D.O.T. Vs non DOT

[74lumenaire]

Should I be scared to buy non DOT approved steering linkage? 74 drum front with disc brake conversion form wildhorses? What are my options?

 

[74lumenaire]

Do cops hassel you guys? Ive heard of rather large tickets given out!

 

[centex77]

Assuming you are talking about hydraulic steering?

 

[marshall godron]

Never had a problem. But I’m in Cali. States like in the north east where they have inspections could be a problem. Most of the time in my opinion is the manufacturer dint spend the extra money to the government to put there stamp of approval on it

 

[ntsqd]

DOT doesn't approve anything. The mfg has to find a testing lab to test their product against the DOT std's. If it passes then the mfg has to maintain QA/QC docs to prove that all of those built since those that passed were built the same way, from the same stuff.

That said, if the steering linkage has tie-rod ends then it should not ever be a question.

 

[sykanr0ng]

If you are ever in a really bad accident (death or permanent damage) and a lawyer for the injured party finds out that what your vehicle was equipped with was not listed as approved the lawyer may try to pin the blame on you by claiming it was an unsafe vehicle.

 

[garberz]

If you are ever in a really bad accident (death or permanent damage) and a lawyer for the injured party finds out that what your vehicle was equipped with was not listed as approved the lawyer may try to pin the blame on you by claiming it was an unsafe vehicle.

This would apply to most any modification we make beyond keeping it stock. I don’t see something like this happening, only if the accident was a direct cause from the part in question.

Mark

 

[74lumenaire]

Was thinking about Toms HD Trail Terminator lonkage! What do ya think

 

[garberz]

Was thinking about Toms HD Trail Terminator lonkage! What do ya think

I been running a SRE steering set up for years. I’ve never had any issues. What ultimately happens with these threads, you’re going to start the “TRE vs. SRE” debate. Lots of info on this topic already. Be aware that those 3/4” heims only operate to 26*, so you’ll need to watch your drag link angle and potential angle.

Mark

 

[Broncobowsher]

Not worried. Now if there were a state safety inspection I might think twice. Depends on how the inspections go. Some are anal, others are simple to the point of are you a rolling deathtrap that needs to stay off the road. When I worked briefly at a dealership in Missouri it was amazing what crap would roll in for an inspection. haw many plys were wore through on the tire and it still held air? Broken suspension parts. Brakes worn to the cooling vanes. This is the stuff that would fail an inspection. A tight heim is the same as a tight tie rod end, pass.

There are plenty of kit cars that run heims. There are even some quasi production vehicles running them as ball joints (local motors stuff). Safe enough for aircraft to use (at least good grades of heims).

I've ran them in the past, I would run them again.

 

[DirtDonk]

I don’t see something like this happening, only if the accident was a direct cause from the part in question.

Don't be so sure. In the late '80's Rancho Suspension got sued, and lost a bid to have it dismissed out of hand, when a loser in a K5 got drunk, likely fell asleep at the wheel (kind of the same thing though) and caused an accident and big ruckus.
Rancho and two other companies caught the brunt of the suit, and literally the only thing made by Rancho on that truck was a decal in the window!
No springs, no shocks, no steering linkage, no lift blocks or u-bolts. Just a flippin' decal!

And no, I'm not kidding. And yes, they paid out, and yes, right after that and for several years you could not get a Rancho decal to save your life. No more separate shock decals to update your old ones. No window decals to give you the cool factor. No gimme-decals at truck shows. Nada.
Pretty sure you can get all that swag again, but then I haven't really seen any for sure either.

Just goes to show some will sue about anything if they think the other party has deeper pockets.
But a flippin' decal? Gimme a break...

Paul

 

[Skiddy]

Don't be so sure. In the late '80's Rancho Suspension got sued, and lost a bid to have it dismissed out of hand, when a loser in a K5 got drunk, likely fell asleep at the wheel (kind of the same thing though) and caused an accident and big ruckus.
Rancho and two other companies caught the brunt of the suit, and literally the only thing made by Rancho on that truck was a decal in the window!
No springs, no shocks, no steering linkage, no lift blocks or u-bolts. Just a flippin' decal!

And no, I'm not kidding. And yes, they paid out, and yes, right after that and for several years you could not get a Rancho decal to save your life. No more separate shock decals to update your old ones. No window decals to give you the cool factor. No gimme-decals at truck shows. Nada.
Pretty sure you can get all that swag again, but then I haven't really seen any for sure either.

Just goes to show some will sue about anything if they think the other party has deeper pockets.
But a flippin' decal? Gimme a break...

Paul

That's just so wrong

 

[bmc69]

If you are ever in a really bad accident (death or permanent damage) and a lawyer for the injured party finds out that what your vehicle was equipped with was not listed as approved the lawyer may try to pin the blame on you by claiming it was an unsafe vehicle.

I found myself in exactly that situation with my '78 Bronco back in 1997. My truck was impounded for a long time as public and private investigators went over it again and again with fine tooth comb to try and find something - anything - they could use to declare me negligent due to vehicle mods. The truck was lifted 4"...Skyjacker coils and leaves and Rancho shocks.

At the end of the day, they found nothing and the lawsuit (almost 8 million dollars) brought against me failed. My bumper height was exactly 3/8" below max legal height for MD..and the steering was all stock and in good shape.

 

[blubuckaroo]

My wife had a serious accident in the '90s, and the MAIT (Multidiciplinary Accident Investigation Team) was called in. Both car chassis were disassembled, measured, and logged.
This is serious stuff when the claims come in.
Very few aftermarket parts are approved. This is why car dealers charge so much for their aftermarket dealer added equipment.