Vehicle Modifications
This will serve as a reference for all
BSROA members to answer the question of what constitutes
a stock, mildly modified to highly modified truck in
regards to Land Rovers in the Bay State Rover Owners'
Association. These definitions are as of April 2007.
Stock: A stock vehicle
is a Land Rover vehicle that does not have a suspension
lift, larger tires, rock sliders, bumpers, or any other
modifications installed. A stock Land Rover is considered
to be close to how a vehicle would have left a dealership,
without taking into consideration brush bars, running
boards, mud flaps, etc. These accessories (namely running
boards) are considered a step down from stock, meaning
that they are going to harm the capability of your vehicle
as opposed to improving it. IMPORTANT:
A stock vehicle is also assumed to have appropriate
recovery points at the front AND rear of the vehicle.
See footnote.
Mildly Modified: A mildly
modified vehicle is a vehicle that has upgrades
for protection, such as diff guards and some other skid
plates.
Modified: A modified vehicle is a
vehicle that has a small suspension lift and larger
than stock tires; typically seen as a 2" lift with
roughly 31" tall tires. A mildly modified vehicle
is also assumed to have other upgrades for protection,
such as diff guards and some other skid plates. Please
note, because of how they are equipped from the factory,
a Defender 90 is considered to be of mildly modified
status even when it is stock, due to larger fitment
tires and more ground clearance.
Highly Modified: A highly modified
vehicle is one that has a suspension lift and tire size
significantly beyond that of the Mildly Modified vehicle.
For example, a 4" lift and 35" tires. Highly
modified vehicles are also assumed to have at least
one locking differential.
Tires: Most new(er) trucks have street
tires, some have sporty low profile tires. Putting non-street
tires (MT or AT) with better profile onto a truck will
make a HUGE difference when you get off pavement. With
the low profile tires it is difficult to air down effectively,
risking damaging the rims. Being able to air down is
one of the magic tricks to increasing traction off pavement.
Most AT or MT tires can usually start at ~18psi and
go down to ~12psi (that 5#s really does make a difference)
Winches and other gear: A winch does
not increase the ability of a vehicle to drive over
a given piece of terrain. Thus, a winch on a vehicle
will be considered an add-on to any of the categories
above as it does not improve a vehicles capability but
rather its usefulness on the trail. A winch is not categorized
into any of the above as a necessary piece of equipment
because any trail run under the BSROA name will be required
to have at least one vehicle with a functioning winch.
This negates the reason to include it as a descriptor
of the ability for one to traverse a trail.
There will be certain situations and certain trail
runs where the trail leader may say that a winch is
a mandatory piece of equipment, based on his or her
knowledge of that trail. This is left to the discretion
of the trail leader of that trail.
*Appropriate recovery points are necessary
in order to ensure that a vehicle will be able to be
recovered from any adverse situation. Some
examples of appropriate recovery points: JATE rings,
rear receiver hitch with pin, Dixon-Bate tow jaws, forged
tow hooks, etc. The factory welded steel tie-downs are
not considered appropriate recovery points. This is
very important. Make sure that you have something suitable
on your vehicle before hitting the trail, otherwise,
damage to your vehicle and injury to bystanders may
result from improper recovery. If you have a question
about your recovery points, do not hesitate to ask a
BSROA member of officer.
These definitions of vehicle modification are posted
to aid BSROA members in assessing the level of trail
that their vehicle is able to traverse without major
damage. If you have any questions or concerns about
the above, please contact the Bay State Rover Owners'
Association President or Event Coordinator.
BSROA Event Coordinator
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