Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest banner

Michigan tire laws. help!

14K views 45 replies 21 participants last post by  Sol Goode 
#1 ·
I've been pulled over twice in three weeks. One time for running a stop sign, where the officer told me my tires can't stick out over 1.5" from the "body" of the vehicle, and the other time I was pulled over for having the tires sticking out past 1.5" from the body.

I didn't receive a ticket for either of the stops for the tires, but I know this is going to be an issue. I'm pretty sure there is no law regarding tires sticking out for non commercial vehicles, but I don't know what article it is.

Any help?
 
#5 ·
I know it is. I also need to figure out mirrors. Do mirrors have to stick out beyond the body, or can they be on the inside? I put blind spot mirrors on either side by the stock YJ speaker locations, but I've already been busted for those also. :tonka:

I need a copy of the tire law to keep in my glovebox, because I see this being a big issue
 
#6 ·
They may pull you over to hassel you but I don't see that as being any different than a street legal dune buggy. Or the 32 Ford high boys that came from the factory without fenders. T- buckets don't have fenders either. :confused: Didn't they make Prowlers for a year or 2 without fenders?
 
#11 ·
Challenge the officer to produce the Section you are in violation of.


This is the SOS PDF.


http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/showthread.php?t=44750


MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE

257.710 Tires; studs or other traction devices; rules; exceptions; use or sale of unsafe tires prohibited.
Sec. 710.
(a) A person shall not operate on a public highway of this state a vehicle or special mobile equipment which has metal or plastic track or a tire which is equipped with metal that comes in contact with the surface of the road or which has a partial contact of metal or plastic with the surface of the road, except as provided in subsections (c), (d), and (e).
(b) A person shall not operate on a highway a vehicle which has a tire that has on its periphery a block, stud, flange, cleat, spike, or other protuberance of a material other than rubber which projects beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except as provided in subsections (c), (d), and (e). A person may, however, use farm machinery with a tire having a protuberance which will not injure a highway. A person may also use a tire chain of reasonable proportion upon a vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other condition tending to cause a vehicle to skid.
(c) A person may operate on a highway a vehicle which has a pneumatic tire in which wire of .075 inches in diameter or less is embedded if the tire is constructed so that the percent of metal in contact with the highway does not exceed 5% of the total tire area in contact with the roadway, except that during the first 1,000 miles of use or operation of the tire the metal in contact with the highway shall not exceed 20% of the area.
(d) The department of state highways and transportation shall promulgate rules establishing acceptable standards to permit the use of a tire with studs or other traction devices to be used on a street or highway after April 1, 1975. The rules shall make separate provision for the extreme winter snow and ice conditions of the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula. The rules shall include a restriction on the amount and dimension of protrusions that may be allowed on a tire, the type of material that may be used in a stud, traction device, or tire, and the amount of road wear that a tire with studs or other traction devices may cause on a street or highway.
(e) A person may operate on a highway a vehicle which has a pneumatic tire in which are inserted ice grips or tire studs if the person is a law enforcement officer operating a vehicle owned by a law enforcement agency, a person operating an ambulance, or a United States postal service rural carrier driving a vehicle the rural carrier owns and maintains as a prerequisite to employment in the postal service.
(f) A person shall not operate a vehicle on a highway when a tire in use on that vehicle is unsafe as provided in subsection (h).
(g) A person in the business of selling tires shall not sell or offer for sale for highway use a tire which is unsafe as provided in subsection (h).
(h) A tire is unsafe if it is in any of the following conditions:
(i) Has a part of the belting material, tire cords, or plys exposed.
(ii) Has evidence of cord or tread separations.
(iii) Is worn to or below the minimum tread level in 2 or more adjacent major grooves at 3 or more locations spaced around the circumference of the tire. Minimum allowable tread levels are as follows:

motorcycles and moped.....................1/32 inch front and rearpassenger cars and vehiclesweighing less than 10,000pounds.................................2/32 inch front and rearvehicles weighing 10,000 poundsor more...........................4/32 inch front and 2/32 rear
Measurements shall not be made at locations of tread wear indicators or tie bars. A motor vehicle licensed as an historic vehicle under section 803a is exempt from the tread depth requirements of this subsection.
(iv) Has a marking "not for highway use", "for racing purposes only", "for farm use only", or "unsafe for highway use".
(v) Has been regrooved or recut below the original tread design depth except in the case of special purpose designed tires having extra undertread rubber provided for this purpose and identified as those tires.
 
#13 ·
Use your own freaking GL/Google search function next time, clown. :poke:


Edit: You sent that last Warning too soon. :stan:


clarkstoncracker said:
Dear PavementPounder,

You have received a warning at Great Lakes 4x4.

https://www.greatlakes4x4.com/posts/611293/

Reason:
-------
giving me the information I needed without being an asshole

.
-------

Warnings serve as a reminder to you of the forum's rules, which you are expected to understand and follow.

All the best,
Great Lakes 4x4
 
#26 ·
I only read the first post.

Question:

Wasn't this built as a trail rig? Deal w/ it if you're going to drive on the street. Street legal Q&A have been beaten to death hundreds of times already.

Yes, I've received a ticket for the same thing. I paid it and built the rig bigger.

You have a nice rig, prove it worthy on the trail.
 
#28 ·
I looked into when I got the ticket.

I did not need the whole discussion since I was answering to the 1st post ... besides reading back on it I didn't miss much I didn't already know.

Time is money and I didn't have enough time to whine about a tire clearance problems ... I too was driving my "trail rig" on the pavement. :thumb:
 
#32 ·
Time is money and I didn't have enough time to whine about a tire clearance problems ... I too was driving my "trail rig" on the pavement. :thumb:
If you want to let the government continue to fuck you in the ass, then continue doing that. :thumb:


Who lives in michigan and builds a rig that is only trail worthy? That seems as stupid as building a rock buggy in michigan.
 
#30 ·
i would suggest not challenging the officer at the time of the ticket if they ever do write you for it.. just challenge it w/ the magistrate.. i know its a waste of time but if you piss off a cop they may just find more things wrong.. and if its your YJ you are driving.. then you are definately over mi lift law heights..
 
#41 ·
OK, I did the legal thing and asked the question on the MSP (Michigan State Police) website.

Got an email reply this morning. Here it is:

Thank you for posting your question to the MSP website. It has been forwarded to my office for a response.



question: When running wide aftermarket tires on a passenger vehicle, are there any laws governing how far a tire can protrude from a wheel well?


Answer: No.



Sgt. Steven Spink
Michigan State Police
Traffic Services Section, Field Support Unit
East Lansing Headquarters



OK, now I have done a follow up question to him: How do I handle the situation when pulled over? Waiting for his reply.

JK
 
#43 ·
Had a followup email with the officer. Although there are no laws governing tire exposure, he cautioned me on another point:

"With the way that the careless and reckless driving statutes read it is possible to write an operator who knowingly operates or has reason to believe the operation is hazardous, reckless, careless, or negligent manner by throwing debris into traffic."

This means that if your tires are sticking out and you throw shit, the officer can write you a ticket. So, be safe!:thumb:

The officer has been great with his communication with me. Thumbs up to him!:thumb:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top