Fender Laws in CO

[Paradude54]

I live part time in CO and most of the time in TN, but I'm planning on completing the move sometime not too far down the road. In Tennessee we don't have to have fenders at all. I have a few friends that have dune buggies that are street legal. I have a 4wd Jeep and the tires stick out a fair bit. What are the fender laws in CO?

[USMC88-93]

I would ask in the Colorado Jeep Club section of Jeepforum.com link here at least I think it will take you to the last page in that thread.
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f123/colorado-jeepers-unite-203386/index783.html

[Colorado Osprey]

I think this covers what you are looking for:

42-4-233. Alteration of suspension system.
(1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under the laws of this state upon a public highway with either the rear or front suspension system altered or changed from the manufacturer's original design except in accordance with specifications permitting such alteration established by the department. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the installation of manufactured heavy duty equipment to include shock absorbers and overload springs, nor shall anything contained in this section prevent a person from operating a motor vehicle on a public highway with normal wear of the suspension system if normal wear shall not affect the control of the vehicle.
(2) This section shall not apply to motor vehicles designed or modified primarily for off-highway racing purposes, and such motor vehicles may be lawfully towed on the highways of this state.
(3) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense.
CRS 42-4-233


I can't find anything about fenders covering tires, I do believe that there is a DOT reg that says you must have some type of mud flap if you don't have fenders covering the width of the tires though... can't remember the code.

Maximum overall width from DOT is enforced. Nothing over 102" wide at the widest point.

There is headlight height restrictions as well. Some lifted trucks/jeeps are not in compliance and could be ticketed: 24" to 54" measured in the center of the light is the legal requirement.
CRS 42-4-405


Hope this helps............ :)

[XJ]

pffft, don't worry about it. If you're a troublemaker then they will find plenty of other ticketable things, and if you're not then it will never be noticed.

IIRC the statute mentioned above was thrown out some years ago. Even if it was still on the books, the enforcement is nonexistent.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v624/xj_pictures/100_2926.jpg

[newracer]

The statute above was tossed in court several years ago. Denver has a tire coverage law but that's the only one I have heard about and it is not even inforced often. I have never been pulled over anyware.

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc129/newracer/Jeep/comp%20cut/IMG_3966.jpg

[Zundfolge]

Based on all the fenderless rock crawlers I see around town I doubt if there is a fender law that its enforced.

[7idl]

wow, I thought I might have to hide my "preban" guitars there for a second!!![Coffee]

[Irving]

I'd love to see someone mount some strati casters over their rear tires. I'd get a kick out of that.

[Paradude54]

Thanks for all the input. I guess that I won't worry about it then. I was getting a bit concerned as both of my XJs are lifted; one about 2" and the other 5". The one with a 5" lift is my play toy, Detriot Locker in the back and an ARB in the front along with a Super 30 kit and the back is a Dana 44 that I found on a junk yard 87 model. It's also got disc brakes in the back as well and an SYE. The tires are 33x12.5s with 3.5" of backspacing, so they stick out a little bit. I'd like to go up just a touch more eventually and go to 35s or maybe even 37s, but I'm not sure about that one. I'm in a wheelchair and I have to be able to climb in it. It sure is fun at times to see people's faces when they see me pull into a handicapped parking spot and all that they can see is a 48 year old male...until I get out.

I really can't wait to move out to CO. I like TN, but the humidity here in the summer is a killer and it's way too crowded. At the moment I spend summers in Trinidad taking gunsmithing classes and get out there occasionally during the winter.

[rl45acp]

One point I'll make from personel, and painful experince, if you move to a place that requires an emmisions test, they won't allow 35" or larger tires on their dynos. If you are moving to Trinidad, I don't think they require emmisions testing.

[Paradude54]

One point I'll make from personel, and painful experince, if you move to a place that requires an emmisions test, they won't allow 35" or larger tires on their dynos. If you are moving to Trinidad, I don't think they require emmisions testing.

That's a strange law, but then Denver, being the head of CO and pretty liberal, seems to do some strange things. For example, magazines over 20 rounds are legal in all of CO except Denver where 20 rounds is the limit, despite CO having a preemption law.

That's not really a big deal, I have another XJ and I actually have another set of wheels that I could stick on it. Imagine 4.88 gears and 29" tires! [ROFL1]

[Irving]

35" tires on the emissions testing isn't a law, just how they do it. It is the same thing for having low profile tires, or a car being too low to drive onto a dyno rack.

[rl45acp]

Stuart is correct. It isn't a law, it's just Envirotests rules. (Envirotest is the private company the the state gave the contract to, great idea, huh?) The way they have their dynos set up. They chock the non-drive tires, then these strange bars extend in front and behind the drives. These bars are too close to each other and they won't fit outside the diameter of those big tires. Kinda hard to describe in words without having a picture.

I endded up buying a pair of old Jeep rims and had used 30's mounted on them for my GMC. It looks quite odd with 35's up front, and 30's in the rear, and with the 4:56 gears the doghnuts are quite easy on dry pavement. (yes, it's fun heh heh)

[Paradude54]

So what do they do about factory dualies? Don't they come with tires about or larger than 33" from the factory? At the very least they're kind of wide in the rear drive wheels.

[rl45acp]

Uhh ohh, I say that because Co laws are wierd. If your truck is more than something like 8200# gvwr, you dont need to use the dyno, they just do a tail pipe test.

[Colorado Osprey]

So what do they do about factory dualies? Don't they come with tires about or larger than 33" from the factory? At the very least they're kind of wide in the rear drive wheels.

Ummm. NO Dually tires are generally not larger than 33" diameter.

The most common tire seen on dualies has been historically the LT235/85R16 It has a diameter of 31.5"
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=53&
Now even with newer trucks, 17, 18, 19.5 wheels, the same diameter size tire is still installed.
For example the newer Dodge 35000 Dually takes LT235/80R17 Even the new 4500's come with 19.5" tires that are still the same tire diameter.

Heck, you can get a 22.5" over the road wheel, with a 245/70R22.5 and that is still only then coming up to 33"
The cool part about upsizing to 19.5" and bigger on a new dually is getting 100,000 miles plus on a set of tires!!

[Colorado Osprey]

pffft, don't worry about it. If you're a troublemaker then they will find plenty of other ticketable things, and if you're not then it will never be noticed.

IIRC the statute mentioned above was thrown out some years ago. Even if it was still on the books, the enforcement is nonexistent.



Well kind of....
I agree that if you aren't causing trouble you are unlikely to be hassled.
BUT, the headlight and tail light height is enforced in some areas, like in some smaller communities and areas like Alamosa. Many college towns where some law enforcement love to mess with kids to get the ticket count up and to deter cruising.
The altering of the suspension is in and by itself unenforceable and has been, but coupled with the headlight height, you can and will get ticketed for the suspension as well. The suspension fine will get thrown out as negotiation and you your negotiating room is then gone on the headlight height charge if you go to court to challenge.

Again, are these issues to worry about? Generally no, you will only get trouble if you have some other sort of issue to start with.