Larry.
Unsupported composite seats whether carbon or
fiberglass both fail. Aluminum seats unsupported
deflect, not fail. In a stock car cockpit, there is
very little you can secure a composite seat to.
Formula cars utilize the tub to stiffen the seat.
You have an apples and oranges discussion going
on here. Carbon is not a magic bullet. It is one
component of a composite material. Composites
(I'm getting really simple here) are made of rags
and glue. the rags absorb the loads along their
fiber direction and the glue absorbs the off axis loads
such as BENDING. Bending is the mode of seat failure
you are mentioning here and quick look will show you that
matrix failures (glue) are MUCH more common than
fiber failures. The metal seat is probably a better
choice in the long run, even better when you foam
the driver into it.....
Scott Correa
>From: Larry Joffe <spdrcr5@bigfoot.com>
>Reply-To: Larry Joffe <spdrcr5@bigfoot.com>
>To: "'team.net'" <autox@autox.team.net>
>Subject: RE: Aluminum Seats
>Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 13:32:51 -0500
>
>Paul:
>
>I have to disagree with you 100%! The carbon fiber racing seats will NOT
>shatter as you think. It takes the impact and absorbs it, it deflects
>the
>impact around the driver and does not allow the impact to concentrate on
>any
>one area, it spreads it out.
>
>Carbon fiber is one of the strongest materials made, why do you think it
>would shatter? It is a woven fabric, how is it going to shatter?
>
>The reason(s) NASCAR won't allow it into their cars is pretty simple.
>NASCAR wants to cars to remain behind the times with both chassis and
>engine
>and safety technology. They want to remain "the good 'ole boys" of old.
>They like that rough and tumble image that is portrayed by the media. They
>don't want the clean cut image of F1 and CART. Those series are both
>referred to as "circus's", something that NASCAR does not want to associate
>with.
>
>The banning of carbon fiber seats has nothing to do with costs. It is
>strictly NASCAR steering clear of new technology. Any time someone tries
>something new, it gets turned down and has always been turned down. Others
>have already pointed out too many times when NASCAR refuses to get with the
>times when it comes to safety.
>
>In a crash if a piece of front suspension is directed towards the cockpit
>of
>an F1 or CART car, what sort of seat would you rather be sitting in?
>Aluminum or Carbon Fiber? Me? Carbon Fiber! A carbon fiber suspension
>part will most certainly go right through an aluminum seat like cutting
>through butter. If aluminum is so much stronger than Carbon Fiber then why
>are the suspension pieces made from carbon fiber in F1? Because it is that
>much stronger than aluminum or any other material that could be used. I am
>not saying that NASCAR should switch to exotic materials, that is not what
>the series is about. They should allow a driver to use ANY safety device
>they feel is warranted for their own well being. It will not create an
>unfair advantage over the rest of the field. All of the cars MUST weigh
>2,400 pounds, so they would have to add an extra pound or two to make
>weight
>anyway. Who is it hurting by Scott Pruett wanting to use a Carbon Fiber
>seat? It is actually hurting NASCAR's own head in the sand image that they
>have the safest cars in all of racing!
>
>Larry Joffe
>
>
>--> I don't think they prohibit carbon fiber race seats due to
>--> cost. I think
>--> they prohibit them because a heck of a lot of drivers got hurt with
>--> fiberglass seats before the aluminum seats appeared. I
>--> personally think that
>--> metal is a better substance to make a seat from than either
>--> fiberglass or
>--> carbon fiber because it won't shatter. Besides, I think the
>--> primary reason
>--> they make seats from the latter two materials is due to
>--> weight not that they
>--> are safer than other materials. So in this particular
>--> regard I believe
>--> NASCAR is actually doing the "right thing".
>-->
>--> Paul Foster
>-->
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