Suspension Notice for S/SS by NHRA

[Jason]

There you go...not ALL stockers are affected. Only ones with front suspension that use strut rods.

BTW, did anyone bother to ask the tech dept in the first place if stockers could use a heim end/spherical bearings on strut rods or did someone simply modify their front suspension thinking tech would let it slide through without noticing?

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by Jason

There you go...not ALL stockers are affected. Only ones with front suspension that use strut rods.

On the surface that's what one would think. Until the rubber bushings fail and takes out the strut car in the other lane. Hummm now it kind of effects everybody now doesn't it.

And Super Stock doesn't get out of it clean either with the Stock/Super Stock combo races. Just think about that guy who is hold 4 numbers with a brake strut rod front end that's going to go down and jump on the brakes.

Think about it guys.

[james schaechter]

It appears that NHRA does not believe this to be a safety issue for stockers. Maybe there have not been any crashes attributed to this issue, therefore why allow thechange from their perspective.
Since they allowed it in Superstock, it would be interesting to hear the logic behind why they allow it in SS now and not in Stock. If they allow it in SS due to the higher speeds that they go, then what was the tipping point on mph?
Could they not also allow certain quasi safety items in higher class cars to protect them the same way? For example, not on a P/SA car, but a D car or higher .
Our 66 Nova has good stuff in the front end from global west, but we do not have the strut rod heim end deal. I would like to have it, but it was shot down a few years back. I can tell you that we have run our car in high wheelstand mode and we have run as fast as 124 mph in it. Now, it is a pretty light car and we don't bury the brakes at the stripe, but there have not been issues for high speed handling. I think if you have a car with this setup and NHRA won't allow us to upgrade, buy new replacement rubber up there. 40 year old stuff may not be good enough.
Now, I am not defending NHRA's position here, because it is clear they were not in agreement internally on this issue with SuperStock at least, but this issue might not be a deal breaker on safety.

There is a problem with some of the folks on the committees that are truly trying to manage the process of what to allow and what not to allow. Some of them have not sat behind the wheel of a racecar for decades! They are making decisions based upon what they hear, see and what they might have experienced 30 years ago.
We clearly have some very fast stockers out there now. Many are as fast or faster than SuperStockers!
I think that there needs to be more input sought by the SRAC members. It appears that the SRAC member input is undervalued.

[Greg Hill]

Jim, I can tell you from experience that the input from the SRAC rep is ignored unless it's what Nhra wants to hear.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by james schaechter

I think if you have a car with this setup and NHRA won't allow us to upgrade, buy new replacement rubber up there. 40 year old stuff may not be good enough.

What a great idea! Buy new replacement rubber instead of trusting old worn parts. Everything else is new on a freshly built racecar, why not new rubber strut rod bushings. They are easy enough to replace.

Or do some just want to use the "Trick of the Week" introduced to Stock class by a few who have a known history of stretching the rules. Sorry a few spent money for the wrong parts. Maybe they should have checked to see if the part was legal for Stock before laying down their hard earned cash.

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by Jason

What a great idea! Buy new replacement rubber instead of trusting old worn parts. Everything else is new on a freshly built racecar, why not new rubber strut rod bushings. They are easy enough to replace.

Or do some just want to use the "Trick of the Week" introduced to Stock class by a few who have a known history of stretching the rules. Sorry a few spent money for the wrong parts. Maybe they should have checked to see if the part was legal for Stock before laying down their hard earned cash.

Jason,
Do you race or own a stock or super stock car?

I'm thinking you don't. I'm also thinking you don't have a rule book so let me copy and paste the rules for the front suspension for Stock.

SUSPENSION, Front
Must retain complete stock front suspension system as produced by manufacturer for body used, aftermarket tie rods with Heim joints permitted. Lift kits/travel limiters prohibited. Sway bar optional. See General Regulations 3:4.

I read that as system meaning the same as the factory design. In other words if it came factory with double A arms then you can't redesign it and install struts for example; same as if you have a brake strut rod car you can't change it over to run double A arms etc... I think you get my point. The break strut rods that have been changed to where the rod doesn't go through the original mount I can understand their view on but when you just replace a rubber bushing with a bearing on the same factory brake strut rod you still have the factory system as produced. With your theory we shouldn't be allowed to run solid motor mount. Ya get what I'm saying here?

[Jason]

Nice logic. Now just sell that idea to the techman when you show up at a race with your car using the wrong strut rod bushings. Good luck.

BTW, I failed to see the disclaimer where just racers that actually drive are the only people allowed to post on this website. There are others interested in seeing Stock and S/S survive without actually strapping themselves in the drivers seat. They are the ones who build the engines, ones who build the chassis, ones who own the racecar, ones who own the tow rig, ones who sit in the stands, ones who tech the cars, ones who put on the fire safety equipment, ones who work the starting line, ones who sponsor the racing, and ones who teardown the engine when the driver does not know which end of the wrench to hold. That's right, there are a lot more people interested in seeing Stock and S/S continue to survive than you ever thought possible.

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by Jason

Nice logic. Now just sell that idea to the techman when you show up at a race with your car using the wrong strut rod bushings. Good luck.

BTW, I failed to see the disclaimer where just racers that actually drive are the only people allowed to post on this website. There are others interested in seeing Stock and S/S survive without actually strapping themselves in the drivers seat. They are the ones who build the engines, ones who build the chassis, ones who own the racecar, ones who own the tow rig, ones who sit in the stands, ones who tech the cars, ones who put on the fire safety equipment, ones who work the starting line, ones who sponsor the racing, and ones who teardown the engine when the driver does not know which end of the wrench to hold. That's right, there are a lot more people interested in seeing Stock and S/S continue to survive than you ever thought possible.

Nope. There is no disclaimer that I know of but your lack of knowledge of the class is obvious and in my opinion you shouldn't voice your opinion on a situation that could decide a rule change if you are not going to compete in the class. Also, the rule book doesn't state that I have to run the rubber bushings. It just says that it has to be the stock front suspension system as produced by manufacturer for body used. Hey Jason did you see that they allow heim joints for the tie rod ends? Crazy isn't. That's definitely not "stock". I'm happy that you want to see Stock and Super Stock survive as do I but I also want it to be safe as well.

[Mark Madison]

Originally Posted by Jason

Nice logic. Now just sell that idea to the techman when you show up at a race with your car using the wrong strut rod bushings. Good luck.

BTW, I failed to see the disclaimer where just racers that actually drive are the only people allowed to post on this website. There are others interested in seeing Stock and S/S survive without actually strapping themselves in the drivers seat. They are the ones who build the engines, ones who build the chassis, ones who own the racecar, ones who own the tow rig, ones who sit in the stands, ones who tech the cars, ones who put on the fire safety equipment, ones who work the starting line, ones who sponsor the racing, and ones who teardown the engine when the driver does not know which end of the wrench to hold. That's right, there are a lot more people interested in seeing Stock and S/S continue to survive than you ever thought possible.

Well Jason, do you have a dog in the fight or are you just a self appointed member of the tech department? It seem's to me the guy that straps his *** in the seat and the guy that owns the equipment have the most on the line here , What part of this effects you?

Mark Madison 7995

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by Jason

Nice logic. Now just sell that idea to the techman when you show up at a race with your car using the wrong strut rod bushings. Good luck.

BTW, I failed to see the disclaimer where just racers that actually drive are the only people allowed to post on this website. There are others interested in seeing Stock and S/S survive without actually strapping themselves in the drivers seat. They are the ones who build the engines, ones who build the chassis, ones who own the racecar, ones who own the tow rig, ones who sit in the stands, ones who tech the cars, ones who put on the fire safety equipment, ones who work the starting line, ones who sponsor the racing, and ones who teardown the engine when the driver does not know which end of the wrench to hold. That's right, there are a lot more people interested in seeing Stock and S/S continue to survive than you ever thought possible.

There are always buffoons like you that open their mouth to make comments on areas they do not know about! Are you a stakeholder on this matter?

First, in addition to control deflection at high speeds and during braking, they must also rotate. Nevertheless, it is a no win situation. If a racer uses an OEM style bushing, they are too soft for racing; if you use a bushing with higher Durometer numbers or stiffer, then it limits the rotation of the bar and creates other issues including damage to the strut.

As for NHRA's statement such as "any car will wander/hunt during hard braking with a narrow front tire"; that is a whole bunch of baloney and shows their lack of knowledge of the dynamics regarding the front suspension of a drag race car.