bcty

I noticed a few ppl with roll bars... my question is did you make them yourselves or did u buy them? what are the key guidelines to making them?... any help wound be great and what diffrences did u notice after installing it and the first drive?

bcty

sorry ment to say roll cage

bcty

im looking for one like this?

does autopower have a website or anything?

bcty

the pic i posted, is that an autopower... anybody know what kind that is?

Scott 89t2

that is a custom one. the only one you can buy premade is the autopower and it is a bolt in one, but I don't like where it bolts to, and it's not legal for drag. like you'll need one anyways

cages are dangerous, and maybe even illegal for the street. just get a nice bar. I'm sure you can find a local shop to custom make one and weld it in. it's the best way to go.

here's the autopower

http://www.ioportracing.com/rollbar.htm

bcty

i might just wind up making one then... what type of pipe do i use and where are the ket points i shoudl be hitting... on that pic i posted he seems to have most of the spot hit except the rear strut bar... anybody have any pics of a few they would like to share.. i would love to see some!!

Silkworm

Mine's custom made.. About 5 weeks of work designing, fabricating and installing. All TIG welded, 1.75x1.20 DOM mild steel tubing, 8 points, with 3/16" steel mounting pads all around. Mine mounts to the main framework behind the seats, rather than to the very fragile floor pan (like the autopower). If there was one thing I'd do differently, I'd move the door vertical bars onto the sill, rather than the floor, as well. I lost some ankle room there, as well as my dead pedal.

I would definitely avoid the autopower cage, it sits too close to the side of your head, and the door bars are too low. Besides, they're right, it's not NHRA legal.

I think someone said Wolfe produces a NHRA 6 pt rollbar that's legal for drag racing, and much safer for you.

PaulC

Mike Dodson

You may want to take a look at the roll bars here http://www.kirkracing.com I put one of theirs in my vert and it looks great. It also seems to stiffen up the body some. Bolts right in!

Cwaters

You should consult the rule books of whatever style of racing you are thinking about (except street racing...no brains=no rules) because that's the only place you're going to find specs that won't expose you to the dreaded "do-it-again" man. Also, talk to the guys who are already doing your type of racing and see what they did that worked (or didn't FTM).

Cory

RacerJason

iTrader: (5)

Takes big money to duplicate what you saw above... Mine is a fraction simpler but still involved 80 hours of work, roughly 100 feet of dom tubing, and lightening my wallet four figures.

RacerJason

iTrader: (5)

Again...

tims

If it is for a track only race car consult the rule book for the sanctioning body you are racing with. also ask around the paddock for a local fabricator/ welder who does this type of work for the locals. I always recommend custom rollcages to make sure you have the most clearance and the best protection. bolt in cages are a big compromise and should only be used if required. If it is a street car do not install a cage, period. a custom roll bar would be the only option and I would caution against the roll bar in a daily driver. roll cages and bars can cause more problems in street cars where the driver is not wearing a helmet or 5 point harness. plus there is not much need for roll over protection on your way to work. trailer race cars to the track and leave your street car nice and comfortable for the drive to work

RacerJason

iTrader: (5)

Last one...

Evil Aviator

Like some others said, check your racing rules BEFORE you start your project. It's probably best to have it made for you by a shop which is experienced in making cages for the type of racing you plan on competing in. You are looking at about $1,000 USD for a decent 6-point cage (unpainted), plus about $40 USD for padding (up to $250 USD for SFI padding). Note that if you try it yourself and your welds are not up to par, then you will not pass the tech inspection, which would basically make all your effort worthless. Also, like others have said, I prefer the cage to mount to the rear shock towers rather than the thin trunk sheet metal.

You can check out my FC roll cage by clicking on my WWW icon. It was made by Creative Motorsports, which specializes in stunt cars for movies. The guy who did the work is a NASCAR safety inspector.

It's legal for SCCA, NASA, and IMSA, but not for drag racing? Why is that? Sorry to act like a newbie, but I don't drag race, and was wondering what the extra requirements were since there is much less chance of rolling over on the drag strip than there is on the speedway. BTW, I don't like that cage either, LOL.

Silkworm

EA,

I couldn't remember off the top of my head, so I pulled this off of Ioport's site.

Are your roll bars or cages NHRA legal?
No. There are many reasons why our roll bars and cages are not NHRA legal. A few are: type of tubing, size of tubing, telescopic rear braces, and size of foot pads. There are probably more reasons. If your car needs to have an NHRA legal roll bar or cage, we cannot supply you. Many import drag racing organizations will accept the Autopower roll bar or cage. Almost all organizations will allow you to have the roll bar or cage installed if your car class does not require you to have one. Please check your rule book.

PaulC

Barwick

if you're serious, DON'T do it yourself unless you have consulted with an experienced PROFESSIONAL and they say you're ok to do it with what they've taught you.

And on another note, don't buy a bolt in, buy a weld-in, can put it at custom points to stiffen the chassis up more, makes a LOT of difference.

Evil Aviator

Thanks. Hmm, that's interesting. It just goes to show that you need to check the rules first.

EProdRx7

Like what was said above street cars should avoid cages and bolt in cages should avoid the track... I just did a cage for a guy with a Porsche. He rolled the car two weeks ago and his wife called to thank me for the work. The bolt in cage I cut out of the car would surley have not held up. As it turns out he walked away from a BIG off. If done right you can gain a lot from a good cage but they do not come cheap. Figure $1500 for an IT basic cage and $3500 for a full on custom. here are some pics of a couple I did.
http://tnoms.thenyceone.com:9999/john/101-0111_IMG.JPG
http://tnoms.thenyceone.com:9999/john/101-0123_IMG.JPG
http://tnoms.thenyceone.com:9999/john/101-0197_IMG.JPG
http://tnoms.thenyceone.com:9999/john/101-0199_IMG.JPG

bcty

i really just need to stiffen up the whole car and i figure the cage is the only other place to go! my suspension is done and i still want the car more stable. i just dont have the back strut bar!? could this help a lot for me... since i live in Canada i dont wanna pay all that money for the Cusco and shipping... is there a way i can make my own? or is there any other ideas u might have?

Scott 89t2

www.corksport.com is like $70-80

bcty

thanks... has anybody ever made theres before?

FC Drifter

anybody got a pic of a street roll bar like the autopower installed? i kinda want one and ive seen the pics of them but not in a FC. i wanna know how it looks and fits in the car.

Scott 89t2

www.fc3s.org has the autopower installed on his site. you can't open the bins if you get the one with the cross bar like his...