???????Brake Shield?????????

[Conor]

The 2006 competition rules state:


A single brake acting on a limited-slip differential is acceptable. The braking system must be protected with scatter shields from failure of the drive train or from minor collisions. Unarmored plastic brake lines are prohibited.

Can anybody shed some light on this? Does the chain guard count as a shield for the braking system? How do your teams protect the diff brake with a scatter shield? Pictures would be awesome. Thanks.

[Conor]

The 2006 competition rules state:


A single brake acting on a limited-slip differential is acceptable. The braking system must be protected with scatter shields from failure of the drive train or from minor collisions. Unarmored plastic brake lines are prohibited.

Can anybody shed some light on this? Does the chain guard count as a shield for the braking system? How do your teams protect the diff brake with a scatter shield? Pictures would be awesome. Thanks.

[pengulns2001]

is this new ive never heard of this?

[RacingManiac]

we never had to run a brake shield before for our single rear disc setup. Though we are moving on to dual rear disc....

[Jersey Tom]

We used to run combination sprocket/brake in the rear and just had a chain guard.

[Marshall Grice]

I believe the intent is to prevent damage to any of the brake lines or other components that constitue a brake failure in the event your diff/chain fails. We normally just run our brake lines under chassis tubes in the danger areas. In effect you're sheilding the brakes from the diff, not the other way around.

[Homemade WRX]

I noticed this rule last night ironically...I was wondering about it too. We are trying a sprotor this year for the first time and I kinda laughed at the rule...
just need to find a way to shield the hoses I'm assuming?...
time to send kat a question

[Conor]

Let me know how that goes so everyone can be clear on the rules. Thanks!

[Homemade WRX]

well, at this point I'm waiting on a reply.

[Homemade WRX]

so there will most likely be a problem with the sprotor set up and shielding it...how have other sprotor teams done it in the past?...being this isn't a new rule...

[BStoney]

I will post a pic later this afternoon, but I believe this is in response to teams like ourselves last year, and we are running a dual rear brake setup. The brake lines were in a hazardous region if the chain were to break or any other major component would fail directly around the brakes.

To be editted further...

[Homemade WRX]

I actually sent a question about to the safety commitee and they said that I would have to find a way to insure that the caliper and lines would be safe from chain failure...now how has this been done on sprotors before?

[Cement Legs]

If you were to use stainless steel braided lines for the rear would that not eliminate the problem of being unarmoured and provide shielding at the same time? Does anyone know if teflon brake lines are acceptable for the front?

[Conor]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Homemade WRX:
I actually sent a question about to the safety commitee and they said that I would have to find a way to insure that the caliper and lines would be safe from chain failure...now how has this been done on sprotors before? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

How is your caliper mounted on your sprocket/rotor? I'm assuming the caliper is on the inside so it isn't mounted above the teeth of the sprocket, so that would make it rather tricky. But if it is mounted on the inner diameter of the sprocket/rotor, then the actual sprocket/rotor would be protection itself. Maybe add a tiny shield to the caliper?

[Homemade WRX]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Conor:
How is your caliper mounted on your sprocket/rotor? I'm assuming the caliper is on the inside so it isn't mounted above the teeth of the sprocket, so that would make it rather tricky. But if it is mounted on the inner diameter of the sprocket/rotor, then the actual sprocket/rotor would be protection itself. Maybe add a tiny shield to the caliper? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
our cliper sits mounted on the inside with chain above and below it. the little shield is what I had planned to do, but only if tech tells us we need to. I'll have the piece made, but not mounted...
-Micah

[Nate Notta]

Have the details of this rule been figured out?

I could see it being a mess at the competition if every team with a caliper sitting near their diff needs to start shielding everything.

[Cody the Genius]

We must be the only team that ever got hit with this at tech. The problem was that our chaingaurd only ran around the top of the spocket and chain so there was no gaurd for the chain on the bottom. Our brakelines (stainlees -3)ran about 4 inches under the chain but was somewhat exposed as it ran over a tube. The tech guys made us make a small shield to go between the chain and the brakeline using the same .105" mild steel as the rest of the chaingaurd. That seemes to be what they were the most concerned about, no shielding between the chain and brakelines. They were also only concerned about the chain hitting things that were in its plane of rotation.

yeah, so don't get stuck like that although everyone else apparently got away with it, or more creatively ran their brakelines.

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

its a very good rule, I'm happy someone brought it up or our lines would have been running under the chain.

[Nate Notta]

Yeah it makes sense to shield brake lines that are directly in the path of a broken chain...

But truth be told the rule says the 'brake system' should be shielded from drivetrain failure, and it really should... and that doesn't just mean the lines. Pretty much any inboard caliper or line could be wrecked by a broken driveshaft (maybe even the chain, because who knows where it will really go when it breaks), but I don't know how you can shield against it.

It's tough to know where to draw the line back there... I think the rule should be written more clearly than it is though.

[Homemade WRX]

I'm just generally frustrated with how vague the new rules are regarding shielding...this and the driver...

[Michael Royce]

Just to let you guys know, the particular section of Rule 3.2.5, over which you appear to be having so much heartache, has been unchanged since at least 2000! That is as far back as I chose to research.

Obviously, a broken chain is the main concern. But the rule is as it is so that obvious other problems can be addressed by the Techncial Inspectors.