bumper height

Im been lurking around for a few days and I know the info I need is here, but Im just gonna ask. I need to know the maximum height of the front bumper. I just bought a 83 blazer with 15 inches of lift on 44's. It is 38 inches to the bottom of my front bumper. Ive got to fabricate a winch bumper anyway, so i figured i could just build one that actually will keep the cops off me, or atleast allow me to argue its legal. Anyone have an idea? Thanks, Duane

Washington State Bumper Law
Bumpers: A special motor vehicle shall be equipped with a bumper on both the front and rear of the vehicle with the exception of motor vehicles where the original or predominant body configuration, provided by a recognized manufacturer, did not include such bumper or bumpers in the design of the vehicle. For the relevant model year, bumpers must accommodate recognized manufacturer impact absorption systems per applicable Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Bumper Standards or equivalent standards.

Bumpers are optional equipment on vehicles defined as street rods and kit vehicles by the Washington state patrol vehicle inspectors.

Bumpers, unless specifically exempted above, shall be at least 4.5 inches in vertical height, centered on the vehicle's centerline, and extend no less than the width of the respective wheel track distances. Bumpers shall be attached to the vehicle in a manner equivalent to the original manufacturer's installation. Bumpers shall be horizontal load bearing and attach to the vehicle frame to effectively transfer energy when impacted.

The maximum bumper heights will be determined by weight category of gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) measured from a level surface to the highest point on the bottom of the bumper. For vehicles exempted from the bumper requirement for the reasons stated above, a maximum frame elevation measurement shall be made to the bottom of the frame rail. Maximum heights are as follows:

Front
Back
Passenger Vehicles
22 Inches
22 Inches
4,500 lbs. and under GVWR
24 Inches
26 Inches
4,501 lbs. to 7,500 lbs. GVWR
27 Inches
29 Inches
7,501 lbs. to 10,000 lbs. GVWR
28 Inches
30 Inches


Adding an additional bumper will not meet the above requirements.



http://zenseeker.net/4x4/LiftLaws.htm

They also measure the highest point of the bottom of the bumper so a drop center bumper doesn't help.

The stater that inspected one of my customers trucks said his Freghtshaker bumper was stretching the rules but gave it a pass after his fix-it ticket.

HoquiamDuane said:

Im been lurking around for a few days and I know the info I need is here, but Im just gonna ask. I need to know the maximum height of the front bumper. I just bought a 83 blazer with 15 inches of lift on 44's. It is 38 inches to the bottom of my front bumper. Ive got to fabricate a winch bumper anyway, so i figured i could just build one that actually will keep the cops off me, or atleast allow me to argue its legal. Anyone have an idea? Thanks, Duane

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I would like you to post up pics of the blazer.

There's a guy up north with a brat on a yota chassis. Ithink it's registered as a Subaru. To comply with bumper/light height laws he has bumpers with lights and plates that plug into reciever hitches. He just unplugs them on the trail and runs the set that are tied into the exocage.

HoquiamDuane said:

Im been lurking around for a few days and I know the info I need is here, but Im just gonna ask. I need to know the maximum height of the front bumper. I just bought a 83 blazer with 15 inches of lift on 44's. It is 38 inches to the bottom of my front bumper. Ive got to fabricate a winch bumper anyway, so i figured i could just build one that actually will keep the cops off me, or atleast allow me to argue its legal. Anyone have an idea? Thanks, Duane

Click to expand...

There will be no arguing whether it's legal, cause 38" ain't even close!!!:haha::awesomework: Even the rig posted above (club member) is questionable by law (as Jaydog posted the link), but the police don't razz him in our area...as long as the lower bumpers are on when he's driving the roads!

Man that sucks. I have been pulled over once up here, so far, because of my bumpers. Speakin of that I need to get my mud flaps installed. . .

My old suburban with 8" lift and 35s was right at the limit.

The problem with this is, as soon as you head out into the hillbilly BFE parts of the county with no funding, you're gonna get pulled over and usually ticketed. Stay in the city and you won't, why? because they have BETTER THINGS TO DO! :;

that's all... :stirpot:

damn straight, I'm listening to the SPD scanner right now and man its a riot!

Make sure you do front and rear removable mud flaps and and also some sort of flares over the tires. there are a few areas in that area that will nail you for everthing they can find and i dont think they are handing out fix-it warning tickest any more.