Well that's what I've been trying to figure out, both my past 2 jeeps didn't meet those standards, I even got pulled over for speeding and he didn't notice, or that I had NO mirrors either. Even gave me a warning.
Yeah, it is an RCW, but they do not really ever pull you over for it. I think it is one of those things that if you are a jerk to them they can ticket you for. I have had a lot of vehicles that did not follow this law and I have never been pulled over.
The widest I have gone in a Jeep is my rig now which is stock width, but I have gone to fullsize D60 front and a fullsize Ford 9" in my 1973 Bronco with 35X13.50R15s that I used to have.
I thought about fender flares, but I think I would just rip them off on the trail.
It all depends on the cop and if they choose to enforce it or not, but I've checked on many law enforcement forums and all of them say doorless is fine so long as you have a mirror over there. Not sure about the legalese here in WA, but I've seen tons of non-Wranglers without doors -- old Land Cruisers, Broncos, Blazers mostly (also jacked to the sky with huge tires). I think Jeeps get a pass though because the doors are factory designed for removal and don't require owner modification; just like you can flop your windshield down and drive around, but you have to have some sort of eye protection conforming to the rules adopted by the state patrol -- whatever those are. I've looked and looked and emailed and called around and no one seems to know. I guess I'll ask SP the next time I get pulled over. :laugh:
Also, you're supposed to have mudflaps that come down to the center of the axle (if your flares don't extend that far). But when's the last time you saw a brand new truck fresh off the lot that met those requirements? It's a ticky-tack thing, just try not to piss off the cop that pulls you over and you're likely to get off with only a warning or a fix-it ticket.
Ive been pulled over once for my tires sticking out too far and my exhaust. I think the main reason was because it was 4 am on the same road as a bar so I think he was just tryin to find a drunk driver or something. He let me off on both but i didnt have an updated insurance card so he got me for that. Oh well.
I've been pulled over for a cracked windshield and not having a mirror. The officer never even mentioned a thing about the fender flare coverage (my tires stick out 1.5" beyond the flares). And this was the ONLY time I've been pulled over in my Jeep. It was just after doing some wine tasting in Eastern WA (can I say that and still drive my Jeep?) with my wife and I think the officer was staking out the road leading past several wineries looking for anyone too sloshed to drive. I'm not a wine drinker and hadn't had anything so he had to come up with something. Let me off with a warning . . . no ticket.
And after driving past officers over the years (even pulled up next to them in traffic or at stop lights) with the tires the way they are and no doors on it doesn't seem to be an issue.
I was pulled over doing 37 in a 25. Just changed to 25 mph 1 block in front of me. Was 30 mph before that.
My speedometer said 30
The copy let me off with a 'warning'. Never told me to fix it, was extremely polite, because my wife and I were polite.
I had no mirrors, no rear view or side mirrors. Tires stick out over 2 inches. Loud dual exhaust...
He just said 'nice jeep' and walked back to his car.
2 .. This was in my cherokee, 6" lift, roof rack, lights... I was sitting in the 'exit' driveway from our Apartments and a cop passed by and stared right at me. I knew he was eyeballing me, I hadn't done anything wrong.
He spun a quickie and followed me for 2 blocks while running my license plate. Pulled me over after another SUV cop pulled up behind me. Asked for my driver's license and particulars. The plate came up as PO with a suspended license. He had his hand on his gun a she approached. Like wtf? After he saw it was just me and my wife he cooled down and just let us go.
Never said nice jeep while I was in an XJ , haha....
I think, too, you can attract attention if you're rig isn't looking up to snuff (if it's looking beat up with obvious stuff misisng) or it's obviously heavily modified or . . . you're actually speeding.
My rig is only lifted 2" with 32" tires. The rest of my Jeep looks mostly "normal" and not that tall. And when I drive my Jeep I don't speed. . . it's just no fun. . . pointless, really.
If your vehicle is moderately built and you're polite, then 99.9% of the time you'll get just the obligatory warning. People get pulled over because it gives reason to search for the bigger things that make for a better bust.
If you are looking to get pulled over, then lift it too high, have too wide of tires on it, turn the stereo way up, and also be sure to show off your prison tats. Then when your arresting officer approaches you be sure to say, "Why you hasslin' me pig!" :kiss:
I've also heard that due to the state budget deficit, they are cracking down (poor choice of words????) on violations. One person I know was towing his highly modified rig on a trailer and was stopped by WSP and was asked to provide his registration so the office could verify if he had paid the correct fee to trailer that much weight! He had, so he was let go!
So watch out. With the state deficit they are looking for any reason to make some money!
The Colfax county Sheriff/State Patrol will pull you over for fender laws. Colfax gets all their money from college students traveling between WSU and Spokane.
The rules on door are (or at least were two years ago) is there must be a 3" lip from the floor. I read that some where years ago. Two years ago I ran into a guy that made a buggy looking thing out of a Subaru. He took the doors off but welded some sheet metal to make that 3" lip.
I've never had an issue doorless and my wheels stick out almost an inch. Some Search and Rescue Rigs are far worse than mine, but they all have mud flaps. If there was a problem with my rid, the Sheriff would have let known a long time ago.
The rules on door are (or at least were two years ago) is there must be a 3" lip from the floor. I read that some where years ago. Two years ago I ran into a guy that made a buggy looking thing out of a Subaru. He took the doors off but welded some sheet metal to make that 3" lip.
I've never had an issue doorless and my wheels stick out almost an inch. Some Search and Rescue Rigs are far worse than mine, but they all have mud flaps. If there was a problem with my rid, the Sheriff would have let known a long time ago.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Jeep Enthusiast Forums
18.5M posts
726.8K members
Since 2000
A forum community dedicated to all jeep owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, engine swaps, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!