Do most sanctioning bodies allow square steel tubing?
 

I'm not extremely familiar with the rules from the different racing sanctioning bodies, so please forgive me. Can some of you more knowledgeable guys tell me if there are any rules/requirements towards square steel tubing? I am thinking of using some 3/4"x3/4" or 1"x1" to make a strut bar for my 83 GS, as I can't find ANYONE near me who stocks round steel tubing. I have plans in the future to possibly get into some local SCCA events, and wondered if I would be wasting my time making it out of square? Is it allowed under the rules?

There should be no issue with this. I have seen many Solo II and GT road race cars that incorporate square tubing in their structure. It is stiffer than round tubing and easy to fabricate with.

The best way to answer questions like these is to go to www.scca.com and go to the Solo section and down load the latest rule book. It is FREE.

Check the GCR. I assume that when you say "SCCA Events" then you are referring to Auto-X types of events? As far as I know, the design and materials for things like strut-bars are fairly open. When you start building cages and roll-bars is when you begin to see restrictions on materials and sizes (DOM tubing only, minimum diameter and thickness, etc.).

-bill

Awesome, I will try that. Thanks for the info. It sounds like the square steel strut bar design should be okay then, and be stiffer than round as well. Granted the square steel tubing tends to be a little bit heavier, but since I am only using a 4 foot piece, that will only account to about a 1 pound difference between the two design options. Just wanted to make sure that there isn't some unspoken rule that you don't use square steel tubing for applications such as this one.

No problem, This would be the same type of thing as a fuel cell mounting structure. These type of structures are up to the racer and not governed by the rules as far as materials.

Hoosier State? Are you in Indiana? Try these guys:

http://www.aedmotorsports.com/


Here are a few places you could see if they have a local supplier:

http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/
http://www.mcmaster.com


-billy

Yes, but it does have to pass technical scrutiny for safety, so it needs to be securely mounted with the correct hardware (eg. mounting a drivers seat using wood screws and 2x4s as a base will not fly).

So when in doubt, check with your local safety steward.

-bill

Pound for pound round is better.

Interesting. Check out the chassis of a Spec Racer Ford
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Spec-...QQcmdZViewItem

Yup - square tubing. Round is (in general) stronger, but square is much easier to build with and weld (again, in general). For things like a space frame chassis, square is fine.

-bill

Or the chassis on almost any current GT1/Trans AM car. They are all square/rectangular tube below the belt line. Only the safety cage is round tube on these cars.

along with every tube constructed chassis we have in the shop.


-billy