PERMANENT RULES
Purpose: Office of Government and Media Relations and Equipment Standards worked with Representative Jim Clements and other members of the House Transportation Committee, during 2005 legislative session to draft language relating to the use of aftermarket hydraulic or mechanical system to raise or lower the height of a motor vehicle. An error was found in the proposal language and the bill was vetoed. WSP was asked if the proposed language, once corrected, could be incorporated into an existing WAC, yes.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 204-90-120 Suspension.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 05-17-130 on August 19, 2005.
A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Ms. Christine Fox, P.O. Box 42614, Olympia, WA 98504-2614, phone (360) 753-3697, fax (360) 586-8233, e-mail Christine.Fox@wsp.wa.gov.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 1 [0], Amended [1], Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: October 4, 2005.
Paul S. Beckley
for John R. Batiste
Chief
OTS-8190.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 98-04-052, filed 1/30/98,
effective 3/2/98)
WAC 204-90-120
Suspension.
The ground clearance for a
special motor vehicle shall be such that the vehicle shall be
able to be in motion on its four rims on a flat surface with
no other parts of the vehicle touching that surface. Maximum
ground clearance for a special motor vehicle shall be
determined using the table contained in WAC 204-90-040(6)
Bumpers.
The spring mounts and shackles shall be properly aligned and of sufficient strength so as to support the gross weight of the vehicle and provide free travel in an up and down movement under all conditions of operation. Rear coil spring suspension systems shall incorporate anti-sway devices to control lateral movement.
A special motor vehicle shall have a suspension system that allows movement between the unsprung axles and wheels and the chassis body and shall be equipped with a damping device at each wheel location. The suspension system shall be capable of providing a minimum relative motion of plus and minus 2 inches. When any corner of the vehicle is depressed and released, the damping device shall stop vertical body motion within two cycles.
There shall be no heating or welding of coil springs, leaf springs, or torsion bars.
No special motor vehicle shall be constructed or loaded
so that the weight on the wheels of any axle is less than 30%
of the gross weight of the vehicle. ((No hydraulic system
shall be activated while the vehicle is being operated on
public roadways.))
Except when lawfully participating in a parade permitted by local jurisdiction, activation of an aftermarket hydraulic or mechanical system that raises or lowers the height of a motor vehicle is prohibited while the motor vehicle is in motion on a public roadway with a posted speed limit greater than twenty-five miles per hour and while the vehicle is traveling in excess of fifteen miles per hour. At no time may any portion of any tire of such motor vehicle leave the surface of the roadway or may any portion of the vehicle or component of the hydraulic system used to raise or lower the vehicle cause or emit sparks. A motor vehicle equipped with an aftermarket hydraulic or mechanical system must meet all suspension requirements as outlined in this section. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a county or city from enacting stricter regulations for aftermarket vehicle hydraulics on a public roadway.
A special motor vehicle shall be capable of stable, controlled operation while traversing a slalom-type path passing alternately to the left and right of at least four cones or markers arranged in a straight line and spaced 60 feet apart at a minimum speed of 25 MPH. Body lifts are permitted provided that they are manufactured by an after market manufacturer, designed for the make and model vehicle on which they are installed, and installed according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Body lifts may not use more than a three inch spacer and may not raise the body more than four inches above the frame when all components are installed.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320. 98-04-052, § 204-90-120, filed 1/30/98, effective 3/2/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.37.005. 83-11-028 (Order 83-05-01), § 204-90-120, filed 5/13/83.]