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VERIFY: Is there a restriction on how far rims, or 'swangas,' can stick out?

You might have seen an old school American car with a candy paint job and wire wheels known as “swangas” that poke out, sometimes by over a foot.

We see plenty of crazy things riding around on Houston roads, but where does the state draw the line on accessories? Our Verify team found out what you can and can't put on your car.

A viewer sent our Verify team a very Houston question he wanted researched.

Anderson wrote in "custom wheels, elbows, dangerously extend far beyond car fenders. Is there a vehicle restriction that limits these wheels?"

So for anyone new to Houston, here’s a quick lesson on the city's slab culture.

You might have seen an old school American car with a candy paint job and wire wheels known as “swangas” that poke out, sometimes by over a foot. They've been featured in videos from everyone from Beyonce to Paul Wall. Oh and every day on the streets of Houston.

But are they legal?

Our Verify researchers went to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to get answers. And while there was nothing specific about how far rims can extend past the car, there is a rule about how wide a car and it's accessories can be.

According to the regulations a passenger vehicle cannot be wider than eight feet. The average width of the classic 70s cars popular in slab culture is around six and a half feet.

So we can verify that some of the more extreme examples of swangas are illegal.

If there's something you want our Verify team to look into, just send an email to verify@khou.com.

You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook with the #KHOUVerify.

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