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Within the current rules you can't change the width or length of the chassis. You must maintain factory number of cross members and the chassis can only be shortened to the edge of the tyres.
So what if you want to change the profile of the chassis rail to allow for a better motor placement or greater axles travel?
My interpretation of the rules is that this is possible as long as it is then certified, what do others think and what should the interpretation be?
Eg Are the chassis rails allowed to be modified for axle travel and motor placement?
Along similar lines, you must run factory style inner guards but they can be modified for suspension, tyres and motor clearance. Should the same be for chassis?

4.2 The chassis side rails may not be cut between the front and rear axle positions for modification purposes (other than for repair).

It doesn't say it specifically, but it seems to me that 4.2 in a round'a'bout way is saying that the chassis can't be modified between front and rear axles. I do know that the original intention of the chassis rules was that the chassis was to remain un-modified.

So if you modify the chassis behind the rear axle and then shift the axle back, how does that fit in???

Rule: '... may not be cut between the front and rear axle positions ...'

It doesn't mention factory axle position, aftermarket axle position, just axle position which can only be interpreted as axle position as presented for scruntineering.

So if one was to take a Surf rear end cut the chassis and weld it to a HIlux front end to make it an easy coil conversion this is not legal. Now if someone was to cut all the Surf suspension and weld it to a Hilux chassis, without modifying the Hilux chassis it is. In my eyes this has exactly the same outcome but one is a lot cheaper (if you are paying someone) than the other.

The same goes for taking a LWB GQ chassis and shortening it to MWB vs shifting all the suspension back on a SWB. Isn't the end result the same and so how you get there irrellevant?

At the risk of turning this into a bit a class type thread (not the intention), if you start messing with the profile of a chassis you may as well allow bodied tube frames i.e thunder truck type thing.

Given the new emission standards that is going to make keeping modded vehicles road legal even harder, perhaps the veiw should be towards a production type class for a lower class (current club) and an outlaw (for want of better term) maintaining a OEM "look" but anything goes below the surface. Would allow for the cheap bonding of 2 chassis as mentioned above, the big pockets, and avoid the emerging pitfalls of trying to meet the new standards.

So what about the fitting of hydraulic bumpstops. The perfect placement is to actually bore a hole through the chassis and fit it inside the chassis rail. Would this been seen as a chassis mod and allowable or not?
If not allowable under the current rules then it would have to done so the the bumstop was outside the axle centre line as you can then modify the chassis.

Incase anyone was wondering these are all questions that I have been asked over the past year that I've given my interpretation of the rule but i think they need some open discussion as some of these rules are un realistic in how they actually work, as opposed to the original intention. So have you say!

I'm going to suggest we reomive the clause that prohibits cutting the chassis side rails for modification. We have rules that say they must be factory length and width etc so what does it matter if you cut the side rail to join two chassis's together?