Failed Safety Inspection: Questions?

[Vikas]

Frankly, very few general repair shops (aka your corner gas station) use torque wrench, at least for putting the wheels back on. Usually, I used to remove the nuts and put them back on after reaching home using my torque wrench but last time, I marked them with magic marker and then removed and re-torqued them. The marking was close enough but more importantly, all of them were very similar.

I did not bothered to re torque the other wheels.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
I believe the suspension components. Our state can be picky regarding inspection. The cars get a pretty good going over by independent, but state certified, inspection stations. They check lights, brakes, suspension, exhaust, and body / frame for rust perforation.


I CANNOT STAND our state's privatized inspection system!!!

It just seems like a setup for these independent stations to make BIG money looking for high profit, but small, sometimes even borderline safety items to fail owners on, hoping they will get it fixed there, giving the station a BIG payday.
For this privilege we must pay up to $99.00 EVERY year (not sure what's the max fee the shops are able to charge), as well as the regular registration fee EVERY year.

I cannot believe it has not yet been challenged as a "conflict of interest", since we are FORCED to go to these places, whereas in Joyzee (where I came from) the car owner is at least given a CHOICE to use either the state controlled, but still run by a private company (Parsons) FOR FREE, or go to an independent shop and pay a state controlled fee (once every TWO years!).

At times these Pennsyltuckey shops are draconian to (and ABOVE) a Republik Of Kalifornia level in their pursuit of the above big payday.

I even suspect some of (the less scrupulous of) them of purposely sabotaging unsuspecting owners cars to fail in order to make their 'killing'.

 

[willbur]

NJ did away with inspections a while ago(except for emissions in order to qualify for federal $$$ for highways). No widespread waves of accidents due safety related equipment failures; cited by PA as the reason for the annual private inspections. PA at one time even had twice yearly inspections!

 

[Hokiefyd]

Here is the state of Missouri inspection handbook:

http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/MVI/documents/MVIRegulationsManual.pdf

Under "Steering Mechanisms" (document page 26):

Quote:
Reject vehicle if:

* Wheel bearing looseness allows relative movement between drum and backing plate (disc and splash shield) more than one-eighth inch (1/8") measured at the outer circumference of the tire for vehicles ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or less or one-quarter inch (1/4") for vehicles more than ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) GVWR. A wheel bearing falls apart when a wheel is removed to inspect a brake or if the bearing is broken

* Front wheel movement is in excess of one-fourth inch (1/4") for wheels sixteen inches (16") or less, three-eighths inch (3/8") for wheels over sixteen inches (16") to and including eighteen inches (18") and one-half inch (1/2") for wheels over eighteen inches (18"). (An idler arm or king pin must meet this criteria before being rejected.)

* Excessive vertical (up and down) or lateral (side) movement is evident in any of the steering linkage sockets, tapered studs are loose in their mounting holes, any movable joints are locked, any adjusting sleeves are loose, or any joints are not secured with cotter pins or other devices

* A control arm or radius arm is badly bent or broken, or if a pivot shaft or a pivot shaft mounting or any control arm, radius arm, pivot shaft bushing is badly worn or missing

* Stabilizer bar(s), links, connections are badly worn, missing, loose or broken


I suppose that one could argue that rear stabilizer bar bushings and links would not be included in a "steering mechanism" checklist...

If the links and bar bushings were that bad, I'm surprised you weren't able to hear or feel it in the vehicle.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: willbur
NJ did away with inspections a while ago(except for emissions in order to qualify for federal $$$ for highways). No widespread waves of accidents due safety related equipment failures; cited by PA as the reason for the annual private inspections. PA at one time even had twice yearly inspections!


Yes, hard to understand when this place considers itself at least a "semi-red" state.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Quote:
PA at one time even had twice yearly inspections!


Yes, hard to understand when this place considers itself at least a "semi-red" state.

We have a "tea-totalling" governor and he hasn't touched our inspection program. Seems he's more of an authoritarian than a libertarian in practice. Oh well, promises, promises. At least "the poors" spend money on brake lines instead of smart phone apps.