johnc Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 RACING MEMO DATE: May 5, 2010 NUMBER: RM 10-07 FROM: Club Racing Board TO: All Participants SUBJECT: Clarification of roll cage front tube specification for IT, SS, SM and T Effective immediately, change GCR 9.4.C.3 to read: 3. Cars competing in Improved Touring, Showroom Stock, Spec Miata, and Touring may extend one tube, from each front down tube, forward to the firewall, bulkhead or wheel well, but not penetrating the fireÂwall any panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 Haha, no Mr Scutineer, thats not through the firewall, its through the ...... panel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MREDDLE Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 John, SO, is this saying the SCCA will no londer allow the roll cage to penetrate ANY part/panel of the car? Does this go for all classes or just the ones stated? Will NASA follow? I am getting ready to put a cage together and the "No fire wall penetration" bugs me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 what about using existing holes? haul out the rubber grommets and run the pipes through the electrical and heater core holes already there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 what about using existing holes? haul out the rubber grommets and run the pipes through the electrical and heater core holes already there? 3. Cars competing in Improved Touring, Showroom Stock, Spec Miata, and Touring may extend one tube, from each front down tube, forward to the firewall, bulkhead or wheel well, but not penetrating the fireÂwall any panel. What is so difficult about comprehending this? the rule, is the rule. it lamens terms, it means you're cage cannot go farther then firewall or ANY panel that is between the down tubes and the wheel wells. Penetrate means. "cannot go farther" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Actually, penetrate means poke through, not go further. I read the current existing wording as meaning that one cannot make new holes through panels or firewall to insert tubes through, but note the wording allows cars with no panels or firewalls to have tubes to the wheel well. They can extend forward to the firewall, bulkhead or wheel well, they just cannot PENETRATE any panel, I read that as be inserted through purposefully cut holes to allow the tubes further reach. There is no mention about whether they can use PRE-EXISTING holes to reach the firewall bulkhead or wheel well which is their furtherest reach. The purpose is obviously to avoid the cutting and therefore weakening of panels, but utilising an existing hole, would not comprise weakening of the panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvice Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Structurally how would the following scenarios differ. - Running a single tube through a hole in the firewall. - Running your tube to the firewall (hitting a reinforced plate/mount) then on the engine side of the car running a tube from the backside of the plate to the wheel well. I always assumed that the idea was to tie the whole car as one and since the wheels are loading while driving the car may flex through the wheel wells. However is there any reason why the tube has to be one piece? Or can it be as per option number 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 John, SO, is this saying the SCCA will no londer allow the roll cage to penetrate ANY part/panel of the car? Does this go for all classes or just the ones stated? Will NASA follow? I am getting ready to put a cage together and the "No fire wall penetration" bugs me. No. The rule applies only to the classes listed and is specific to the two front braces that go forward from the door hoops to the firewall, wheel well, or front bulkhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 what about using existing holes? haul out the rubber grommets and run the pipes through the electrical and heater core holes already there? In the case of our S30s the holes you mention are in the firewall. Since you attach the forward braces to the firewall it would make no sense to go through the firewall. And I'm not going to play Perry Mason and go down the "which came first: the firewall or wheelwell" argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 The purpose is obviously to avoid the cutting and therefore weakening of panels, but utilising an existing hole, would not comprise weakening of the panel. The actual purpose of the rule was to clarify the existing rule as it applies to double firewall cars. The later model Miatas have the upper part of the firewall as a double box and some folks thought they had to go through the first wall to get to the second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 I always assumed that the idea was to tie the whole car as one and since the wheels are loading while driving the car may flex through the wheel wells. However is there any reason why the tube has to be one piece? Or can it be as per option number 2? The primary reason for a roll cage is safety. SCCA, in the classes listed above, limit the body attachment points to 8. Option 1 is always the best but option 2 will work if the two tubes are welded in parallel. Any deviation puts that interim mount in shear and some percentage of the load transfer gets lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvice Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Any deviation puts that interim mount in shear and some percentage of the load transfer gets lost. Thanks John, that make perfect sense, you're a wealth of information. Would be pretty ugly having that shear off and spear through into the cabin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MREDDLE Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 What is so difficult about comprehending this? ........ Penetrate means. "cannot go farther" You people....LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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