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Scattershields / Street Safety Equipment ( Part 1 )

To: DavidAdin@mercydurango.org, land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: Scattershields / Street Safety Equipment ( Part 1 )
From: FastmetalBDF@aol.com
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:55:43 EST
David, I think that your odds of being in an accident are  considerably 
better in your 'street'  
car on the highways and byways than on a race track / course in a well  built 
and thought-out race car . I do not know if you are speaking of a  dual 
purpose street & race car here, but why not run whatever safety  equipment the 
racing association requires as long as it doesn't hinder the car's  use on the 
street ?  We all know we aren't supposed to race on the  street, or try to 'top 
end' our car out .... but I think the vast majority of us  here have done a lot 
of pretty fast street driving in the past ....  'Nuff Said on That.  If you 
do intend on " trying it out "or just  plain driving it very hard on the road, 
don't you think some of the same  malfunctions and breakages can occur right 
there on that road  ?  A connecting rod or U-joint or hi-revving clutch / 
flywheel  or a pinon gear doesn't know or care where it is when it lets go 
...... 
the  metal exceeds its' limitations and then just lets go.  Ask the pros  who 
do dyno-testing about the pure havoc that an engine can wreak when pieces  
start flying ..... they protect against just such unscheduled disasters.  A  
fuel 
leak can occur anywhere: street or track, and the results are about the  same 
in either case, so build safely and use the "good stuff ".You shouldn't  need 
or run a parachute on your street car, of course, but the other less  obvious 
safety equipment just makes common sense to build into your car, and  that 
includes scattershields, top notch brakes, full or part roll cages,  protection 
of brake and fuel lines and also any wiring or cables near the  flywheel's 
plane area ...... we discussed this here recently.
Using undersized or improper grade bolts for their intended purpose can  also 
be an invitation to trouble. Roll bars and extra body bracing can be  found 
in many street rods and street muscle cars ..... a little added insurance.  ( 
Part 2 follows )




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