Low Volume Vehicle Certification

Coilovers, Lowering springs, Slammed, modified suspensions usually need to be Low Volume Vehicle Certified.

The suspension is the prime mechanism that separates your bum (arse for the American) from the road. It also prevents your car from shaking itself to pieces.
The Low Volume Vehicle Certification is what stops your car from killing you, or someone else, and saves the Police from having to put Pink Stickers on your car.

FAQ 1 Does my car have to have 100mm ground clearance?

Answer NO!

If it was built with less than 100mm ground clearance- then that’s how it stays
If is has been lowered, and has less than 100mm ground clearance- then it MUST be Certified.
This is because the average car starts to have issues below 100 mm, and the LVV Certifier’s job is to check the whole thing out to see if it is still a safe vehicle

FAQ 2 My car has been lowered- will it pass a Cert?

Answer- Here are some simple things you can check first -

1 Suspension travel- Put full load in the car (5 normal people if a 5 seater) and check that the suspension still has travel (not down on the bumpstops)
2 Wheels rubbing- With a full load- do a hard turns left and right, preferably over some bumps. (Find a deserted carpark for this)
3 Springs captive- Jack each wheel up, and check if the springs are loose in their seats. They should be held top and bottom.
4 Wheel alignment- Check that the lowering has not caused excessive camber or toe changes

If all these check out OK, and if your car drives decently, then book it in for a Cert. Remember that you are ALLOWED TO DRIVE YOUR CAR TO A PLACE OF INSPECTION so if the Police stop you on your way to get a Cert, tell the Police, and they should not ticket you.

Here is a great website which explains how suspension works- Car Suspension
Here is a link to the LVVTA Suspension Standard [PDF 307Kb}