I don't have either an engine damper or an USS, but I am curious about how the classing would be handled.

From what I can see reading about stock, street touring, and street prepared, it doesn't seem like they are legal there, so would the damper and/or the USS, put you into street mod?

 

I would have to double-check about the engine damper, but the M7 USS will definitely put you in SM. None of the "lower" classes allow subframe connectors that connect the right and left sides of the car together.

That's the only thing that's keeping me from getting the USS, since I've heard such great things about them in convertibles.

 

Anyone else?

 

I'm pretty sure the engine dampener will kick you out of stock....I think all the way to SM!

Can't just just unbolt the USS when you race the car? I've heard it's really easy to remove/re-install.

 

I am not sure what you mean by engine damper. If it's a device that limits the engine's movement around the axis of the crank shaft then it is not permitted in stock class.

If you mean the harmonic damper that is attached to the front of the crank shaft, I can't tell you about the legality in stock class. However, I have seen some information from reliable sources that say it is not a good idea to remove them. Doing so can result in harmonic vibrations in the carnk shaft that may cause serious engine damage.

Cheers,

Joe s

 

Is the USS even legal in SM? I think that thing is a one-way ticket to Prepared or Modified (With "D" or "E", not "street" in front of it).

Of course, take that with a grain of salt - I haven't owned anything other than stock class cars for like 6 or 7 years... and had a couple of way-under prepped SP cars before that.

 

what about stx? its a pretty liberal class. i thought they allowed like anything in stx. if you dont mind running with poorly riced out hondas.

street mod is a tough class, used to run that class with my supra. corvettes dominate.

 

Here is a quick link to the SCCA SOLO rulebook free and online. I find it easiest to use the search function and type in exactly what I am looking for.

Answer #1: The USS would bump you straight into prepared.

Here are the reasons/rules why:

Street Touring Strut Bar Rule (STS, STX, STU and inherited by SM)

14.8 M. Strut bars are permitted with all types of suspension. Strut bars


Street Prepared Strut Bar Rule (All SP Classes and inherited by SM)

C. Strut bars are permitted with all types of suspension. Strut barsmay
be mounted only transversely across the car from upper right
to upper left suspension mounting point and from lower right to lower
left suspension mounting point. No other configuration is permitted.


Only bolt-on attachment is permitted. Additional holes

may be drilled for mounting bolts. Interior trim panels may be

modified to allow installation of strut bars. Holes or slots may be
no larger than necessary and may serve no other purpose. This
does not permit any modifications to the frame or unibody beyond

the allowed mounting holes.

SM Inheritance of Street Touring and Stree Prepared Rulsets:

16.1 ALLOWED MODIFICATIONS

A. All Stock, Street Touring, and Street Prepared modifications are

authorized. Except as noted by these rules and the referenced
rules, vehicles must be as originally delivered including all road
going components such as lights, wipers, interior, heater, etc.

SM Subframe Connector Rule:

G. Subframe connectors are allowed, but each connector must be
attached individually without any lateral components attaching

the two longitudinal frame rails. Subframe connectors may be

bolted or welded. SP allowances which authorize unrestricted

mounting of suspension components do not permit the
incorporation of non-SP-legal subframe connectors into the

mounting scheme for a Street Modified vehicle.

Since the understrut system is a triangulated, non-stock lower strut bar, using one would not be allowed in any Stock, STS, STX, STU, any SP class, or SM. The USS is not considered a subframe connector by the SM rules since there are lateral components.

Answer #2: Engine damper modifications are not allowed in Stock since they are not listed in the Stock class rules.

An engine damper like the LordoftheFlies unit is not allowed in any of the Street Touring Classes on our cars since it does not replace an existing engine damper.

A replacement of an existing engine damper with another of the same construction would be allowed in Street Touring.

An engine damper such as the LordoftheFlies unit is allowed in Street Prepared but would bump you out of SP to SM if you have changed any of your motor mounts to non-stock units.

Here are the reasons/rules why:

Street Touring Bobble Strut Rule (STS, STX, STU)


14.10 I Engine mounts may be replaced, but must attach in the factory

location(s) without additional modification or changes. Engine
position may not be changed. The volume of metal in a replacement

mount may not be increased relative to the volume of metal

found in a stock mount for the particular application. Solid metal
mounts are specifically prohibited. Any non-metallic inserts may
be used.
Hydraulic shock type rear engine locators, or bobble struts may
be replaced by manufacturer’s performance part, or aftermarket
replacement part. This part must retain factory dimensions and
attachment points, including factory design. (Example: If factory
locator/bobble strut is gas or hydraulic piston type, replacement
part must be gas or hydraulic piston type. No solid mounts may

be substituted.)

Street Prepared Bobble Strut/Torque Suppression Device Rules (All SP Classes)

15.10I. Engine mounts may be replaced, but must attach in the factory

location(s) without additional modification or changes. Engine

position may not be changed. The amount of metal in a replacement
mount may not be increased relative to the amount of metal

found in a standard mount for the particular application. Solid

metal mounts are specifically prohibited. Any non-metallic inserts
may be used.
Hydraulic shock type rear engine locators, or bobble struts may
be replaced by manufacturer’s performance part, or aftermarket
replacement part. This part must retain factory dimensions and
attachment points, including factory design. (Example: If factory
locator/bobble strut is gas or hydraulic piston type, replacement
part must be gas or hydraulic piston type. No solid mounts may
be substituted.)

If one or more non-OE engine mounts are used, 15.10.J does not
apply and a torque suppression device may not be used.

J. One bolt-on torque suppression device may be used. A torque

suppression device attaches from the engine to the body, frame,

or subframe in one location, and controls engine movement at

that location along a single axis only. It may serve no other

Examples of permitted devices:
1) a chain

2) a rod with spherical bearings at each end.

Examples of devices not permitted:
1) any link which confines movement along more than one axis.

2) an engine mounting plate, or one or more plates rigidly bolted

between the engine and the frame.

Holes may be drilled to mount a torque suppression device. The
installation may not include the welding of any plate(s) to the
bodywork or to the motor mount(s), nor may it include multiple
If a torque suppression device is used, 15.10.I does not apply

and replacement engine mounts may not be used.

Street Modified Engine Mounting Rule:
16.1 D Motor and drivetrain mounts are considered part of these

allowances, and any material is permitted. The allowances of

16.1.P may be used to affix brackets, but these brackets shall

serve no purpose other than engine and drivetrain mounting (e.g.
they may not provide chassis stiffening).

Hopefully that is clear enough and helps everyone out.

 

I looked into this and I agree the USS puts you into prepared classes.

 

We had an MCS with the M7 tower brace plates wanting to be in autocross for STX class.

Since the M7 brace strengthens the tower I didn't think it would be legal to leave on for any stock class or Street touring class.

Anyone else have experience with these?

 

The M7 plates protect the towers from mushrooming, but they don't prevent any relative motion between the shock towers, so I don't think they provide any performance benefits.

I put them in the same category as a clear bra for protecting against chips, or taping over the headlamps.

As far as STX goes, I figure if the M7 strut tower is legal in STX (notwithstanding the current SEB "clarification" fiasco), the reinforcement plates should be fine.

 

Not to be a stick in the Mud.. or maybe i am. Since the Plates are part of the Strut bar and not going into the thought that now all strut bars need Heim joints on the ends. for the one axies rule

To prevent Mushrooming or the top of the shocks from bending the material in an upward direction, would mean it is assisting in stopping motion on more than one axies. This is again if it were to be considered as Part of the Strut bar.

I've not looked over the rules, but is there one for adding material to Prevent a chassi point from destorting aka. beefing up the shock mounts. That is if it is not considered as Part of the Strut bar and as a seperate piece. aka someone took the middle section of the bar off and left just the plates on.

To prevent this action (Mushrooming) would be a Performance benefit since any change in this direction directly changes the wieght distribution of the car.

 

I just read through the Stock rules, and there's no mention of adding strengthening/bracing materials to any part of the car, except for a scattershield, so the strut tower plates wouldn't technically be legal in Stock class.

Since the forces that the plates are meant to protect against (impacts from potholes, rough roads, etcetera) aren't present on most autocross courses, the best thing would be for a competitor to remove the plates during the race.

For STS/STX, since strut bars are allowed, and any strut bar is going to provide *some* stiffening of the strut tower, I don't think the stiffening from the endplates of the M7 strut bar is going to violate the rules.

So, if you were to modify an M7 strut bar to include heim joints at each end (to make it a "one-axis" bar), I don't think that the beefy mounting mounting plates by themselves are going to make the bar illegal.

The whole "one axis" clarification describes the motion between the strut towers. The strut bar is allowed to prevent the strut towers from moving inward towards each other, or outward away from each other, but that's the only axis where constraint is allowed. If one tower wants to flex toward the front of the car while the other flexes to the rear of the car, the strut bar isn't allowed to prevent that. Likewise, if one tower wants to flex upward while the other flexes downward, the strut bar isn't allowed to prevent that either.