Steering Column Safety Issue

Technical and Repair Discussions

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:38 am
I"m new to SRF and just purchased a car. Trying to get a few little issues sorted and a friend stopped by who happens to be well versed in car design and building with multiple clubs and types of racing.

He tells me our steering column wouldn't be allowed in a lot of the clubs out there as it really should be a collapsible design. The central solid straight design we use is old school and considered unsafe by modern standards.

Another issue is there isn't any crumple zone in front of the rack to speak of which makes this issue all the more problematic. A front impact could drive the steering shaft/wheel straight into the driver.

Has this been discussed before? Anyone have concerns about it? It was one of the fist things I noticed and could be easily fixed.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:27 am
I have hit head on, a solid object at 50 to 60 mph. The front crumple zone worked quite well and never made it to the steering box. Even if it made it to the steering box the most it would move the box is a few inches into the frame. I personally have never heard of anyone hurting anything other than their hands from the steering wheel. My shoulders and chest were black and blue from the harness but nothing else was out of place. I myself have never worried about anything other than my head, which some might say is expendable.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:18 am
There is a huge crumple zone in front of the rack, the nose, radiator and front pan. Rare to find anyone who has raced these cars for several years that has not had the experience of replacing those parts. Not sure where your expert's experience lies, but SRF is the safest road race car ever constructed, after 30 years there have been zero fatalities and few serious injuries, with is incredible given the miles raced.
If there is one area that could be improved it would be impact attenuation in the rear.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 12:23 pm
Kramer, that's why we need a wing...a rear end impact attenuation device. :lol:

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:30 pm
Ditto Bill

Last year I went nose first at 75-85 MPH. The steering rack brackets were slightly bent and the solid rod attached to the steering wheel broke, probably because I didn't let go soon enough. But the entire assembly never moved. This is a non issue in my mind.
It's better to be last on the grid at a race track, than have pole position at the Funeral Home.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 2:05 pm
steve kramer wrote:If there is one area that could be improved it would be impact attenuation in the rear.

Steve, drive a little faster and people will stop hitting you from behind so hard.

H.(look who's giving driving tips)B.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 2:18 pm
Some observations: The column is hollow and pretty thin walled (I've bent 3 in 4 years), so thin that if you watch the NOLA video closely you can see the column flexing in the corners. With the steering wheel installed any chest impact will be spread across a fairly large area so the column isn't going to spear you. Looking at the frame, once the steering rack gets pushed back a few inches you are going to have to move the whole front bulkhead to get any more travel.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 2:55 pm
Hal B. wrote:
steve kramer wrote:If there is one area that could be improved it would be impact attenuation in the rear.

Steve, drive a little faster and people will stop hitting you from behind so hard.

H.(look who's giving driving tips)B.


thanks bro.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 3:06 pm
thequick wrote:Some observations: The column is hollow and pretty thin walled (I've bent 3 in 4 years), so thin that if you watch the NOLA video closely you can see the column flexing in the corners. With the steering wheel installed any chest impact will be spread across a fairly large area so the column isn't going to spear you. Looking at the frame, once the steering rack gets pushed back a few inches you are going to have to move the whole front bulkhead to get any more travel.


The entire steering rack would have to be sheared cleanly off its four mounting bolts and then driven through the front bulkhead at an angle precisely on the same tangent as the steering shaft and...okay, this has me about as worried as I am for the sun plunging into the Atlantic, Alex Rodriguez shutting the hell up, my grid position at the 2015 Indy 500, or...

Next issue, please.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:26 pm
If you drive in our class long enough, sure as the sun plunges into the Atlantic (gotcha Bob!), you will have a frontal collision. Worst that I saw wrt my steering is I twisted the hollow portion of my steering column after a nasty frontal hit. I also saw Lee's car first hand from his head-on collision and nothing harmed him in any way from his steering column. We are allowed to cut off or protect the excess bracket that holds the steering column bearing, which is advisable if your new car has not been addressed in that area. Otherwise, welcome to SRF, which has been mentioned very well, is a very safe class.
Mark Fick
I'm pretty confident my last words will be 'well shit that didn't work'
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