You will need to get the Baja conversion approved by the department of transport. This can be a painful process.
They will require;
* full width bumpers front and rear
* sufficient mesh on the engine cage to prevent someone accidentally touching the hot exhaust or putting their finger in a fan belt.
As for tyre sizes. The QLD rules on tyres have changed alot over the years. Some (like mine) got approved when big tyres were allowed. Some argued Baja's and Buggies were offroad so they got the 1.5x max standard rim width to suit 4wd's, and said vw's came with a 5.5 inch rim option so they could use 8.25" rims. Others got approved in the "volkwagens can use 7inch rims" era.
We are back to the 1.3x max rim width for passenger vehicles, or 1.5x for offroad with beam axles. You can argue the vw susp is equivalent strength to a beam axle and get away with the 1.5x. In the end it comes down to what you can argue.
The current guide to the mod rules can be found here
http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/driver.nsf/files/images/$file/Vehicle-Modifications.pdf
And it also says under the LOW PROFILE section that the tyre OD must not increase more than 15mm. What applies to non-low profile tyres is open to interpretation.
So as you can see the current tyre size rules suck. The good news is they will be changed in the future to be more like you can use any size if the suspension and gearing are suitably modified. The bad news is the changed hasn't been brought in just yet.
Wes -
www.offroadvw.net - 200HP Quad Cam V6 in a VW Baja - with climate control...
🙂
www.taylorcycles.com.au - My DH MTB racing brothers shop.
