Current Bushing rule?

[Spinnetti]

I've been out a few years, and am freshening up the car. I last remember that you can replace the bushings, but can I replace them with Heim joints?

I have a 5 link rear end, and a heim jointed panhard bar (since 1990), but can I do that for the 4 links too?

Thanks...

[Geo]

You may use alternate bushings. That includes spherical bearings. HOWEVER, you cannot modify the stock components to facilitate installation of the spherical bearings. You must use bearing "cassettes" that install the same way as the stock bushings.

Said another way, don't even consider whacking off the ends of control arms and links and welding on rod ends. Likewise, don't even think of modifying the stock components in any way.


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George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[Spinnetti]

Originally posted by Geo:
You may use alternate bushings. That includes spherical bearings. HOWEVER, you cannot modify the stock components to facilitate installation of the spherical bearings. You must use bearing "cassettes" that install the same way as the stock bushings.

Said another way, don't even consider whacking off the ends of control arms and links and welding on rod ends. Likewise, don't even think of modifying the stock components in any way.

Ah. Thanks.

Easy enough. Like most IT rules, doing the the legal way is much more expensive than the smart way, but such is the SCCA. I was just going to buy pre-built control arms with rod ends.

I may just leave the high durometer rubber ones I have in there, or buy 'cassette' ends and machine up adapters that press in (I have a shop)... Its always the guys with the least resources that miss out!

[Geo]

Originally posted by Spinnetti:
Easy enough. Like most IT rules, doing the the legal way is much more expensive than the smart way, but such is the SCCA. I was just going to buy pre-built control arms with rod ends.

Alternate control arms are highly illegal.

Don't get too upset about this rule. This is a class for lightly modified cars. As such there are a very limited number of modifications that can be made. If you would like a more open rule set, Production may accomodate you. That's not meant as a slap either. It's just that some solutions in a near stock category are not simple ones and so be it.

My own personal opinion is that spherical bearings don't belong in IT, but I don't think they are going away.

[edit] And blame your fellow competitors. I'm sure someone came up with the cassette solution to get around the rules and there you go. It's more often than not the competitors who push that envelope.

------------------
George Roffe
Houston, TX
84 944 ITS car under construction
92 ITS Sentra SE-R occasionally borrowed
http://www.nissport.com

[This message has been edited by Geo (edited October 05, 2004).]

[Spinnetti]

Originally posted by Geo:
Alternate control arms are highly illegal.

Don't get too upset about this rule. This is a class for lightly modified cars. As such there are a very limited number of modifications that can be made. If you would like a more open rule set, Production may accomodate you. That's not meant as a slap either. It's just that some solutions in a near stock category are not simple ones and so be it.

My own personal opinion is that spherical bearings don't belong in IT, but I don't think they are going away.

[edit] And blame your fellow competitors. I'm sure someone came up with the cassette solution to get around the rules and there you go. It's more often than not the competitors who push that envelope.

No problem. Thanks for the feedback.

I love IT, but I think the class needs to be rethought. I could go into a long dissertation, but to spare you that, IT is like stock in some sense. The serious guys pour Tons of $ into buying parts which have the most beneficial tolerance stackup and the like, so that even 'stock' is not that stock. In fact, its probably more expensive to run 'stock' than IT! (not including the car). My current high durometer bushings work well, but make it harder to accurately corner weight. When you have a shop, its easy enough to make some 'cassettes' and I might for fun. I'm still in this for fun, though I took a couple years off when it stopped being any. Its not like my Toyota has any chance in IT/A anymore anyway.

Cheers,

Dave.

[Bill Miller]

And blame your fellow competitors. I'm sure someone came up with the cassette solution to get around the rules and there you go. It's more often than not the competitors who push that envelope.

Wrong again George! Blame the rules-making body for allowing the interpretation! I agree that it's the competitors that push the envelope, but it's the rules-making body that defines the boundries.



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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[erlrich]

Originally posted by Spinnetti:
I've been out a few years, and am freshening up the car. I last remember that you can replace the bushings, but can I replace them with Heim joints?

I have a 5 link rear end, and a heim jointed panhard bar (since 1990), but can I do that for the 4 links too?

Thanks...

Dave - Just in case you were asking what the actual rule is, this is everything the GCR (or more specifically the ITCS) says about bushings:

"Bushing material, including that used to mount a suspension subframe to the chassis, is unrestricted". FWIW.

Earl

[lateapex911]

So that would allow one to make a bushing out of titanium, helium, steel, delrin, oxygen, foam rubber, aluminum, teflon or even water, right?

As long as it fits the unmodified stock part, you are good to go.

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[Bill Miller]

Originally posted by lateapex911:
So that would allow one to make a bushing out of titanium, helium, steel, delrin, oxygen, foam rubber, aluminum, teflon or even water, right?

As long as it fits the unmodified stock part, you are good to go.

And even unobtanium!!!

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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608