New GC Upper Strut Mount - Legal or not?

[Richy Gonzalez]

I'm about to buy the new ground control upper mounts which gives me approx an extra inch of travel. This will allow me to lower the car closer to the 5 inch ride height without bottoming out my "not-shorted" konis. However, before I do, are they legal for IT? I'm thinking yes but that's me. Also, I see this as a viable alternative until I send my shocks away to revalving and shortenning. ...which who knows when that happens. Also at only $75, seems a pretty good deal to me.

http://www.ground-control.com/honda_topmount2_small.jpg

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[pavis]

I agree that it is legal.

[Chris Sawatsky]

they're easy enough to make, just cut the top part of your stock mount off, and weld in a short section of pipe

[itaintegra31]

I am running them on my ITA Integra all year and they are working great, and have been told by many people that they are totally legal for IT.

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Ron Carroll
REC Motorsports Inc.
#35 ITA integra

[Geezer]

17.1.4.D.5.b Springs and Shock Absorbers
1. Shock absorbers may be replaced provided they attach to the original mounting points.

Is a mounting point 1" higher that the original mounting point the original mounting point? I don't know, but I'd bet someone is saving up a protest fee right now.

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1988 CRX Si
ITA/HC4 wannabe

[Richy Gonzalez]

1. Shock absorbers may be replaced provided they attach to the original mounting points

That's just it. The mounting points are the same. No relocation. The difference is the center cone has extra height to it. ...Now, is the extra height considered a different mounting point?

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[slackerjay]

i would say they are legal..and wouldn't protest anyone that runs them. it doesn't change the MOUNTING points..it changes the dynamics of travel and would agree they are legal under the rules. it's a nice alternative to shortening your shocks...and priced right!! where can i find some?

~slacker Jay

[USGUYS]

The mounting point for the schock is where the shock rod attaches, Not where the the mounting bracket attaches.
This device moves the "mounting point".
Clearly Illegal.
On the other hand, "suspension bushings are free" Is this simply a change to a suspension bushing.
Clearly legal.
I think that the specific rule controls. that would make them illegal, but I am a Judge in my day job.

[joeg]

Looks like a "spacer" to me. "Spacers...,may be used with coil springs..."

[itaintegra31]

The strut mounts to the chassis where the 2 studs come up through the inner fender well of the car not the spring perch, so you are not changing the mounting point.

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Ron Carroll
REC Motorsports Inc.
#35 ITA integra

[Chris Wire]

Atta boy, Richy! You really stirred up the sh!t this time! http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif

(If those are triple adjustable reservoir shock mounts they are totally illegal!)

P.S. FWIW, GC usually does their homework when they bring a new product like this to market. IOW they probably have already discussed the legality issue with Tech and received some sort of informal approval.

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Chris Wire
Team Wire Racing
ITS Mazda RX7 #35
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Chris Wire (edited June 02, 2003).]

[Richy Gonzalez]

Chris,
You're probably right. I should just call Ground Control and see what they say.

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[slackerjay]

The mounting point for the schock is where the shock rod attaches, Not where the the mounting bracket attaches.
This device moves the "mounting point".
Clearly Illegal.

I would have to disagree....the shock itself is ATTACHED to the "hat" in the stock location....at the top. the "hat" is MOUNTED in the stock location. i think it is a clever device from a reputable company that is going to sell a few of these to some IT guys.

~j

[itaintegra31]

My car has been checked out by one of the head tech guys in the sfr and he said that they are legal, because the mount point does not change. So Richy, go ahead and get them they will make your struts last longer because the will not bottom out and damage the piston when your car is lowered to the 5 in spec.

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Ron Carroll
REC Motorsports Inc.
#35 ITA integra

[Tyson]

"My car has been checked out by one of the head tech guys in the sfr and he said that they are legal, because the mount point does not change. "

yay! good to know i wont have to deal with the BS in SFR. btw, was it Greg M. that cleared it?

[davew]

The purpose of the part is to provide an additional 1" of travel. This one inch has to come from some where. The part is not majic. If it adds one inch of travel it is because it moves the mounting point of the strut 1" from its origibal location. Call it "changing the dynamics of travel" or anything else you like, but bottom line is you are adding an inch. I personally wouldn't ever protest anybody for anything so slight, particularly when there is no real competitive advantange vs using shortened struts that are legal...but I do think a protest would have merit.

-dave w

[Richy Gonzalez]

At this point, I'm going to purchase the GC units. The part will do for me is delay $600 I don't have right now to have my shocks re-valve and shorten. I know my shocks will eventually not work optimally due to high spring rates but when someone can get in my car and drive faster than me, then there is more for me to improved and not the car. However, while driving Daytona, the car danced around a little and I'm not sure if it could potentially be because my car is significantly higher. So, I'll be calling up GC and see what they say (which I can already imagine) and purchase them.

Nevertheless, this is why I love this forum. Some very good discussions and if they turn out to be illegal (by tech), then I'll gladly take then off and sell them on ebay.

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)


[This message has been edited by Richy Gonzalez (edited June 03, 2003).]

[B90278]

richy what shock do you have? i run my car pretty low and don't bottom the shock. the upper a-arm bottoms before the shock, have you lowered them as much as possible in the saddle,have you removed the brake line bracket from the shock body?

bernardo

[Richy Gonzalez]

bernardo,
Currently I have single adj yellow konis without bumpstops. When I first ran the car with them, I had the car at about 5.5 inches and it seem like I didn't even have an inch worth or travel. So I run the car at 6 inches and have good travel. Also, I don't have the brake line bracket. The brake line is zip-tied and shock is as far into the fork as possible.


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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[B90278]

how much bump stop do you have?

[B90278]

man i read that fast

[B90278]

hi Richy i went to your web page and looked at your pictures it looks like you still have room to drop shocks remove saddle bolts and replace with a smaller nut and bolt hope this helps.

b.

[Richy Gonzalez]

remove saddle bolts and replace with a smaller nut and bolt

Hum, call me stupid but I don't know what you're at talking about. Can you be more specific? Are you talking about the fork or something else? ...I haven't ordered GC units yet.

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[B90278]

the bolt that pinches the fork on the shock

b.

[Tyson]

Replace with smaller bolt and nut, LOL, what a novel idea.... instead of having to punch a new divet!

[Richy Gonzalez]

So, what exactly is replacing the nut and bolt going to give me? I can't put the shock any further down because the shock is tapered. Or do you expand the opening of the fork to allow the shock to drop past the point where it tapers?

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[B90278]

in your picture it didn't look like the shock was resting on the taper yet, if it's still the same you should gain that distance. then i would remove the spring jack it up and look at what bottoms first, the shock or the a-arm.

[Richy Gonzalez]

I have move the shock down as far as they go. I've never looked to see if my travel ended for other reasons than shock travel. I'll look into it. Thanks again for all the help!

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)

[slackerjay]

richy,

you can put a small zip-tie on the shock rod and make it tight enough that if it moves it stayes put. after a track session look at where the tie is...if it is way up top and hitting the bumpstop then there is a problem.

~J

[ITAIntegraLS]

Not everyone is running the Secret shocks that you are running I cant even find any of those that u use.

Rally tokico


Originally posted by B90278:
richy what shock do you have? i run my car pretty low and don't bottom the shock. the upper a-arm bottoms before the shock, have you lowered them as much as possible in the saddle,have you removed the brake line bracket from the shock body?

bernardo

[Chris Wire]

Shocks are free.

(With the noted exception of RR 3-way units, of course.) http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

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Chris Wire
Team Wire Racing
ITS Mazda RX7 #35
[email protected]

[Geezer]

Originally posted by Chris Wire:
Shocks are free.



Great! send me a set for an '88 CRX. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif



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1988 CRX Si
ITA/HC4 wannabe

[Richy Gonzalez]

Well, the Ground control units have been ordered. I'll let everyone know the outcome.

...Now, I'm going to have to figure out how to load the car on to the trailer. It already hits the bottoms of my brake ducks!

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Richy Gonzalez
GB Racing - #24 ITA CRX (http://groups.msn.com/TheGonzalezFamilyRichySheilaandNyah/projectitacrx.msnw)
LAMIN-X Protective Films (http://www.lamin-x.com)