625%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B5%2F&ChapterID=49&ChapterName=VEHICLES&SectionID=28705&SeqStart=117800&SeqEnd=128300&ActName=Illinois+Vehicle+Code%2E

As I read it
1. 22 inch max from ground to frame (Article 1 Sec 12-607.1 p. a)
2. 3 inch max body lift (Art. 1 Sec 12-607 p. a)
3 7 inch max suspension lift (Art. 1 Sec 12-607 p a) - Perhaps this means the bumper can be 7 in higher than what was factory? I see many higher than the 24 inches it calls for in Sec 12-607.1 paragraph b 1. That is probably a stretch though.

Good luck

 

[magnum CJ]

sounds to me like you got hassled by a dick who wanted to strut his stuff. most cops in illinois don't even know what the vehicle code is without looking it up and generally don't care unless it is SUPER excessive or you get caught being a jerk and they wanna make a point.

unfortunately your being targeted by this guy now and he'll be watching to see that you make the changes. had you gotten pulled over anywhere else by anyone else and you could just ignore it and probly never be questioned about it again. a good third of the trucks and 4wheel drives in illinois are in violation of that bumper law. but it is a law that is rarely enforced...

 

[old_man]

As to the weight of the vehicle, in most cases it refers to the GVWR on the title, not what it actually weighs.

 

[LBEXJ]

... I got the ticket on rt. 30 right in front of the highschool.

The last place to allow an "incident" to happen resulting in a "run in with the local authorities", is right in front of the local High School. I'm assuming this happened just after school ended for the day and everyone was leaving?

I was in High School (a long time ago ) but I remember how it was. Here is a group of the highest risk drivers on the road all leaving together ... some of which were looking to impress the rest with their driving skills or cool vehicle. One tactic, to slow everyone down, was for the law to "bust" one of us and allow the story to spread. This had a cooling effect on the after school melee.

CV95XJ ... I really do not know all the circummstances involved in your situation ... you very well could be the safest of the bunch and a victim of the above "tactic". Fair or unfair, sounds like you were the fish that got hooked. Don't blame the "local authorities" for doing their job ... one of which is to try and keep the local teens alive while driving. I'd suggest you drive a different car to school the rest of the year ... and don't take the bait.

Les

 

[BOB]

Not all cops are dicks.
teens are teens. Cops gotta keep em in line.
a "warning" here and there isn't anything to get your panties in a wad about.
I suggest an occasional goodwill wave to the local cops.
It'll go a long way to a happy ending. :smootch:


...BOB

 

[ILLXJ]

Do you have the XJ registered as a car or truck? It makes a diff. on the allowable bumper height. Don't ask how I know. JIM.

 

[CV95XJ]

I just finished lowering my front bumper, I found that the "frame" was only 3/8" over the limit, so Im not gonna worry about it, and Im putting a flowmaster 40 behind a cherry bomb and running duals tommorow, should be quiet yet have a real deep sound, I slid the 40 on the end today and started it up, I think it sounded pretty close to a v8.

LBEXJ - it was right after school, and I might have been "showing off" a little, (hey at least I'll admit it) but not to a point where it was endangering anyone else. Im not putting the blame on the cop, he was just doing his job, just telling my story.

One more question for you guys, what does GVWR mean, is that the weight of the vehicle, or the weight of the vehicle with occupants and stuff in it. On the inside of the drivers door it says that the GVWR is 4900 pounds.

 

[ladywolf]

GVWR should be gross vehicle weight rating i think......or something pretty close to it.

 

[magnum CJ]

I found that the "frame" was only 3/8" over the limit, so Im not gonna worry about it,

well thats simple enough. next time your questioned about it, just let some air out of the tires, then tell him to check it again......

 

[LBEXJ]

... LBEXJ - it was right after school, and I might have been "showing off" a little, (hey at least I'll admit it) but not to a point where it was endangering anyone else. Im not putting the blame on the cop, he was just doing his job, just telling my story.

Ah sheit CV95XJ ... I was once a kid too. Actually, I'm still a kid behind the wheel. I was telling my son about what happened to you ... he knows what it's all about leavin' school. He's a senior this year and drives a lifted MJ. He admits that it's tough not to show off a little and is aware of the potential consequences. He told me he had a CO follow him to his Auto Tech class one day.

Sounds like you are getting you ducks in a row ... good job, and good luck.

Les

 

[seanR]

I was once a kid too.

Yea, ask him about the time he and Moses got in trouble for TPing the Pharo's garage....

 

[egghead]

:dunno: Pops never told me that story!

I'm sure when i'm older and more mature he will fill me in. I think he just doesnt want me to follow in his footsteps. :lecture:

Egg

 

[turpehar]

All too familiar "run in with local authorities today"

Get this. Back about 1986 my wife picked me up from a long day on the job. This was in my 1980 Ford F-250 lifted and 38's. Local yocal pulls her over, but I'm slumped in the seat from a 14 hour day. This guys thinks he's smooth with the ladies, and mine was no slouch. He walks up to the vehichle and then notices me. Face red, standing there all he could think to say was that the truck needed mudflaps because more than 2/3 of the tire was below the bottom of the fenders. I didn't argue at the time, but got more pissed as the evening progressed.

So, I call him at the cop shop and asked for clarification. He stumbled on his words for a bit saying he wouldn't right me, but a State Boy might. Then I proceed to ask him about the CJ5 in the lot at the cop shop. This is the one I see him driving now and then. I go on to mention that I stopped by and noticed more than 2/3 of his tire was below the fender. Here's the show stopper. He says "we're not discussing my personal vehicle". I politely answered, "thanks for your time" and hung up.

Now four years pass by and he has that CJ5 for sale. I call and offer him $1400 site unseen, since it was exactly what I'd been looking for in the new project arena. We set an appointment three days from that day. He drives it to my heated shop in the middle of winter. Not having been that close to it for four years I hadn't notice all the rust. So, I change my offer to $900. He's pissed at this point because he'd gone out and bought a newer 4x4 thinking he was in the clear with me.

So, the moral of the story, bad cops get what they have coming eventually, and I still have that CJ5 in my heated shop, but in pristeen condition............