Running in Autocross stock class BS, changing the front sway bar to a stiffer bar won't change my class. Now, if I remove a link from one rear control arm, effectively disabling the bar but it's still attached to the car, WILL I STILL BE ALLOWED IN BS?

 

My understanding of the revised rules ... you can change either the front or rear sway bar, not both, and follow all requirements.

If you disconnect the rear bar and leave the front bar unmodified, then yes. If you have already modified the front bar, then no.

-Marc

 

But he wouldn't be substituting the rear bar with something else, adding a rear bar when none existed, nor removing altogether, so I can't see why you can't just disconnect it.

 

While you aren't physically removing the bar by disconnecting one side, you are removing it's effect.

 

But to the black and white word you wouldn't be breaking the rules...(?)

 

You are removing the end link from the position. Associated hardware counts.

Think of it this way: "have the normally apposed faces of the link and bar been removed from contact?" Yes, while the link is still there, the mating joint / contact point has been removed.

 

anyone know if this has been contested or challenged or specifically ruled against by the SCCA?

I understand what KrazyKarl and Ckit are saying...

 

sirbunz and CKit are both experienced national-level competitors -- you should listen to them. While a quick scan of the rule book doesn't reveal anything specifically about disconnecting end links, I can say with near absolute confidence (being a fairly experienced guy myself) that it would be considered a modification of that sway bar by a protest committee.

There's room for clarification of the rule, but I think the intent and thus the likely interpretation is very clear. You could always write the SEB for a clarification...

 

Yeah, this one is not open for interpretation. You can only touch one swaybar in stock class.

 

The rule book is written as "if it doesn't say you can, then you can't". not the other way around. Since it doesn't say "You can do anything you want to one sway bar, and in addition on the other one you can mess with the hardware if you want" then you can't. All it says is you can do whatever you want to one of the two sway bars and its associated hardware. So if you change the front bar, you can't touch anything associated with the rear bar. And vice versa.