Taken strictly as a matter of principle, I find it difficult to argue with the
concept of requiring OEM-only shocks. As a practical matter, such a requirement
would have the effect of outlawing a significant percentage of the otherwise
Stock-legal cars that show up at autocross events around the country. As others
have already pointed out, another practical issue is that dealer-purchased
replacement shocks, without exception, cost more than the "garden variety"
Konis, KYBs, Bilsteins, etc. that many owners of enthusiast cars fit when the
originals wear out.
Requiring an _exact_ dimensional match with the original units is unworkable.
Aftermarket suppliers will understandably try to make the minimum number of
different shocks fit the greatest possible number of applicaitons. The wording
used by the SEB when the +/- 1" allowance for shock extended length was first
introduced acknowledged this reality.
Like any other allowance originally put in place to accommodate common vehicle
maintenance practices, the shock allowance can and will be used to improve the
performance of cars in autocross competition. When a skilled individual can
create a significant performance advantage simply by disassembling and
carefully reassembling a car and/or its subsystems (a practice that has existed
for decades and is neither illegal nor preventable), it seems to me that
requiring oem shocks won't take the competitive advantage away from the folks
who now have it. It _will_ make replacement shocks cost more for most
competitors, and it will cause some hard feelings among new competitors when
they're told that their Monroes put them in SP (or STS, or whatever). For these
reasons, I'm agin' it. If folks want to spend megabucks on shocks just because
the Mark Daddios and Andy Hollises of the autox world are whipping their butts,
I say let 'em. It's good for the industry.
;<)
Jay
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