Jack,
Your type of modification to the axles certainly won't offend us in VSCDA. I
am much more offended by having to help load a pretty car that was just
destroyed by a mechanical failure onto a trailer.
I went through the modifying of a 57 Plymouth as my junior and senior year
mechanical engineering projects in 1962 and 1963. Modifying the engine to
gain another 100 + horsepower found every weak link in the drive train in
succession, until everything from universal joints to rear springs and
"slapper bars" were made to handle extra power and torque. Likewise for the
suspension after increasing tire size and breaking torsion bars and more rear
springs brought about the need to change springs and hand make sway bars for
the front and rear. This car could run away from everything up to C Jags. It
certainly was fun to play with on the street and open track days, but not
within anyone's rules. Once this process is started by someone it just leads
to more and more modifications.
However designing out a poor original design in the interest of safety
without enhancing performance should be acceptable to all. Everyone should
think about what could have happened if Tony were being passed on the outside
when this failure took place. It could have taken out another car as well!
Something being done to improve the odds against this happening ought to be
accepted by all sanctioning groups.
A caution however, some comments that you made almost a year ago about tech
inspectors may come back to haunt you when the new car is presented for its
first inspection with us!
Look forward to your annual event at home this winter.
Bill Dalton
VSCDA Chief of Tech
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