making my bumpers pass..

leorn

reset
Location
Roy
So I am dusting off my old 4runner. It has no straight panels left, so I don't want to spend a bunch a money to fit inside Utah's box. Last it was registered in Utah my tube bumpers were legal. Now they are not. They need to be 4" wide for the width of the vehicle.

Any ideas as to what might pass? I'm seriously considering bolting some steel landscape edging to them, but would love a less ghetto long term solution. I guess that I probably won't use tube for the next version, but I don't have time for that before EJS.
 

leorn

reset
Location
Roy
I just remembered I have a few youtube clips--I'm not at home right now.
[video=youtube;VuBPgXDHG28]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuBPgXDHG28[/video]
[video=youtube;ZbVXNMrnl6A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbVXNMrnl6A[/video]
 

Kiel

Formerly WJ ZUK
Sheet metal until 4 inches wide, mudflaps and fender flares. Done. Looks like frame height might be questionable
 

leorn

reset
Location
Roy
I need to lower it for other reasons, but I have some 35s for street use and they tuck underneath, so frameheight is good. Mud flaps are easy.

Thanks!
 

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
wait what? Tube bumpers arent legal here? I havent had anyone say anything about my truck?

Tube bumpers are fine as long as they pass the minimum height requirement. I thought it was 4.5, but maybe it's 4 inches. It's hit and miss, because the rear on my 4Runner is a single 1.5" tube and it's never been bounced, and I know a couple guys that run the Addicted or Trailgear bumpers with no hassles and they aren't 4 inches either.

OP, that's a sweet truck. You don't need a new bumper, you need A Guy. :D
 
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1low4x4

New Member
Tube bumpers are fine as long as they pass the minimum height requirement. I thought it was 4.5, but maybe it's 4 inches. It's hit and miss, because the rear on my 4Runner is a single 1.5" tube and it's never been bounced, and I know a couple guys that run the Addicted or Trailgear bumpers with no hassles and they aren't 4 inches either.

OP, that's a sweet truck. You don't need a new bumper, you need A Guy. :D

Oh shit that is good news....scared me reading the OP's Post... I am pretty sure im over 4''...got me sweatin there! lol
 

bryson

RME Resident Ninja
Supporting Member
Location
West Jordan
Oh shit that is good news....scared me reading the OP's Post... I am pretty sure im over 4''...got me sweatin there! lol

As far as I'm aware, the law has always required that bumpers are at least 4" (or 4.5"?) tall from top to bottom for the entire width of the vehicles track (outside of tire to outside of tire.) Like stated above, it is rare to hear of people being hassled as long as the bumper looks pretty normal.


To the OP - My guess is that last time you registered the truck, the inspector was lenient on the bumper law (or didn't know it) and let you pass. By the book, I don't think it's ever been legal. For a fix (if you haven't done it already) I have been told by safety inspectors that plastic is legal (most factory bumpers are plastic anyways.) Just bolt some plastic bumper caps (or anything plastic) from something else on it and get it inspected.


I'm certainly not trying to be a bumper czar, as I've owned more than my fair share of vehicles with bumpers that weren't book-legal. With that said, I have bumper plans for current vehicles that are also not exactly "legal".:p

Good luck!:)
 

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
I was dinged by UHP many years ago (2003-4ish) for not having 4" tall rear bumper. So I'm pretty sure that code has been around for some time. It took 3 UHP to determine this; looked like a felony stop off the side of I-15.

I never did add to the bumper. Rolled the dice and was never hassled again. I do believe it was the 39" SSX's sticking out 4"s or so that caused the stop on the highway, bumper was just fuel to the fire for the UHP... I got away with an illegal LP up front, and very-not-legal ride height that day.
 
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