Racing Breeds Innovation - Not in This Case

Racing Breeds Innovation

NOT in This Case!

One of the things car manufacturers have preached over the years was the fact that they used racing to develop parts and systems for theirroad cars. The title of this article, ‘Racing BreedsInnovation is true in most cases just NOT this one.The OEM car manufacturers have been using ahigh strength steel called Docol R8 for X years andit has only lately that its advantages have becomeapparent to the motorsport industry and buildershave started to use it in chassis and rollcagebuilding.For many years building roll cages or tube chassis

race cars you had the choice of two materials, mildsteel or 4130 Chrome Moly. In the last six years orso Indianapolis based A.E.D. Motorsport Productshave been showcasing a new option, Docol R8.Produced in Scandinavia, Docol is not really a newmaterial in the auto industry. It is an advanced highstrength steel (AHSS) that has been used in roadcars for almost thirty years. It is used in things likedoor crash bars, roof bows, A&B pillars, bumpers,foot boxes and seats. In motorsport fabrication, itis not restricted to use in chassis and roll cages,but can be used for suspension parts, wheelie bars,driveshafts and bumpers; there is even an aero tubeoption where streamlined tube is required.The main reason I saw for it not being used inmotorsports previously was the cost; traditionallyit was more expensive than the similar 4130products. That all changed at this year’s PRI showin Indianapolis. During a Docol R8 seminar put on by

A.E.D. Motorsports and the manufacturer SSAB, AlLowe of A.E.D. announced the lowering of pricesby 10 to 12%. This brings Docol R8 pricing rightinto the ballpark especially with its many benefits!So, what other reasons are there for the Docol R8not being used in mainstream motorsports? Part ofit is sanctioning bodies, NASCAR has never favoredChrome Moly whereas SCCA and NASA alwayshad that 4130 option. Why you may ask; well, youreally need a skilled welder for 4130. A 4130-weldjunction tends to leave the heat affected zone witha crystalline structure and in an accident that is

Docol R8 on left, 4130 CrMo on right; it is the 4130 that cracks and deforms even with the Docol weld seam rotated to align with the crush zone.

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where the problem lies. The welds may pull apart with little or no bending or stretching. With R8 that does not happen. Another bonus of the Docol R8 is fatigue life, it responds better to the abuse that a high-powered race car gives the tubing. While that is good for the owner it may not be what the chassis builder is looking for. A longer life chassis that can give you the same performance from start to finish to you during its life span is not good for the chassis building industry. While there are chassis builders who have embraced the product, and explained the benefits to their customers, there are still some who will not change from 4130. Now if you are in the need for a new chassis, I believe you as the customer can insist on Docol R8 as the material you want to be used. As well as being a safer build I believe Docol R8 cars will retain their value better as Docol becomes more accepted.

The Cons?

• It is a welded tube which may scare off some people, but tests have shown that the weld seam is actually stronger than the parent material.

• Because of the seam weld, it is recommended that for best bending results you locate the seam in the neutral position, but again this has been proven not to be a big issue.

• As the Docol does not have any scale it is very important that the tube is properly secured in the bender and cannot slide through the clamp as bending is processing. This is probably the most important difference between Docol and 4130 when you are using it in a build.

If we look at the pros and cons of Docol, what makes it better? The Pros!

• Docol R8 is not made using any scrap material.

• It has passed all metallurgical tests and has surpassed 4130 in all areas.

• The heat affected zone after welding is much smaller in area, making it less bristle and able to retain better elongation than 4130.

• Docol is much cleaner and does not have a scale like 4130, making preparation time much quicker. This also leads to a reduction in costs.

• Docol can be welded using both MIG and TIG processes.

• Yield strengths are 25,000 psi better than 4130

• Wall thickness tolerances are +/- .005” rather than +/- 10% of the wall.

• Docol sheet materials show similar performance improvements over 4130 and tend to be less expensive as well.

• It has greater resistance to fatigue.

• Docol absorbs energy which has a more controlled failure mode. In other words, it is much SAFER!

As I mentioned earlier, sanctioning bodies have a big say in what material can be used in their series. Docol R8 is currently accepted by NHRA in all classes, IHRA, SFI, BMW CCA Racing, Pike’s Peak Hillclimb, USAC, World Figure 8, POWRi, World of Outlaws (both late-model and sprints), the Lucas Oil late-model series, SCCA, NASA, Can-Am Midget series and many more. Now both the Global Time Attack and Canadian Sport Compact Series have amended their rules to include Docol R8 by name as an acceptable alternative material. Do you want to find out more about how Docol performs in an actual application? We are going to give you the chance to find out as in the next few weeks our project MINI CooperRSR is going to receive a full roll cage built with the Docol R8 product. Our local Time attack sanctioning body, the

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Canadian Sport Compact Series accepts any cages that meets the specifications of SCCA, NASA or the Canadian CASC regulations. Both SCCA and NASA have Docol included in their rulebooks. The cage will be built using 1.5” x .095” wall tubing. Floor plates will be fabricated from 3mm Domex 700 flat plate. Our good friend Randy Jewell of RJ ProFab in Greece, NY will be building the cage. Randy and I have lots of experience working together on my two previous Top Sportsman S 10 Pickup drag trucks. He is an exceptional craftsman and I’m excited to be able to be part of his first full-road race fabrication. The cage will future some styling cues from the WRC MINI that Prodrive in the UK built for MINI. These will entail braces that do not feature the standard X brace that is seen on most roll cages. The design is all about moving and dissipating stresses through the cage in a manner when it is distributed all over,

not just in one point. The door bars are going to allow for easier in ingress and egress as well as making the door bars stronger and therefore safer. To make our life easier we will be removing the roof for two reasons, one to remove all that up high weight and replace it with a carbon roof skin and the other is to allow ease of welding the new cage. It is going to be a bunch of work but it is what is needed to take the chassis to the next level both in safety and performance. We will be keeping you up to date with posts on our CooperRSR Facebook page and in an article in MotorWerks Magazine. For more info on Docol R8 tube and plate contact AED Motorsport Products at Phone: (317) 334-0569 U.S. & Canada Toll Free: (888) 413-0233 on the Internet at www.aedmotorsport.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AEDMotorsport/

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