The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Define "Safety Parts"
Maybe I'm just slow or I skimmed over it, does suspension count towards our $500? If brakes, wheel bearings, wheels and tires don't count. Not sure why suspension would too... Cause if it's not "Safety" then guess who's cutting springs.
Cutting OEM springs is fine and you'd never get hassled for it. A larger OEM swaybar from the junkyard is ok.. Stacking two stock swaybars is ok. A powdercoated red swaybar or springs that you "found" has to be accounted for. Turner Motorsports coilovers/control arms/steering rack/ swaybar on your E36 M3 is not OK. The basic idea is that they really don't want checkbook racers.
Just use GOOD stockish replacement parts and nobody is going to hammer you. If you show up with adjustable Bilstien's painted flat black with dirt rubbed on them, plan on a penalty.
Maybe I'm just slow or I skimmed over it, does suspension count towards our $500? If brakes, wheel bearings, wheels and tires don't count. Not sure why suspension would too... Cause if it's not "Safety" then guess who's cutting springs.
Suspension is not safety related and counts towards your budget. Those other things prevent you from hurting yourself or other people. Suspension is performance related. You can drive around a track with dead shocks and bouncy springs but a wheel bearing lets go and you can have serious issues..
Suspension doesn't count as safety, but if you have a really awful vehicle they will maybe look the other way. If you show up in a miata plan on getting picked over pretty heavily. We have a miata we built for $0 out of spare parts, but got some flak because of our eBay coil sleeves. We didn't have any springs in our parts pile, but did have an eBay bouncy boi kit. Once I explained to the judge that it was the only free route we had and wanted to spend the money on beers he let it slide. Stick to the spirit of the competition and you'll be fine.
Also keep in mind $500 is the highest. Our 1st car cost us $800 (84 L69 Trans Am) I sold over $1700 in parts, that meant we started at a value of $0. If you have anything off the vehicle that is worth money and you aren't going to use it, sell it, keep a record and deduct it from the purchase price.
They will do a bounce test of your car. If they try and bounce it and it doesn't move, they are going to look at your cheaty suspension. If it wallows up and down they are going to move on to something else.
After my first race I asked for some residual to change the shocks/struts as they were completely blown out and was told to replace with stock. Of course that was for a Volvo wagon.
The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Define "Safety Parts"