Interesting take on vehicle modification
- Thread starter bartheil
- Start date
Grassland
Well-known member
I can agree with much of this.
I'm frequently blinded by people running LED in their halogen headlight assembly. Especially from Honda civics of a particular generation, and the ubiquitous 2015-17 F150.
If OEM didn't put such substandard headlights in the base trim, would be less of an issue I'm sure.
As well I never understood sticking your tires multiple inches past the wheel wells. I was trying to look for aftermarket wheels but the vast majority were not only 1-2" wider overall but had an offset 1" further out. At least that can be solved with extended fender flares, though that doesn't address component strain or changes to turning radius or handling.
I'm frequently blinded by people running LED in their halogen headlight assembly. Especially from Honda civics of a particular generation, and the ubiquitous 2015-17 F150.
If OEM didn't put such substandard headlights in the base trim, would be less of an issue I'm sure.
As well I never understood sticking your tires multiple inches past the wheel wells. I was trying to look for aftermarket wheels but the vast majority were not only 1-2" wider overall but had an offset 1" further out. At least that can be solved with extended fender flares, though that doesn't address component strain or changes to turning radius or handling.
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Good article.
pith helmet
Well-known member
if only there were more regulation, could we all live forever and ever.
4000lbsOfGoat
Well-known member
A lot of good points in the article but this one is problematic: "If you run aftermarket driving lights, wiring them up to the high beam stalk (with an additional switch to enable and disable them entirely) will allow you to easily switch them off when other drivers approach."
That is exactly how I have my driving lights wired up but it falls foul of US regulations that limit the total number of lumens you can put out on the road. I have had dealers refuse to wire driving lights this way for this reason. YMMV.
That is exactly how I have my driving lights wired up but it falls foul of US regulations that limit the total number of lumens you can put out on the road. I have had dealers refuse to wire driving lights this way for this reason. YMMV.
We don't need more regulation - many of the issues addressed in the article are already covered by state or federal motor vehicle safety regulations that aren't enforced. The advice in the article is practical and will probably be ignored by those who care more about how their vehicle looks and the image it projects than how it performs. For practical purposes, mods should address real shortcomings while having as little adverse impact on vehicle performance and handling as possible. There's nothing wrong with caring, and taking pride in, how a vehicle looks, but the driving force behind significant modifications to suspension, structure, and safety systems is often changing the appearance with little thought or understanding of the impact to vehicle safety, performance, and economy. In general, the thought given to mods on this forum is not the norm.
The most dangerous obstacles most of us encounter on our travels (daily and cross-country) are inclement weather, visibility issues such as darkness or being blinded by the light, and other people - whether criminal, distracted, or simply incapable of driving in that inclement weather. Proper preventive maintenance is the most important "mod" and most deserving of the expense. Properly aimed headlights, tires with adequate tread depth and construction for the expected use, good brakes and periodic brake fluid flushes, and an inspected and maintained suspension are good insurance against catastrophic events. Practicing defensive driving, situational awareness, self-awareness (are you impaired, sleepy...), experience and training are all better strategies for exploration than throwing money at mods that aren't needed. A side effect of this is that you have more money for actually taking trips.
The most dangerous obstacles most of us encounter on our travels (daily and cross-country) are inclement weather, visibility issues such as darkness or being blinded by the light, and other people - whether criminal, distracted, or simply incapable of driving in that inclement weather. Proper preventive maintenance is the most important "mod" and most deserving of the expense. Properly aimed headlights, tires with adequate tread depth and construction for the expected use, good brakes and periodic brake fluid flushes, and an inspected and maintained suspension are good insurance against catastrophic events. Practicing defensive driving, situational awareness, self-awareness (are you impaired, sleepy...), experience and training are all better strategies for exploration than throwing money at mods that aren't needed. A side effect of this is that you have more money for actually taking trips.
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
I feel attacked. 
I'll keep my big dumb tires, thank you very much. Having the tires stick out helps protect the body when doing most difficult stuff off road. Larger tires also provide the added flotation needed for sand and snow when used at very low pressures. My vehicles still go down the highway juuuuust fine....stopping, steering, etc. It is called knowing how to drive your vehicle. A pickup isn't the same thing as a Corvette.
This kind of nanny state stuff is complete BS. It's like Pennsylvania pulling vehicles off the road for 'safety' issues ( because of their liberal use of salt! ) and then having a bridge collapse under a bunch of the 'safe' vehicles.
I'll keep my big dumb tires, thank you very much. Having the tires stick out helps protect the body when doing most difficult stuff off road. Larger tires also provide the added flotation needed for sand and snow when used at very low pressures. My vehicles still go down the highway juuuuust fine....stopping, steering, etc. It is called knowing how to drive your vehicle. A pickup isn't the same thing as a Corvette.
This kind of nanny state stuff is complete BS. It's like Pennsylvania pulling vehicles off the road for 'safety' issues ( because of their liberal use of salt! ) and then having a bridge collapse under a bunch of the 'safe' vehicles.
Grassland
Well-known member
Let's be honest here, safe to say 9/10 north Americans with wide tires out past the fenders doesn't leave pavement.
And yeah just enforcing what's on the books would go a long way.
Just like having manufacturer put some decent headlights in from the factory without having to move up three trims and thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. The technology is there.
And yeah just enforcing what's on the books would go a long way.
Just like having manufacturer put some decent headlights in from the factory without having to move up three trims and thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. The technology is there.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
What "problem" are all these rules designed to solve?
Have there been a rash of on-road accidents caused by overloaded or improperly equipped vehicles? Is this something that the various state highway departments even track?
There are certainly some good, common sense ideas in that article but the overall notion that it is the role of the government to tell people just how they can modify their vehicles is not likely to find many supporters in the US, or even in Canada.
Let's not create "solutions" from thin air and then go around looking for problems to solve. Most of the over-lifted, jacked-up, diesel-smoke-spewing bro-dozers on the road rarely make it past the mall parking lot anyway. And as others have said, the problem isn't lack of regulation, it's lack of both the means and the willingness to enforce laws already on the books.
Have there been a rash of on-road accidents caused by overloaded or improperly equipped vehicles? Is this something that the various state highway departments even track?
There are certainly some good, common sense ideas in that article but the overall notion that it is the role of the government to tell people just how they can modify their vehicles is not likely to find many supporters in the US, or even in Canada.
Let's not create "solutions" from thin air and then go around looking for problems to solve. Most of the over-lifted, jacked-up, diesel-smoke-spewing bro-dozers on the road rarely make it past the mall parking lot anyway. And as others have said, the problem isn't lack of regulation, it's lack of both the means and the willingness to enforce laws already on the books.
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
buellconvert
Active member
In North Carolina where I live and I am sure other areas as well, there is a fad of squatting trucks and SUVs, it not only looks completely ridiculous, but it's very dangerous to both the driver and other motorists. It's become such an issue that the state recently implemented a new law to combat this trend. In this particular situation I am all for the government getting involved, since these morons don't have the sense to know just how dangerous it is.
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Mickey Bitsko
Adventurer
Meh.. Australia needs the money and an easy target ,
just like this dumb ass country .
just like this dumb ass country .
I'd say that this is not something most, if any, highway departments are tracking. The only time they seem to really care about vehicle regulations is: 1) commercial vehicles and 2) when a collision results in fatality.
