Legal Ride Height Minimum in CA?

[BANKO]

Hey guys, I did some quick web searches to see if I could find any restrictions on the minimum ride height for vehicles in California. I would like to build a '65 Chevelle someday where frame sits about 4" off the ground. Any info would be great.

Thanks, Josh

[camaro2nv]

Modification of Vehicles

24008. It is unlawful to operate any passenger vehicle, or commercial vehicle under 6,000 pounds, which has been modified from the original design so that any portion of the vehicle, other than the wheels, has less clearance from the surface of a level roadway than the clearance between the roadway and the lowermost portion of any rim of any wheel in contact with the roadway.

Amended Ch. 462, Stats. 1984. Effective January 1, 1985.

Frame and Floor Height

24008.5. (a) No person shall operate any motor vehicle with a frame height or body floor height greater than specified in subdivisions (b) and (c).

(b) The maximum frame height is as follows:
[This table lists the maximum frame height for various types of vehicles.] * Vehicle Type Frame Height
(1) Passenger vehicles, except housecars 23 inches
(2) All other motor vehicles, including housecars, as follows:
Up to 4,500 pounds GVWR 27 inches
4,501 to 7,500 pounds GVWR 30 inches
7,501 to 10,000 pounds GVWR 31 inches

(c) The lowest portion of the body floor shall not be more than five inches above the top of the frame.

(d) The following definitions govern the construction of this section:

(1) "Frame" means the main longitudinal structural members of the chassis of the vehicle or, for vehicles with unitized body construction, the lowest main longitudinal structural members of the body of the vehicle.

(2) "Frame height" means the vertical distance between the ground and the lowest point on the frame, measured when the vehicle is unladen on a level surface at the lowest point on the frame midway between the front axle and the second axle on the vehicle.

(3) "GVWR" means the manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating, as defined in Section 390, whether or not the vehicle is modified by use of parts not originally installed by the manufacturer.

* The bracketed information has been added editorially to meet accessibility requirements and is not part of statute.
Amended Ch. 718, Stats. 1987. Effective January 1, 1988.

[ironworks]

As long as everything is higher then the side profile of tire you are fine.

[JamesJ]

I am not trying to get into a long discussion of what is legal and what is illegal but am I reading this wrong, to me it looks like that all the lifted truck are not legal? Does the DPS just not car about them?

[caper150]

James, I see your in TX and those laws that were posted were for CA. They vary from state to state.

[MtotheIKEo]

frame has to be higher than the bottom of the wheel. i.e. if you get a flat you should still be able to roll the vehicle.

[JamesJ]

Originally Posted by caper150

James, I see your in TX and those laws that were posted were for CA. They vary from state to state.

I have seen many lifted trucks when I am in CA...

[awr68]

Originally Posted by ironworks

As long as everything is higher then the side profile of tire you are fine.

This is the law here in Oregon...and from a safety standpoint I follow it.

[COYBILT]

it used to be in CA, the frame cant be below the lip of the rim.

[Bulldog68]

Most local police don't care about minor vehicle code violations on classic cars unless they're blatant and unsafe. Even then, you're more likely to be stopped and receive a citation from a motor(cycle) officer or a CHP officer, since they primarily enforce traffic laws. Regular patrol officers in local jurisdictions use violations they observe as a reason to stop you and check for other things (driver license status, warrants, etc), but will rarely issue a citation for equipment violations unless the violation is really an issue. Basically, the patrol officers are looking for bigger fish to fry than to issue a ticket for ride height.

Anyway, as for lowered cars, I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Unless you have turndown exhaust making it really noisy, you probably won't be stopped for anything related to the car being low. Drivers of lifted trucks need to worry more because they have more common violations to worry about (lack of mud flaps, tire tread, headlight height, beam alignment, etc.).

I should mention that these are simply my experiences from working in law enforcement around the SF bay area of California. Other areas may differ a bit, but I think this is true for the most part. If you cruise past me, you're more likely to get a thumbs up than a ticket for your lowered ride.