§ 175.78. Chassis.

 (a)  Condition of chassis. All items on the chassis shall be in safe operating condition as described in §  175.80 (relating to inspection procedure).

 (b)  Vehicle frame. A vehicle frame shall be in solid condition.

 (c)  Motor mounts. Motor mounts may not be broken, cracked or missing.

 (d)  Flooring and floor beds. Flooring and floor beds shall be of a construction to support occupants and cargo which the vehicle is capable of carrying and may not have openings through which exhaust gases could enter passenger compartment.

 (e)  Bumpers. A vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with bumpers of a type used as original equipment, or a suitable replacement which is equal to or greater in strength than that provided by the vehicle manufacturer, securely attached to the chassis or frame. See 75 Pa.C.S. §  4536 (relating to bumpers).

   (1)  A bumper shall be of at least equivalent strength and mounting as the original equipment.

   (2)  No portion of a bumper may be broken, torn or protruding to create a hazard.

   (3)  A bumper may not extend beyond the body line or be longer than original equipment, whichever is greater.

   (4)  A wood plank bumper is permitted on a road service truck or wrecker if it is firmly attached to a regular bumper or equivalent steel backing.

   (5)  Bumper height. Bumper height shall be as follows:

     (i)   Some part of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, on passenger vehicles and light trucks shall fall within 16 inches aboveground level and may not exceed the following limits:

     (ii)   The front and rear height measurements shall be made to the bottom edge of the foremost portion of the frame rail, or to the original mounting brackets, whichever is lower, if one of the following apply:

       (A)   The bumper height, relative to the frame rail, has been altered.

       (B)   The vehicle was not originally equipped with a front or rear bumper.

       (C)   A supplemental bumper has been added.

       (D)   The manufacturer’s specified bumper has been replaced with a bumper not identical to the manufacturer’s specified bumper.

 (f)  Seats. A vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with a seat for an operator which is firmly anchored to the frame or a support.

   (1)  Metal springs may not protrude from the driver’s seat.

   (2)  A seat adjusting mechanism may not move from a set position when so adjusted.

 (g)  Safety belts. A vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with safety belts of a type used as original equipment securely attached to the frame or structure. If attached to sheet metal, they shall have backing plates.

   (1)  Safety belt webbing may not be frayed.

   (2)  Belt buckles shall operate properly.

 (h)  Body mounts. Body mounts may not be broken, cracked, deteriorated or missing.

 (i)  Rear wheel shields. Trucks shall be constructed or equipped to bar water or other road surface substances thrown from rear wheels of the vehicle at tangents exceeding 22.5°, measured from the road surface, from passing in a straight line to rear of the vehicle. See 75 Pa.C.S. §  4533 (relating to rear wheel shields).

   The provisions of this §  175.78 amended under the Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § §  4103, 4301, 4501, 4521 and 6103.

   The provisions of this §  175.78 adopted October 29, 1982, effective February 1, 1983, 12 Pa.B. 3862; corrected November 12, 1982, effective February 1, 1983, 12 Pa.B. 3947; readopted December 2, 1988, effective December 3, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 5362; amended November 13, 1998, effective May 13, 1999, 28 Pa.B. 5670. The effective date of subsection (e)(5) is postponed indefinitely, 29 Pa.B. 2460 (May 8, 1999). Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (250351) to (250353).