Putting personal preferences aside, do you think this is right? I don't think it is. http://newsone.com/nation/casey-gane-mccalla/cincinatti-impounding-cars-with-big-donk-rims/ To clarify, I'm not against vehicle safety. However, i think they're going about it wrong.
I agree.If they impound because of 20" and larger rims where will it stop.Your choice of suspension,grind of cam, gearing you are running and the list goes on and on. When things like this start happening We have need for concern. OUR HOBBY IS IN DANGER IF WE ALLOW THIS TO KEEP HAPPINING!!!!
While I can understand the need to 'protect' our right to legally modify our vehicles as we see fit, there comes a point where modifications exceed all reasonableness. I believe the donk wheels have done this. When you have to highly modify the vehicle's suspension and steering components just to accomodate wheels that are sometimes 30% taller (or more) than stock, the authorities have a right to question whether the vehicle is still safe. Remember, there are bumper height requirements, and some of these donk cars would probably be violating that area, just the same as a lifted 4X4. And speaking of 4X4's, those highly lifted ones should also be subject to the same critical review. As to possible allegations of descrimination on this issue, I've seen all colors of people riding in these cars, so no one race has a corner on foolishness......
I agree with you but what's the likelihood they do the same to those jacked up 4x4's? I don't know if there's a lot of them in Cincinnati but the point remains. Seems like an easy way to "legally" profile. Not specifically in terms of race but overall culture.
I think this is nuts! The Skittles donk with 26" rims shown in the article's pic is an example of a car that doesn't belong on the road, but that guy's Cadillac? It looked just fine. Nothing wrong with it. And the idea that they can take your car from you, impound it, and then search it, when you weren't doing anything wrong in the first place, that is, indeed, "Plain wrong"! David
There was a donk late 80's Monte Carlo in our erea few years back, I happened to chat with the young guy about it. I remember him saying 30mph is the fastest you drive because it's very unstable. A year or so ago our local news had a guy on who crashed his car avoiding another accident and insurance refused to pay out, the reason was his 13" spoked wheels with tiny tires on a early 70's Impala....the rims bent because of the severity of his swerve witch caused his single viehicle crash even though witnesses said he was avoiding the crash that happend seconds infront of him. Insurance said the car was not equiped with proper rims and tires as the factory stated. Also 4x4's with stupid huge tires are non existant here almost....they have been removed from the roads due to safty ishues. I don't like the idea of discrimination towards a car or truck iether....BUT when it comes to road safety...................
Just remember this is where it all starts with them telling us what is best for us.As far as lifted 4x4's go have built sevral over the years.It is a auto enthusiast thing.I would think the people here of all places would understand that even if isn't your cup of tea (Donk wheels and raised suspension) siezure of these are crossing a line.Raised suspension, lowered suspension all change handling of auto and are dangerous when not done properly, look while you are driving around tomorrow and look at some of the cars on the road that are not modified but equally as dangerous from lack of maintanence. A hack job is a hack job you can sieze all of those you want but you can't fix the fact that some people will butcher everything they build and be genrally unsafe.Will your car be labeled unsafe and siezed tomorrow???...no offense intended to anyone or thier opinion but this is just something I feel strongly about.I am not into government telling me what is best for me!
What about vehicles come from the factory with 20" wheels? I think they would have to make the law the overall tire diameter because some of the newer vehicles can have larger wheels with the same outside diameter as stock. I know some of those vehicles are unsafe and I see vehicles with rather large wheels going quite fast when in town. It's not a cosmetic thing but a safety issue. I don't think they should be impounded though. Maybe ticketed with a violation that needs to be corrected by a certain date.
Yeah - I'm not talking like +1 or +2" (or even +3's...). I'm talking about the 24 or 26 inchers that make the whole vehicle look like some sort of cartoon on wheels......
after watching the video again they are really grasping at straws talking about cat. convertor was removed brakes were installed backwards??? so even without the wheels the car was unsafe in thier opinion.How many pre-computer controlled cars still have a cat-converter on it? So IMO it is much deeper than Big Wheels. As far as the brakes being installed backwards, I'm not sure how you do that Just a note so no one thinks I am a raving lunatic I do get the unsafe issue everyone brings up and about 4years ago I had a Suzuki Samauri 4x4 that was lifted about 8" from factory heighth with a set of 31" mud tires.Now I deemed this vehicle unsafe from the factory and built as a trail only rig but not everybody will do this and not everyone feels this way about the Samuri's.Finally the point of my long winded babbling is we as hobbiest need to be responsible enough to build safe rides no matter if they are jacked-up or in the weeds to protect our rides we love so much without fear of them being impounded or being a danger to others on the road!
Its really about the brakes.. the rims are 20"+ and the brakes were designed for a 15's rim, the brakes are not near as effective trying to stop this car at 70 mph with the 20"s. Its like a trailer weighing 2 tons being pulled by a 60 Falcon and needing to stop on a X-way ramp at 55 mph... The Police would pull you over for the @&#%$^pity of that?.. So this is where it would land in Court. I've seen articles in my Hot Rod books( several well known) about this same subject. I'm sure SEMA would be asked to back this logic in Court. ??? just a idea!
That brings up a good point but braking is based on the GVW which is diffrent from actual weight of vehicle . Now I don't know anything about "Donk" culture and not a fan of it but I try to give the benefit of the doubt to these guys about thier mods.Bigger Brakes? As I stated before I have built sevral 4x4, two dodges, one ford and one suzuki samuari.The half ton 4x4 is common to swap 3/4 and 1 ton brakes.The Samauri uses Toyota braking and axles for upgrade so maybe these guys do upgrade the braking system.I for one modify my auto's to make them better, hopefully they do the same.
1. I can't stand "donk" wheels on cars. I just can't see the point. But I don't ask "what the heck did you do that for" either. 2. I don't like the "nanny" laws either. The government needs to allow us to be stupid. BUT! Some of the nanny laws are made to keep people out of the hospital. Many of the real stupid people can't afford to be sick let alone hurt and I really don't want to be taken out by stupid. We all foot the bill when poor stupid goes to the hospital and they get free medical care. Me? I have to pay the bill and I don't want to pay theirs too. Bottom line, if the car ain't safe then it needs to come off the road.
When my headlight is out my car is unsafe but it doesn't get impounded. I get a summons and it has to be addressed. What makes this any different? Some do it right and some don't. I'm sure the real objective is to seize the car and search it. If they find something illegal, good job. As a 30 y/o law abiding citizen who likes rolling on 20's, i deserve to be stopped and more importantly charged for an inspection i'd pass? Not to mention the inconvenience of being carless and whatever other towing snd storage fees. The end does not (always) justify the means. I also wonder if they're only stopping older model cars. The mention of new cars with 22's came up. I understand factory wheels but I had a 2004 dodge ram which came with 20's and i upgraded them to 24's. Would i have been stopped and my car impounded? Where does the line get drawn?
