MN Lift has anybody lifted one yet

[Sambarhunter]

Has anybody lift one yet ????? Mine is booked in on the 17th of March for its ARB Winch bar then I will put a winch on it and lift it 2"...Would like to hear from anybody who has already done this on the MN

[mjc85]

Maybe do a thread search, apparently its illegal to lift a car with ESC, also illegal to change tyre size and as I read on this forum it also appears to be illegal to even change tyre brand. So before you go and get lift, please do some research to check any legal issues. Can you report back your findings? As I am very interested because I will be getting my MN in late March April and looking to lift as well.

[Sambarhunter]

A feller on this website rang VIC roads and asked the question and was told its fine to lift them and the same was said by MMA i might call them myself today

[brunopezz]

mjc85
you can legaly go 50 mm over as long as it is done to legal requirements, and as far as changing tyre brands being illegal, that is total crap, where did you hear that?
At the moment you can go 15mm over placard size legaly, and maybe in the near future that will change to 50mm over. any tyre brand that meets the government standards (which I believe is all that can be sold in australia) will do if you keep within the legal size and on or over the load rating for your vehicle.

[al coholic]

Brunopezz, Mitch is right in what he said as far as the information we have seen so far, apart from the fact it is not illegal, you just need to have your truck engineered afterwards. It would only be illegal if you failed to do this step.

This thread was posted by Ultimate, who is a forum sponsor and has been in business in the suspension game for ever, this was info he had recieved from a NSW engineer, so i highly doubt between the two of them that they have got it wrong. Thier reading of the new regs were also confirmed by the RTA technical hotline.

So remember these are NSW rules, but i highly doubt they would be hugely different than any other state. If i were you, i would ring your local department in Qld and specify you have a MN with ESC with plans to do a two inch lift and see what they say. The guidelines you posted above sound like the regs in place for every other 4wd prior to ESC being fitted......ie ML triton.

See how you go and let us know your findings. Cheers.

[ultimate]

Hi guys, We have lifted a few MN Tritons now without any problems. The whole legally concerns with the MN came from a law which was written stating that the tyres and suspension can not be modified on a vehicle with ESC (Electronic Stability Control). After rigours correspondence between the RTA and AAAA (Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association) we've now learnt the rule is written but not entirely enforced. The AAAA is still fighting hard for the legislation to be abandoned.

If you contact the RTA technical line directly- 1300 137 302 they will tell you that you need an engineer's certificate because any suspenison upgrade will modify the GVM compared to the manufcatures specifications. With the tyres, the statement was written very precise and basically said you can't change tyre brand. How ever it has now come out that you can change brand, just not type unless the other type was offered by the manufacture as an option. For example, if your vehicle was only released with light truck tyres, you can't change to a radial. But if the radial was an option than it isn't a problem.

The hardest thing with these laws is trying to keep up with it. Nobody at the RTA is willing to put pen to paper for you and keep falling back on the engineer's like gospel. What we did at Ultimate, is engineer the first MN and kept the same standard ever since. If the law does start to be enforced, we know the engineering isn't a problem and the process has already been started. I will try to update everybody as more information comes to light.

Apart from that, a raised height suspension on an MN Triton works very well and they ride fantastic. You shouldn’t have any problems with yours.

[mjc85]

Brendan, have you been using Dobinson kits? Or what are you recommending for the MN ?

Cheers
Mitch

[ag9111]

Mitch
I think you have missed the fact that Ultimate is a competitor of Dobinsons

I dont think he will be recommending Dobinsons

[gregned]

Brendan, have you been using Dobinson kits? Or what are you recommending for the MN ?

Cheers
Mitch

[VENTURI]

Brendan, have you been using Dobinson kits? Or what are you recommending for the MN ?

Cheers
Mitch

GOLD!

[amanda]

My head is spinning! I have spent the day on the phone to Transport SA, Mitsubishi, 4wd Systems, and the RAA regarding the legalities of a 2" lift in SA. Transport SA were clueless, as were Mitsubishi who pretty much said if we dont fit it we dont know anything. Finally the guy at the RAA said you cant fit a 2" lift to an MN Triton because of the stability control.I dont know if its because its illegal or just not a good idea because we have to disable the stability control. So now what do we do? The car needs something done because the rear end is sagging already when we tow and we scrape on everything when 4wding. I was thinking airbags so we can lift the tail up when we tow and go off road. The RAA guy suggested we get stiffer suspension so we dont bounce as much when we 4wd. He then suggested we had the wrong car!! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[ultimate]

My head is spinning! I have spent the day on the phone to Transport SA, Mitsubishi, 4wd Systems, and the RAA regarding the legalities of a 2" lift in SA. Transport SA were clueless, as were Mitsubishi who pretty much said if we dont fit it we dont know anything. Finally the guy at the RAA said you cant fit a 2" lift to an MN Triton because of the stability control.I dont know if its because its illegal or just not a good idea because we have to disable the stability control. So now what do we do? The car needs something done because the rear end is sagging already when we tow and we scrape on everything when 4wding. I was thinking airbags so we can lift the tail up when we tow and go off road. The RAA guy suggested we get stiffer suspension so we dont bounce as much when we 4wd. He then suggested we had the wrong car!! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Amanda,

It's a bit of a stale mate with the ESC laws. The Government wrote the legislation but it was never enforced. That's why the RAA wouldn't know much about it. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association is fighting the legislation and hopefully it will never officially come in to practise. We have also been contesting the laws since the beginning as they are completely ridiculous. The standard suspension (Even with ESC) is totally inadequate, uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Any aftermarket suspension will dramatically improve the vehicle's comfort and handling on road, with more clearance and flexibility off road.

When this issue first arrived with the MN Triton, we got one of the vehicles engineered after it was fitted with our kit. The vehicle passed the engineering with flying colours and the ESC was not affected. We have since been manufacturing kits for the MN without any problems as we have the knowledge that our kits can be easily engineered if needed. Hopefully though the laws will never come into practise and nobody will require engineering on their vehicle for a 2" lift.

When the Government tried releasing the VSI50 laws last year, we held a day at Oran Park with Ian Luff, A Current Affair and the local Police Force. Basically the government tried saying that only car hoons modify suspension and that tampering with the original suspension is detrimental to the safety and handling of the vehicle. To prove how inaccurate we ran our Hilux (4" Suspension, 33" Mud Terrain Tyres) up against the standard SR5 Hilux (Standard suspension, BFG All Terrain Tyres) in a series of handling tests. The results speak for themselves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TufSgsiA5FY

If you want to know wether to fit the suspension or not, It's really up to you. I personally would recommend you go ahead with the suspension upgrade. It's not illegal at the moment and even if the laws do change, your vehicle should still be covered as it was installed prior to the release. Just ensure you notify your insurance that you upgrade the vehicles suspenison.

[ronnieq]

Hi Amanda
I went through the whole process here in NSW the only people that seemed to know what they were talking about were Brendan and the staff at Ultimate Suspension and an RTA (NSW) certified engineer . So if you have any worries ring Ultimate or an engineer.
I have had an Ultimate Suspension 2" Comfort lift and can't fault it for quality, service, advice and pricing. The on road handling is exceptional loaded or unloaded and off road and it is brilliant ,I just need to get out more.They are a forum sponsor and really support the people on here with free advice, valid and unbias points of view and discounted suspension.
Any worries will be quickly forgotten once you drive your MN on Ultimate suspension, far safer than standard.
Ronnie Q

[trouble]

Cant agree more ronnieq, my ML has just been lifted and had the 1000k check today, all I can say is ULTIMATE. the handling is great, the height is great, the service is great, and I will be seeing how it handles of road in a few days.

Well done all the guys at ULTIMATE!!!!! and thanks.

[Cowboy Dave]

I think you'll find Ultimate will make it whatever you want it to be, whether softer, harder, or whatever.

[ronnieq]

Hi Rosey Welcome to the site.I came from a raised coil sprung Patrol to owning an MN GLXR so I know how your feeling about the ride of the Triton.I hated the Triton soft in the front harsh in the rear ,it felt like it wanted to dig the front in on corners and boot you up the rear on every bump. I have the Ultimate 2" comfort lift on my GLXR and cant fault it ,the ride is better, balanced and tighter . The handling is great and load carrying wont be compromised the Ultimate suspension is worth every dollar.They are a forum sponsor and give members a discount. If you live in the Sydney area please PM me and if we are not to far from each other I would gladly let you test drive my GLXR .Regards Ronnie Q

[Monkeyz]

I hate to reopen this old wound, but after spending 6 hours on the phone today between vic roads , ultimate and AAMI I am left with the sad fact that currently in Victoria any vehicle with ESC cannot have any modification done to its suspension or tyres, and the ridiculous part is i cannot even move from a HT to an AT without breaching current laws....an not even an engineer can offer compliance, the only way to achieve this is to get documentation from MMAL or the suspension/ tyre manufacture identifying that the modification has no impact on the ESC system....anything short leaves the vehicle un-roadworthy and may negate your insurance..

VSB 14 being the federal std..

"For modification codes contained in this Section of VSB 14, evidence should be obtained either
from the vehicle manufacturer or through testing to determine the impact on the ESC system.
To remain within the scope of this Section of VSB 14, a vehicle fitted with ESC must not be
modified if the operation of the ESC is affected unless the ESC system is adjusted accordingly."

Vic roads really just reiterates this......

The good news is Ultimate are in the process of documenting the ESC effect and say they are maybe 6 months out from having a solution for us to legally modify our suspension.

on a side note I am with AAMI and they have said as long as I notify them of any mod they will cover me, vic roads or not. Yay a win...

Mojo....

[Robby]

Just wondering if the ESC is so important and the concerns of a suspension lift could affect its operation. Why can I turn it off then?
Cheers Robby

Ps hope that wasn't a dumb question.

[Monkeyz]

Just wondering if the ESC is so important and the concerns of a suspension lift could affect its operation. Why can I turn it off then?
Cheers Robby

Ps hope that wasn't a dumb question.

Mate when it comes to Vic roads and a bunch o desk bound engineers I truly give up, after today im ready to commit hurry curry.....

Simply ESC takes into account the characteristics of tyres / suspension / weight etc to calculate where and how to apply brakes and power to correct the vehicle, supposedly if those parameters change i.e. we change suspension, load, height etc the ESC will calculate wrong and potentially create a problem rather than getting you out of one.....its got me buggered, I just wanna take a pair o pliers and cut the lil bastards heart out, I figure i survived 20 years without it.

Mojo....

[MilkmanDan]

Find me a case file on an insurance policy being cancelled/refused payout that would relate to this & I would be more than happy to say leave your car standard.

You would be pretty damned unlucky to have an issue that they would say because the ESC was compromised due to suspension/tires being non factory you were not actually covered.

It's like vehicle emissions, guaranteed 99.99999999% of vehicles on road would fail the legislative requirements

[Monkeyz]

Find me a case file on an insurance policy being cancelled/refused payout that would relate to this & I would be more than happy to say leave your car standard.

You would be pretty damned unlucky to have an issue that they would say because the ESC was compromised due to suspension/tires being non factory you were not actually covered.

It's like vehicle emissions, guaranteed 99.99999999% of vehicles on road would fail the legislative requirements

Fair point, but who said im leavin me truck un modded are you crazy may good man ?

but one must be well informed before embarking on any journey, an this lil factoid caught me off guard..and if i get it in writing they cant deny me BWHOOOHAHAHAHAH

Mojo...

[MilkmanDan]

Sorry my friend I read it like your dreams were shot down.

May the gods of all things modified guide you safely on your path to lift!

[chrisdoherty87]

I lifted my 2013 MNMN 50mm with bilstein / king combo. I researched and in QLD according to transport department documents on modifications to vehicles with ESC you can legally lift the suspension up to 50mm without engineering and body lift up to 50mm with engineers certification. Not sure if this helps as your in Vic though.