Lobby for aftermarket strut rods for stock

[Tom Nolan]

How can we get NHRA to approve aftermarket strut rods legal for stock? There is no performance advantage....just safety! Some of us witnessed a beautiful AMC superstock car wreck last week in Vegas. I don't know for sure what caused the crash other than it was said that something broke on the landing of a wheel stand and he couldn't steer. I realize aftermarket strut rods are legal for superstock! There are a ton of wheel standing stockers so why not stock?

[Capri]

Up until a year or 2 ago, they were legal. Then all of a sudden, at the all star race, someone complained and it became an issue. No clue why they changed their mind. I never did hear.

[Travis Miller]

Originally Posted by Tom Nolan

How can we get NHRA to approve aftermarket strut rods legal for stock?

Requests for rule changes are addressed by NHRA during committee meetings starting in July of each year. These meetings are to set rules for the following year.

I'm sure there are many people who have talked to NHRA officials about getting a rule changed or getting something accepted. However unless a request in writing is mailed or e-mailed to the proper committee person, it is just talk. If you want something considered for 2016, it must be put in writing and received before the end of June 2015. I do not know how to make this point any clearer.

So to request a Stock or S/S rule change, the request needs to be sent to Bruce Bachelder before the end of June 2015.

His e-mail is BBachelder@NHRA.com

[Dwight Southerland]

In the case of AMC, the issue is probably that the stock strut rods are 45 years old and they are not something that gets looked at very often. If aftermarket OEM type replacements were available, that's one thing, but "aftermarket" as a description can open up a can of worms. "Aftermarket" is not a panacea for suspension failures nor brake failures. I have seen just as many aftermarket parts break as OEM design parts.


I am not slamming Scott for anything, just don't want to pull another brick out of the wall on an emotional, knee jerk response.

[5343stk]

I tried to gather support for this a few years ago. I believe we even tried a poll on this site with limited success.

We run 2 cars that had them until someone got concerned over nothing. Zero performance loss after taking them out.

If Scott's issue had anything to do with a strut rod, I guarantee they will be back in my wife's car and she will be running Superstock.

This part keeps the forward / aft movement of the lower control arm stationary vs relying on a rubber bushing / 40 year old part. In regards to a quicker / easier movement of the suspension components, our shocks are typically fairly tight to keep front end close to ground negating any advantage.

Life is complicated enough, why make it harder... I would hope we would be looking for ways to keep the racers safe vs waiting for us to submit requests.

[Andys dad]

Originally Posted by Travis Miller

Requests for rule changes are addressed by NHRA during committee meetings starting in July of each year. These meetings are to set rules for the following year.

I'm sure there are many people who have talked to NHRA officials about getting a rule changed or getting something accepted. However unless a request in writing is mailed or e-mailed to the proper committee person, it is just talk. If you want something considered for 2016, it must be put in writing and received before the end of June 2015. I do not know how to make this point any clearer.

So to request a Stock or S/S rule change, the request needs to be sent to Bruce Bachelder before the end of June 2015.

His e-mail is BBachelder@NHRA.com

I guess it wouldn't do for NHRA tech or higher ups to notice something that needs to be changed for safety.

Oh I am sorry that happens all of the time ...

Ron

[Tom Nolan]

I drafted and sent a email addressed to Bruce with an official request to have aftermarket strut rods legalized in stock eliminator as a safety issue. I would like to encourage everyone else to do the same. Tom Nolan

[Tim Quintin/Cole s/g]

Email sent .. Lets see what comes of it

[GTX JOHN]

I thought that Bruce retired earlier this year with
some health issues.

[impstocker]

I say yes. Just removed 50 tear old bushings from my 1965 Impala Stocker I am building. If we are allowed to use Global West bushings ect. for the control arms are these struts that far off?

Will Lamprecht I/SA Impala in progress.