When you go to the races, you see a lot of different manufacturers or parts. You can get an intake or wheel or tires or camshaft from any one of a dozen companies, at a variety of prices. The same holds true for safety gear. And while Larry and I may be considered crazy by some, we’re no dummies when it comes to safety. There are a lot of places you can shortcut a build but, for the two of us, safety isn’t one of them. With that in mind, we went with a company that is known far and wide in all aspects of racing safety, and a name that has been around for decades, DJ Safety. Not only did Ben and the guys at DJ Safety tell us exactly what we needed, but also answered questions, gave us suggestions, and educated us on some of our options. The fact that all of their products are made right here in Southern California, and that they offer literally every safety item we would need, was a big deal to us. And when they invited me down for a tour of their operations I was impressed as hell! It’s a small place, but a ton is going on inside it and the history is just amazing.

While Larry already has a fire suit, boots, gloves, and helmet that are rated for ET’s in the 5’s, running alcohol under boost, I don’t. And when I get into the seat on the S-10 I’m going to need all new gear as well, and the custom work that DJ does means I’ll not only be wearing the best stuff out there, but also look great thanks to their custom options.

We’ll cover their fire suits and such at a later date, but in this blog item we’ll be covering all the gear that went into the truck and why, with details provided by Ben Ryan at DJ as well. Ben’s editorial content is italicized below.

When BangShift’s Chad Reynolds first proposed our assistance with Fastest Street Legal project at the PRI show last year (wearing flip flops in 22 degree weather, I might add), I was immediately interested. Between what their objective was, Larry Larson’s involvement and the other quality companies that were onboard, it really was a no brainer from our end. DJ Safety, as one the few bumper to bumper safety companies, was in a unique position to supply all the needed safety items for the project.

Components were supplied as the vehicle was being fabricated over at Larry Larson’s shop, Larson Race Cars, during the course of the year. This simply was not a generic project and generic products were not going to cut the mustard.

Before we go into details on each of the things we used on the truck, let me make sure all of you BangShifters out there understand something. On a vehicle that is going to be traveling at these speeds and ETs, there are a lot of things you have to keep in mind with regards to safety. Belts, window nets, etc, are pretty normal items you expect, but when you start talking about engine containment, 7 point belts, fire suppression, and parachutes, things get pretty specific in a hurry.

Fire Suppression System

As the chassis began to take shape, our 20 lb. fire system was requested for fitment purposes. This is the same fire system that is used by the top Nitro teams in the country and is the standard of the industry. The fire retardant agent is Cold Fire and actually cools the fire at the source preventing the chances of re-ignition, unlike gas based systems. A unique aspect of the DJ Safety 20 lb. fire system is that it uses the pressure of the first 10 lb. bottle to discharge the second bottle, thus requiring only one activation cable.

With weight being a concern for us during the build of the truck, every little thing counts. And while we would never scrimp on a safety item just to save a pound, the DJ system saves weight by only having one cable and components. It also makes for a cleaner installation with less chance for things to malfunction due to cables being run all over the place. Our fire system was designed so that the bottles could be mounted in the rear, or just behind the driver’s seat. This allowed us to move that weight to our advantage. For the 5.950 run the bottles were behind the seat to get more weight up front when the tires are hanging in the air, thereby loading the rears even harder.

We have nozzles mounted throughout the truck, including the driver’s compartment and engine compartment. In addition, our fire system is plumbed to a solenoid that is normally activated with air. Instead, ours is plumbed into the fire suppression system so that IF we deploy the fire bottles they will push the solenoid which will automatically turn off all power in the truck. No need to shut off a bunch of things separately, it handles it all at one time. You can see the solenoid just below the fire bottle on the left of the photo above.

Window Net

Next on the agenda was a custom SFI 27.1 window net, since the cage was unique to the vehicle. Larry sent us in some measurements and a template was based off the numbers. Normally we request that a template be sent to ensure accuracy of the angles relative to each other and to speed up the production process. However, if the net has two 90 degree angles, it is simple math to get the right fit.

DJ has great instructions on how to measure for a window net. While most safety companies are used to handling drag racing door cars, DJ does A LOT of land speed racing safety equipment as well. By SCTA rules, the window net must cover the entire door opening, which means that there are some big, weird, window nets out there. DJ is no stranger to this and can make one quite literally in any shape and size you need, all while maintaining the much needed SFI ratings. With one of their nets, there is no need for zip ties and velcro to keep the window net where it is supposed to go.

Transmission Blanket

Since we run a Rossler 210 Turbo 400 in the truck, which is built inside a Reid case, we don’t need a transmission shield or blanket. The entire case and bell housing are SFI rated for Pro Mod use and therefore make a clean installation. But, the one part we had attached to it that is NOT SFI rated, was our GearVendors.

The truck is running a GearVendors overdrive unit, and while the unit is as rock solid as they come, both Chad and Larry felt it would be a good idea to run a blanket due to the tremendous horsepower that will be running through it. It was a simple unit for us make and we used an SFI 4.1 spec which is six layers of ballistic nylon – enough to keep any potential calamities at bay.

Ultimately our GearVendors blanket came out as a simple rectangle shape that wrapped around the unit and had a couple of buckles on it. Super simple, very flexible, and light weight too, but it gave us the piece of mind we wanted, especially considering that the GearVendors overdrive unit was located right next to your  hip when driving. Not the place you want one coming apart. It never did, but if it had, we had the DJ Trans Blanket. And now, DJ customers that are running a GearVendors on the strip or on the salt can call and order one since they have the measurements all down! The photo above shows where all DJ Ballistic products are sewn. We happened to have been there during lunch so there wasn’t a crew at the machines, but this is where the magic happens. They have cool machines besides these as well. Below you’ll see one of their ballistic materials on the cutting table. This is where it all starts.

The Home Stretch

As the truck began to take shape, the final pieces to the puzzle were needed to get on the road and the strip. These items were chutes, lower engine containment and seat belts.

Again, these seem like pretty simple things, but when you are going to be running 5.9’s at 250 mph, you need more than a 4-point harness, a diaper that will hold it all in if things go bad, and chutes that are going to stay on the truck long enough to bring you to a stop.

Pro Mod Launcher Chutes

Larry opted for our Pro Mod chutes with spring launchers for fast deployment and ease of packing. We held off on the chutes until the weight of the vehicle could be accurately determined – every chute that goes out of DJ Safety’s doors is based on the race cars weight and speed. Too much chute will make the car unstable upon deployment and too little simply will not stop the vehicle in a timely manner.

Below are just a sample of all the chutes on shelves getting ready to go out. Each one is custom made to order. Pick a color, any color, they can do them all.

We chose the spring launchers for a couple of reasons. They are easier to deal with in the pits after a run, but the other reason was repairability. Since we were going on Drag Week with this thing, we didn’t want to screw up a part that would be hard to repair on the side of the road or in the pits at some random race track. Spring launchers are dead simple, and ultra effective, and as the name implies use a big spring to push the chutes out. DJ’s winders make it super easy to pull the springs in before placing the chutes inside the bags, and we’ll be doing some “how to pack a Parachute” tech soon so you can see how it’s done. It’s not hard, but it’s very important.

Below you’ll see an example of a spring launcher, although this one is little. Why? It’s for a Junior Dragster! How cool is that?

Choosing the right parachute itself is also key as Ben has indicated. Get chutes that are designed for a lighter weight or slower vehicle and they will either violently slow down the race car, or tear themselves apart. DJ can also provide chutes with flame retardant bags and tether covers for cars running nitro or alcohol, so that the likelihood of them catching fire when things go wrong is greatly reduced.

If this truck had been designed to run on the salt, the chutes would also have been different. Not only would they be smaller, so as to induce less drag when deployed, but also with much longer tethers to increase the stability of the vehicle while slowing down. Because land speed racing typically lends itself to much longer distances for slowing down, the added time for deployment that results from longer chute tethers is beneficial as it will allow the car to stabilize on deceleration more effectively as well.

Lower Engine Containment

The SFI 7.2 lower engine containment was an off the shelf BBC rear sump unit design, but with upgrades to accommodate engine heat. Internally, we replaced the ballistic nylon with Kevlar for lighter weight and increased heat resistance. Externally, we used aluminized heat reflective material instead of oil resistant heavy duty nylon and Kevlar header mounted straps in an effort minimize the effects of engine temperatures.

Let’s face it, with the giant Precision Turbos hanging off this thing, heat is for real. And the last thing we wanted was for our engine diaper to melt off when we need it most. DJ took some added steps to make sure we wouldn’t have a problem, and this is just one example of the customization they are capable of because all their manufacturing is in house. Regardless of what you are looking for, they can pretty much accommodate anything you need. The didn’t bat an eye at any of our requests.

We’re always dumbfounded by the number of racers who will spend thousands of dollars to go a tenth quicker, but won’t spend a few hundred bucks to get a containment device that may save their lives or their car when the rods kick out of it. Get a diaper people!!!!

7 Point Seat Belts

The finishing touch was a set of 7 point CamLock DJ Safety seat belts. A 7 point set up provides a more ‘cradling’ effect for the lower body than the typical 5 point seat belt. The center sub strap maintains tension on the belt system and keeps the body from descending into the cockpit during a crash, while the two side sub straps equalizes impact load and even further prevents the body from any downward movement during an impact. It should be noted that DJ Safety is one only few manufactures that can provide completely street legal D.O.T. certified racing seat belts as well.

The 7 point belt system is really the way to go on any quick or fast car. If you have worn a 5 point harness, like the one above, and have tightened it up appropriately, you know that the single sub strap is not always the most comfortable on the “man parts”, but a 7 point system really does feel better and holds you tighter. The sub strap also holds the lap belt low and tight across your hips, which is where it should land when tightened properly so that the load is holding you firmly. The shoulder belts are designed to hold you down and back in the seat, and if the lap belt isn’t held firmly in place, they can’t do their job. A properly installed and tightened set of belts work together and if they don’t, no amount of roll cage will save you when you go flopping around inside it. While the driver CAN belt him or herself in the vehicle, we always assist each other getting belted in to insure proper placement of the belts with regards to the HANS device, etc.

The 7 point sub strap assembly below requires different fastening on the vehicle itself, but snaps right in where your normal sub strap would go in the 5 point harness above.

In Conclusion

We at DJ Safety, needless to say, are proud of our involvement with this history making vehicle and look forward to working with Chad Reynolds and Larry Larson on other groundbreaking race cars down the road.

Larry and I want to thank DJ for helping us out on the truck. While Larry’s business is building race cars for a living, having resources like those available at DJ to help in the decision making on safety equipment is always a benefit. No shortcuts were taken on safety in this project, and the help that DJ provided was very much appreciated. Like all of our sponsors, DJ Safety was a critical part of our success.

If you have questions about safety gear, or need advice on your project, feel free to contact them at DJSafety.com or via phone at (323) 221-0000.

Below you’ll see some other cool stuff we saw when we toured DJ and Deist. We especially dig the old school fire jacket and hood/mask that they’ve put together for cackle cars and such. Neat stuff!

 

These ladies sew each and every firesuit that comes out of DJ. They were awesome to talk to and have all kinds of fun stories. The customization they do is really really impressive. I want a BangShift Firesuit so bad! Hopefully at the beginning of the year, before licensing, I can get one made. The capabilities at DJ are awesome. I couldn’t believe some of the custom stuff they do. Way cool.