At 10:11 AM 11/30/00 EST, WSpohn4@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 11/30/00 3:00:41 AM Pacific Standard Time,
>nobozos@ix.netcom.com writes:
>
>> You forgot to add the part about tying your roll cage to your suspension
>> pick-up points - for safety, of course...
>
>And why do the Jag guys, who already have 4 wheel discs, fit either
>ventilated discs from later models, or bigger Camaro discs? Safety, of
course.
I guess this is as good a time as any to ask some questions, since these
two issues are at the top of my list..
I'm in the process of retrograding a former SCCA TR4A for vintage, and all
the basic work is done (stock bodywork, detuned and legal engine, stockish
ignition, etc). What I haven't done yet is cut the cage loose from the
front frame and replace the aluminum front hubs and ventilated disks with
stock parts.
I'm a novice driver and am reasonably sure I don't care about winning
anything.. I'm also old enough that I value my body parts and would like to
keep them functioning at their current level, such as it is. So my
interest really is in safety. I know the front bars increase chassis
stiffness, and that in the hands of a good driver that could be a
competitive advantage, but I also have video of this very car T-boning
another car at speed, doing serious damage to the front end but no damage
to the driver. I don't know if there were no injuries because the cage was
connected at the front, but it seems reasonable that it's safer the way it
is than without the bars going to the front.
The other issue is replacing the front aluminum hub and ventilated disk
with 35 year old British iron, which is what I think originally started
this discussion. There's been a rash of Triumph rear axle breakage
recently and I believe there have also been some front hub problems
reported. My understanding is that the replacement hub I already have on
the car takes care of that, but that the heat from non-ventilated discs can
then cause problems for the aluminum hub, hence the combination of hub and
vented disc. I'm also aware that cooler brakes provide better stopping and
might allow a driver to go deeper into a corner before braking, but again,
I really am interested in the safety part of the equation.
I'm willing to cut the cage and replace the brakes if necessary, but before
I take the time and spend the money to downgrade them, I'd be interested to
know whether there's anything to this and if I may actually be compromising
safety in the interest of originality. I'm aware that some groups are more
liberal in their interpretation of "safety" upgrades than others, and that
if I decide to keep the bars and brakes I might be limited as to where I
can race. I'd also hate to downgrade the car and then roll it into a ball
because something broke that could have been avoided.
Any input is welcome..
Thanks,
Don Marshall
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