This is in response to the above post. I was going to quote it but its way to long to do that.

I dont know of the offroad rules and regs so im not even going to try there. And also thank you for pointing out the rcw where it talks about fenders. I Personally have never heard of that. Im also not sure about the exo cage question. I have a few buddies who are in our traffic section. I will ask them and get back to you. I work straight patrol so i rarely do traffic stops anyways. Im willing to bet that each offroad park has their own set of regs when it comes to vehicle specifications. So like i said i cant answer that question. I have no idea where you would even begin to try to find the answer to that question. Sorry.

 

so i am moving to Washington state near everett, i have a 7" long arm on my 94 and 35" tires, am i supposssed to have mud flaps? that would look retarted!

 

I think you are supposed to have mudflaps. But according to this thread it doesn't seem like too many cops out there care. Although, whenever I see a cop is following me I turn out and let him pass even though I'm not doing anything wrong. Just decreases the percentage of the blue light flashing rate for me. If you don't let them see you they can't pull you over!

 

I lived in Bonney Lake for years and my tires stick out about 3-4" and I've only been bothered for it once and that was when I was pulled over for somethin else already...my exhaust. Neither of which I actually got ticketed for he let both go. It depends on the cop. Just like how some cops will pull over certain cars with loud exhausts but not others or none at all.

 

To respond to Trollhammers question about width. There is a lot of smoke being blown around the internet these days about the 72" width restriction at Evans Creek. This is a very old rule and is not enforced. The forest service is working on getting that restriction increased to 80" and when they do it will be posted at Evans and on the internet and only then will they start actually enforcing it. That 72" restriction is the narrowest around besides the Rattlesnake trail in the Naches area. That has a 74" width restriction and a 95" wheelbase restriction (that means XJs not allowed). I believe there is no width restriction at Elbe Hills and at Tahuya it is something like 96". They are talking about setting a restriction for the Naches area, but as of right now there is none. As tight as the trails are here I could not see going full width. I would reccomend going no bigger than 80", but you would probably be better off somewhere around 76". Really unless you have 15" wide tires with a lot of backspacing it is tough to get to 80" wide with a Cherokee. I run 35x12.5 tires with about 3" backspacing. I am 74" wide and have no problems fitting down any trails.

 

Yes, mud flaps at least down to the center of your axle and flares that cover the entire tire, but not extending more than 3 inches past the original body width(orginal flares included). Theres tons of vehicles that don't meet this law, most are on new pickups and suvs with lifts, enforcement is really hit and miss, but Jeeps are usually targeted, because its obvious. Of course it all depend on where you are and how bored the cops are. Also, many cops don't know what the laws are reguarding fenders, and mudflaps and will only stick you with a ticket if your kicking up rocks and mud on other cars.

Here's the WSP website, the links go to the actual laws so you can read them as they are written.

 

link didn't appear to post, but it's listed earlier in this thread.

So far as I've noticed, the 'hot spot' for enforcement is up near the trails. I've heard a lot more tickets this year than last. In town, though (yakima, selah) there are probibly 1 in 5 vehicles that have some kind of mod or damage that renders them not legal, but I rarely see any enforcement. In fact, the last time I heard someone get pulled over in town for this type of thing was my coworker. He'd just bought a vehicle off the lot that had a lift, tires outside the fenders, window tinting on the front windows.... many things outside legal limits, and all were factory installed... The trooper pulled him over on the freeway just because it was a workzone and an easy ticket, and he cited the window tint, not the tires outside the flares.

Back to the origional question, though, about the flaps... Personally I'd go along with everyone else, that they are required (read it for yourself if you wish to get the full idea of it, because flaps themself are not requiered if the wheel wells extend down to the axle in the rear of each fenderwell. Basically the tire just needs covered and flaps are the easiest way to do it) and I'd put them on, at least in the winter. If you don't have them there and someone wanted to push the issue, you might end up paying for someone's windshield or more.

For a trail rig, though, or something you are concerned about looks or whatnot, you can do what my cousin did and put removeable flaps on. Once he's on trail, he takes them off, and throws them back on when he's heading back to the trailer.

I've looked through a bunch of other sources, such as DNR and the WACs, and still haven't found anything more definitive than the RCW mentioned earlier about fenders (or other mods) on or off trail (the RCW doesn't address the trail, unless you assume that the vehicle had to use a road to get to the trail). It seems to be a blind spot, or if there is a governing authroity, they need to make the info more availible to us. In some ways I think it's reduculous that you nearly need to have a law degree just to know if the car you bought from the lot is street legal to read the info and know where to look the info up so you don't have a suprise like my coworker. Trail laws are even more obscure. The sad thing is that when we 'break the rules' whether we know what they are or not, it makes us all look bad and is just one more nail in the coffin.

 

this rule really blows cause the 2009 JK Rubicons have 5" flares stock. so are they not allowed to sell these vehicles anymore? stupid

 

Dunno how I missed this the other day, thanks for posting the info! I'm wondering if the potiential restrictions at Little Naches is what cousin is in a tizzy about, it was something pending. Do you have any info on who is the governing authority for that or what the restriction might be?

After wheeling with one guy that had 49x18" iroks on full width axles (and who knows what backspacing) it's fine by me if they limit it to something reasonalble, but my cousin is running stock width toyota axles and 36"(?) tsls and he's pushing 73-74 as it is, and he's only running spacers on one axle to match the other.

I'm having a hard enough time just trying to get everything together on my jeep, I'd just hate to get it all done and have a fender or rollcage issue and have to rework a bunch of stuff.

 

No, stock fares don't count towards the 3" rule and are considered part of the body, If a 2009 JK rubi comes with 5" flares, than by law, your allowed to put on 8" flares.

 

I believe the Naches/Manastash area is part of the Wenatchee/Cle Elum Ranger District http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/cl...orv/index.html. As already discussed in the Evans thread 72" is just too narrow for most rigs these days so I doubt if they did a restriction it would be anywhere near that narrow, but there are some people who are freaked out because of the 74" restriction on the Rattlesnake trail which is in the Naches area. That trail is much tighter than any others in the area so I don't see them applying those restrictions anywhere else. If we were to see one for the whole Naches area I can't see it being below 80". Based on how wide most trails there are now it could be more like 90". Either way I say keep your cherokee under 80" and you should be ok pretty much anywhere.

 

This is where the law bothers me. It says "flexible fender extensions" cannot stick out more than 3" from the body. My cherokee came with 3" fender flares so by your logic I could go to 6" but the local police here disagree. I am thinking that they do not consider the JK fenders "flexible fender extensions" they are considered part of the body. I should be able to fab up some metal fender extensions and go out further than 3" because they are not flexible.

 

Yes by my understanding it is legal to put 6" flares on an XJ in WA. Keep in mined too an officers job is to enforce the law, not interpret it, thats a judges job. If your getting tickets, take them to court and have a judge review it. Most traffic lawyers will take any "green" ticket for $100 and some will guarantee that you willn't have to fork out any more money(if you lose, they cover it). Even if your guilty as the day is long, a cheap lawyer can get it reduced to a lesser offense. If you win one case, any ticket after that for the same thing would likely be thrown out and if you kept getting tickets the police department involved would be vulnerable to a lawsuit for harassment.

The last sentence of RCW 46.44.010 states that a width-exclusive device must not extend more than three inches beyond the width limit of the vehicle body. The WSP website reads it as ...may not extend more than 3" beyond the extreme limits of the body. RCW 46.44.010

Since flare extensions are an aftermarket add on, they can't come on a stock vehicle, so in turn, you can go 3" past the "width limit" or the "extreme limits of a body".

I'm not a lawyer, and laws are always up for interpretation by judges(what exactly is a "flexible fender extention"?, what about a ridged fender extension?, what exactly are the extreme limits of the body? If its welded to the body is it a flare extension still?), so if you don't like it, fight it. If I got a ticket for 6" flares on a XJ I would.

Keep in mined too officers and judges main concern is safety. Explain to them that your trying to follow the law and don't want throw rocks or debis at other cars behind you killing a family(say your concerned for little billy and his family and your golden! Got me out of a few jams). Ask them why its possible to buy a 12-14" wide tire down at schwab, but its not legal to safetly cover it!

 

i have a buddy who got a yota and he goes up to evans creek and has a huge axle width over 72 " and doesn't get crap for it

 

it is really looking like that if the cop wants to be a dick or not is really what the law is.