Don’t sweat it – big modifications can indeed be made legal. Here’s how
So what happens if you want to
modify a vehicle outside the
‘self-certification’ boundaries?
Surely that’s possible, because
there’s a bucketload of big rigs
out there with a lot more than a
75mm lift! The solution is a
lengthy, relatively complicated
and relatively expensive
process known as engineering- done by an automotive
signatory (commonly known as
a vehicle engineer).
The wrong way to go about
things is to modify the vehicle
and then engage the services of
an engineer to sign off to say the
modifications have been done to
a sufficient level to ensure that it
can be safely operated on the
road. What you’ll probably find
in a scenario like this, is the
engineer will have things he
personally does and doesn’t like,
and will possibly even make you
re-do something to his
standards and way of thinking.
Unfortunately, a crack-down on
questionable engineers over the
past decade means that the
ones still registered, do not
want to risk losing their
qualifications by okaying dodgy
vehicles.
The right way to undertake the
process, is to engage the
services of an engineer at the
beginning of a large project such
as a solid axle swap, dual-cab
chop or engine swap. The
engineer will tell you what he’ll
look for, you stick to those
guidelines and hopefully if the
quality of work is sufficient, you
get the ability to legally drive
your vehicle on the road at the
end of the day. Just ask Editor
Jocko...ENGINEERING
THE
PROCESS
MY EXPERIENCE – EDITOR JOCKO
“When we did all the work to the HiLux, Engineering was a key
component”, Explains Jock. “We were completely changing the driveline
of the vehicle and at the end of the day, if I had been involved in an
accident with a heavily modified vehicle that was not certified, then
things wouldn’t work out for me at all. We went through an Engineer who
came to see the vehicle before we even started the build. We put it up on
the hoist, explained what we wanted to do and discussed key points he
would like to see such as appropriate bracing and upgraded mounts for
suspension to name a few things. The Engineer also came to see the
vehicle mid-way through the build to ensure it was being built to his
desired specifications. We were meticulous in ensuring the vehicle was
up to standard from chassis bracing right down to using nyloc nuts on
key fasteners. Once the vehicle was finished, we took it down to him so
he could inspect the vehicle more thoroughly and to conduct a lane
change, swerve and brake test. He would do this test at varying loads all
the way up to GVM and once he was happy, wrote up a significant report
covering all the modifications that were done to the vehicle. I then
submitted that report to the RMS and now my registration papers have a
note that the vehicle has been modified as per that report number. It was
a lengthy and expensive process, but it was well worth the effort.”An increase in power through
a turbocharger addition or
engine conversion will in
many cases require a brake
upgrade to remain legalILLEGAL^MODIFICATIONSF
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