New Zealand WOF system is it a genuine necessity or a scam?

[unstuck]

Dunno about the COF thing either. Our truck failed on the leaf spring slider things, (fair enough, it was missing one and the others had no rubber at all), but to fix the king pin slop, everyone told us to just grease the shit out of them. We bought a new set, but couldn't press the pin out. So we replaced all the externals and filled them with grease. Boom, COF.

Also, have they changed the rules on dual wheels? We've got a big difference in tread depth between the two tyres on the left rear, but they passed and I thought that was a no-no too.

We used to get away with one decent set of rubber on one pair of axles(drivers) but the other set would pass with bugger all tread. But I suppose that is only relevant on dual drivers.

Luckily our local guys are a good bunch of blokes and are willing to tell you what to do to bring vehicles up to spec.

[Ocean1]

While the complexity of modern cars is many times that of 30 year old ones and the level of safety in an accident has been vastly improved it doesn't change the fact that many components wear out in exactly the same manner as older vehicles.

They take a fucking sight longer to do that, though. So if we're being consistent here WOFs should now be required about every five years.

But as they don't actually improve road safety stats it makes even more sense to do away with them altogether.

[Katman]

They take a fucking sight longer to do that, though. So if we're being consistent here WOFs should now be required about every five years.

Tyres don't.

Light bulbs don't.

Brakes don't.

In fact, most components on a car don't wear out any slower than those of 30 years ago.

You're just talking through a hole in your head.

[Erelyes]

Bit of a catch-22 I guess. People that spend $60k on a vehicle are more likely to be able to afford to service it and look after it.

Whereas low income earners in a late 80's import, can't.

The solution might be to firstly make public transport less shit, and secondly encourage a cultural change where people are happy using it. Might take a while for either though...

Another tidbit. Took my '00 Subaru for a WOF a couple years back and was failed on 'front brake pads worn' which I thought was odd as I'd replaced them a year or so before. Got given a farkin ridiculous quote for pads and install at the same time.
Jacked it up at home, measured them, compared measurements to factory service manual (they were half worn), took pics, took it back and went 'please explain'.

They admitted that they did a 'passing glance' at them but didn't actually measure them. Further admitted that it had passed service tests just fine. They took em out, measured them, found them OK, passed the WOF.

This was at a Subaru dealership I might add. Quite often the WOF inspectors are talking through a hole in their head....

Now, given the VIRM says that pads that measure less than the manufacturer's thickness must be failed;
- Do you think VTNZ measure pad thickness?
- If they do, do you think they have the recommended thickness specs for every make and model of car on the road?

[unstuck]

Never seen any tester measure pad thickness, would be a nightmare for them to measure shoes too.

[Drew]

Never seen any tester measure pad thickness, would be a nightmare for them to measure shoes too.

There are usually wear indicators on drum brakes...Took it off my old GSX so the dude couldn't tell.

[SMOKEU]

People with cut springs and other uncertified mod's should simply have the vehicle crushed on site and be banned from driving for life.

Cutties are all good if they're done properly. My mate has them in his Legacy and it handles mint at the 220kmh+ on the GPS that we've tested it at.

[Drew]

Cutties are all good if they're done properly. My mate has them in his Legacy and it handles mint at the 220kmh+ on the GPS that we've tested it at.

What a load of fucken shit.

Sure, it sits lower and the spring is essentially stiffer due to there being less of it to compress, but unless he's got shortened shocks, or top out spacers in them, it's possible for the spring to come out of it's seat and make one corner sit well high or low. Lets see how it handles then!

[buggerit]

Cutties are all good if they're done properly. My mate has them in his Legacy and it handles mint at the 220kmh+ on the GPS that we've tested it at.

So you fucked up all the steering and suspension geometry and it goes fucking well, excellent,mate your wasted here,should be on a v8 supercar team

[unstuck]

Cutties are all good if they're done properly. My mate has them in his Legacy and it handles mint at the 220kmh+ on the GPS that we've tested it at.

If it was done properly, there would be no need to cut the springs.

[scumdog]

Never seen any tester measure pad thickness, would be a nightmare for them to measure shoes too.

And imagine the screams if the price of a WOF went up to cover the extra hour involved with removing all the wheels and checking break-pads/shoes....

[scumdog]

Cutties are all good if they're done properly. My mate has them in his Legacy and it handles mint at the 220kmh+ on the GPS that we've tested it at.

The Subaru factory race crew must be clawing at his door to find out how he did it eh....

[FROSTY:Me]

We need to keep the WOF system exactly how it is. Why?
Because NZ society has created a situation where most of its people are wrapped in cotton wool and indeed expect to be.
The way to get rid of the WOF system is for ALL motorists to accept personal responsibility for their actions.
That means personally ensure tyres aren't bald.Brakes work properly.Rust isn't dangerous etc etc.
Most people will come up with a raft of rediculous excuses for not accepting personal responsibility.

Take for example those happilly driving around on bald tyres because they feel they have 28 days to get a WOF

[oneofsix]

We need to keep the WOF system exactly how it is. Why?
Because NZ society has created a situation where most of its people are wrapped in cotton wool and indeed expect to be.
The way to get rid of the WOF system is for ALL motorists to accept personal responsibility for their actions.
That means personally ensure tyres aren't bald.Brakes work properly.Rust isn't dangerous etc etc.
Most people will come up with a raft of rediculous excuses for not accepting personal responsibility.

Take for example those happilly driving around on bald tyres because they feel they have 28 days to get a WOF

Looked at another way your arguments are exactly why we should abolish the WOF system. Whilst people think the WOF system is a cotton wool wrap it is in fact nothing of the sort, see above discussion on brake pads. The WOF system can't check anything they can't see without disassembling the vehicle or part there of, cover the rust and it passes. Some of the checks aren't even safety related and some safety checks have already been dropped out of the system. Why not make it obvious that noone other than you is responsible for the safety of the vehicle by dropping the system? Oh, that's right it makes money for VTNZ and MTA

The governments have removed the cotton wool where it has suited them.

[oldrider]

NZ society has created a situation where most of its people are wrapped in cotton wool and indeed expect to be.

The way to get rid of the WOF system is for ALL motorists to accept personal responsibility for their actions.

True! (But have you ever wondered why?)

A) The vast majority of New Zealanders will always be followers because it's hard to soar like an eagle when you are taught to scratch among the turkeys!

B) The meaning of "Personal responsibility" has been systematically removed by the brain washing process of NZ's State education system!