who has changed to wire tow loops then?

who has changed to wire tow loops then?

Author
Discussion

eastlmark

Original Poster:

1,654 posts

207 months

Wednesday 25th January 2017
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As per title, MSA recommends for this year wire tow loops, BARC series compulsory. Yet don't hear of many making the change.

ctsdave

872 posts

174 months

Wednesday 25th January 2017
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According to blue book it was recommended for 2016 but compulsory for 2017? Or thats how I read it... Minimum of 2 but 4 recommended... Ive got 4 on order (bespoke length needed), will fit 2 and keep 2 with me just incase...

Steve H

5,260 posts

195 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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"Strongly recommended" for 2017 but the old regs are still the mandatory ones

19.1.3 in the blue book.

andy97

4,703 posts

222 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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Is there any evidence that the existing webbing straps are insufficient?

Drumroll

3,755 posts

120 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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The biggest problem is not the actual strops/wire loops it is how secure they are to the actual chassis.

drmotorsport

744 posts

243 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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No, 2017 blue book states "strongly recommended" for the wire loops - so not mandatory yet. I'll get around to it when i have enough spare time to hack my bumpers in 4 places.

vjay48

191 posts

159 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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I think they are hideous,they need to be fastened at the towing end to stop the flapping aroud,which means you have to get under car to acess them,great when you are in 12" of gravel.Were do you put on a single seater,put 4 on the roll cage.I think this is another idea sold to MSA. Perhaps if we ignore them they will go away!

Altrezia

8,517 posts

211 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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Not exactly sure where on the corners I should fit them on the elise, being that it's mostly plastic.

Centre post is designed for it, so there it shall stay. Still using a webbing one atm.

mad4amanda

2,410 posts

164 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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andy97 said:
Is there any evidence that the existing webbing straps are insufficient?
Yes they break loads when trying to snatch out of gravel!

djroadboy

1,175 posts

236 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
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Altrezia said:
Not exactly sure where on the corners I should fit them on the elise, being that it's mostly plastic.

Centre post is designed for it, so there it shall stay. Still using a webbing one atm.
You don't have the tow strap attached to the front tow post do you Alex? If they try to pull you out the gravel with that it'll take half the crash box and front clam with it!

I attach the straps to the ARB/Wishbone mount. These wire ones are going to be a nightmare to make work on an Elise. Particularly at the front.

Dan

Altrezia

8,517 posts

211 months

Friday 27th January 2017
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djroadboy said:
You don't have the tow strap attached to the front tow post do you Alex? If they try to pull you out the gravel with that it'll take half the crash box and front clam with it!

I attach the straps to the ARB/Wishbone mount. These wire ones are going to be a nightmare to make work on an Elise. Particularly at the front.

Dan
I do have it on the tow post. Worked OK last time it broke down on me at the side of the track. Not been in gravel so no experience with that.

captain jack

191 posts

228 months

Friday 27th January 2017
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I was just looking at this too - thankfully this has gone from 'mandatory in 2017' to 'strongly recommended'. From the 2017 Blue Book:-


Keithyboy

1,940 posts

270 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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It would have been better to encourage more robust scrutineering of the tow straps currently in use. Many I've seen are donkeys years old, are improperly secured and would likely snap when put under any kind of tension (which has obviously been the case). The proposed wire hoops are going to be a nightmare to install on many different types of vehicles. Lets hope this gets revisited.

tapkaJohnD

1,939 posts

204 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Full FIA Homologated rain lights, and fuel sampling taps in the engine bay were earlier wheezes that somehow got onto the Blue Book as "proposed for next year" for everyone.
Get your series org./ driver rep to take it up with the Stewards, and write to the MSA.
We got the earlier nonsenses rescinded!

John

NJH

3,021 posts

209 months

Thursday 9th February 2017
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Its the 2 front and rear that is the big problem for me especially on the front, utterly daft and pointless idea.


andy97

4,703 posts

222 months

Thursday 9th February 2017
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mad4amanda said:
andy97 said:
Is there any evidence that the existing webbing straps are insufficient?
Yes they break loads when trying to snatch out of gravel!
I bow to your greater knowledge but never seen it or heard of it happening in 14 years.

The tow point at the front of the Porsche 924, 944, 968 range is central because it screws in through the designed chassis hard point for the towing eye. Putting 2 X towing straps of whatever sort on is actually going to compromise the towing integrity because ere isn't anywhere else that's designed for them.

I'd expect that other cars have a similar issues.

NJH

3,021 posts

209 months

Thursday 9th February 2017
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Exactly. That alloy cross member on the late 944 and similar on 968 in which the factory tow thread is centrally located is super strong as well, I know after crashing my car. On the rear we also have the issue that significant modification to the vehicle would be required to put another tow thread/hook into the other chassis leg. These are supposed to be production based cars FFS.

Like others have said if the issue is around crappy fabric tow loops then regulate and scrutineer for that don't go creating rules asking people who will not have the SQEP to do it, to make structural changes to their vehicles, production based vehicles especially.

GC8

19,910 posts

190 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
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For a conventional (944) bumper, you can replace the 924 type mount with a second 944 type and have a second threaded towing point. 924s and 951s - not so easy.

I suspect that most '951' fronts are really GRP pastiches which fit original pattern 944 GRP wings, being plastic bolted to the car and without the original alloy bumper.

You could mount the wire strops through a plate secured by to bolts to the chassis leg noses (where the original bumper mounts would've been fitted) on these cars, but you would have to slot the 'PU'.

77racing

3,346 posts

187 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
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all good that except, CSCC have very specific rules and regs regarding body work and original body panels. So swopping body parts from one model to another is not possible, other clubs do have rules as well, there committee's would have to take a view on non original period bits for that to happen I would imagine.

GC8

19,910 posts

190 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
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Most of the FrontRunners I have seen in CSCC events have the wrong panels.