The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the National Street Rod Association and/or StreetScene Magazine.
Inspecting the 2025 Deficiencies Report
I n the 2025 Safety Inspection year-end report put out in November I was amazed to see that in every category the defi- ciency numbers have increased slightly/significantly over last year. I hope this is an indication that we as inspectors are being more thor- ough in our jobs or our vehicle owners are becoming less aware of the issues these deficiencies can cause. We need to continue our work to make sure the vehicle owners are aware of these many areas where there is a problem, and that there may be an issue with Federal or State law man- dates on the operation of the vehicle. In future issues we’ll dis- cuss some of these deficiency areas in upcoming articles and this month we’ll kick the discus- sion off focused on Parking Brakes and Windshield Wipers. The largest number of deficien- cies involved item #20 on the check list, the Parking Brake. In almost every case the parking brake was either missing or not
working. FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) #105 and #135 require all passenger cars, trucks, and multi-purpose passenger vehicles with a GVWR over 10,000 must have an opera- ble parking brake system inde- pendent of the service brake. Key Points in the FMVSS requirements include operation of the parking brake must operate independently of the foot/service brake and even if the service brake hydraulic sys- tem fails, the parking brake must hold the vehicle stationary on a slope for a specified time, with either one or both rear wheels locked, depending on the vehicle type. The regulations have a spe- cial note for Restored/Custom Vehicles stating older cars, trucks, or street rods may have cable, or mechanical linkage to activate the parking brake. Either of these are fine if functional and meet slope- holding requirements. In addition the parking brake can be actuated either mechani- cally or electrically (lever, pedal,
button or a switch), but it must be readily accessible to the driver. Some builders swap modern disc brakes with integrated parking brakes that are acceptable if the parking brake operates independ- ently. Exotic builds (lightweight roadsters, kit cars, etc.) sometimes omit the parking brake which is illegal for street use, rendering it an off-road or track-only vehicle. Third on the list of most defi- ciencies found on the check list is #6 Windshield Wiper. FMVSS #105 governs Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems stating every vehicle must have a windshield wiper system capable of clearing the driver’s side of the windshield sufficiently for safe operation. The wiper must reach an area allow- ing the driver an unobstructed view. The wipers must be con- trolled from the driver’s seat and have at least two speeds, intermit- tent or variable are acceptable. In addition it requires vehicles to have a washer system that sprays fluid on the windshield for clean- ing (for passenger cars and multi- purpose vehicles.) Wipers must be securely mounted, durable under normal conditions, and not inter- fere with the driver’s vision. Again, the regulations have a spe- cial note for Restored/Custom Vehicles by stating older muscle cars and street rods may have sin- gle-speed wipers, smaller blades, and you can restore the original system, but it must work reliably. Many builders upgrade to modern wiper motors with variable speeds or intermittent control and both are legal and safer. For vehicles with no windshields some states allow exemptions, but these are rare and usually require a “wind- shield-less permit” or “off-road only” designation. Carol Barnhill Arkansas State Inspector
“FOR DRIVE
ESHAFTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE”
FOUNDE 3 MEASU 1 PHONE PROMPTL GUARANTE AFFORDAB MADE IN TH
ED IN 1981 UREMENTS NEEDED CALL LY SHIPPED EED TO FIT LE PRICING HE USA
Ontario, California 91761 4035 E. Guasti Road, Suite 301 tech@iedls.com www.iedls.com InlandEmpireDriveLineService
@in
nlandempiredriveline
80 MAY 2026
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker