turbolx Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 I'm in the process of building the new cage in my 93 Mustang to be run in AI next year (and possibly at putnam). The question I have is regarding the forward hoop. According to CCR 15.5.8 (option 1): "The forward hhops shall extend from the main hoop (in a forward direction) to the floor by following the roof and "A" pillar of the car. There shall be a bar connecting the two (2) forward hoops at the top of the windshield mounted as close to the roof as possible without violating 15.5.20. The forward hoops shall incorporate no more than four bends each. Optionally a "15.5.9 Halo Hoop (Option 2)" or "15.5.10 Front Hoop (Option 3)" construction may also be acceptable. Now while Option 2 must be "one continuous piece of tubing", Option 1 says no such thing. Would it be legal to have the Forward hoops (Option 1) run from the main hoop forward to the "A" pillar and down to a cross member at the cowl with supports following the exact same line directly to the floor? (Much the same way diagonals and horizontals in the main hoop intersect each other on most cars.) It seems that this would yield a safer environment in a side impact since the cowl and door frames would now be securely reinforced by one strong piece under the windshield, while still providing more than ample support to the front of the roof in a rollover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackboss Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 I may not be entirely understanding you, but if you run a piece of tubing from the main hoop forward and down the a-pillar terminating somewhere near the bottom of the a-pillar you are doing it correctly. It is not required, but a very good idea to also add a horizontal bar connecting the two forward hoops in addition to the one required at roof level. Some refer to this as a dash bar. This should provide the additional side impact protection you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racercosmo Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 The dash bar should be just that, a dash bar. I see many mounted low in the foot area. In a big crash, this can break your ankles. Remove the dash and mount it high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilson7 Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Greg is asking if the downtube can be two pieces with the dashbar between the two pieces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbolx Posted September 25, 2004 Author Share Posted September 25, 2004 Yes, as Mark said... down tube in two pieces mating just below the base of the windshield where the dash bar will reside. This is the way my cage builder constructs all of his drag race cages for IHRA and NHRA cars. There will be two horizontal connections, one above and one below the windshield. My concern is simply "Can I make the primary cross piece (dash bar) one piece with the down tubes from the roof connecting on either side (and directly inline)?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racercosmo Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Why would you want to split the a pillar bar? The dash bar would be one piece anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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