Roll Cage Question(s)

[chrisjohnson]

Guys,

 

Next week I am going to fabricate my first road racing cage: 2000 Mustang (hardtop, my personal car).

The car is still occasionally driven on the street (retains AC, stock stereo).

The plan is to fabricate a cage that is NASA legal and relatively easy to get in/out of the vehicle.

 

Specific questions:

 

1) DS/Passenger Door Bars -> two part question

 

a) Can the two door bars be parallel (rather than an X)

b) Can the top side bar be setup so it can be removable?

If yes on the removable question.....what is recommended.

 

2) Rear Cross Bar directly behind the Drivers Seat -> single question

 

a) Can this bar be "bent" so the Drivers Seat can be reclined.

 

 

3) Firewall Tie In from the front down bars -> is this required?

(I plan to do it, just wondering)

 

 

Thanks

 

Chris Johnson

[FBody383]

Next week I am going to fabricate my first road racing cage

For what purpose, exactly?

 

I'm in the camp of no cages in street cars ~ or at least not in cars you're not wearing a helmet in.

 

IF you want to build a race car, pick a series and read the general NASA and specific class rules you're intersted in and visit with folks racing that class. You can build a legal, safe cage that doesn't necessarily take complete advantage of the rules.

 

Just my $0.02.

[obzezzed350]

Reclinable seat?

[chrisjohnson]

It appears by the responses, that everyone here knows better.....great.

 

The answer(s) to your questions, that are not relevant to my original questions:

I have no interest in running a series or adding another full on race car to my mix.

The vehicle will have seats that recline due to the fact that it is actually a functional street car.

In race trim the car will not have a seat(s) that reclines

 

Looking for another perspective I called another racing group and asked the same questions.

They told me the following:

1) Parallel bars following their guidelines for a removable bar is "ok", not recommended (this is perfect for my street car)

2) The bar behind the seat must not be bent.

 

Thanks

 

Chris Johnson

[ddavidv]

I think those questions were very relevant. You just didn't provide enough correct information.

I still sometimes drive my Spec E30 on the street. A roll cage in a street car is a colossal PITA even before you figure the safety aspects. If this is not for a series, then it really doesn't matter how you design your cage, does it? If it were me, I'd just install a roll bar with a harness/seat bar and call it done for now.

 

It's interesting about the bar behind the seat, because I know Autopower makes bars like this. I would not use one myself though.

 

According to the CCR, all cars must have two side bars minimum. It does not specify if they can be removable, so one must assume they cannot, because the rules generally are "if it does not say it's permitted, it isn't".