To Cage or Not to Cage??

[jannes_z-28]

Building several racecars (full roundtube ProStock chassis) in my earlier days I would say that the main reason for a cage is not to protect the occupants of the car. From an engineers point of view the cage is there to connect the supensionpoints with the engine. The stiffer that is the better handling. Flex in chassis are powerrobbers.

The second reason is protection, but as had been said before, a cage can do harm to the driver if you are not well tied down and wearing a helmet. According to the rules (if I remember correctly) is that the top of your helmet should be below the lower part of the mainhoop. This will of course reduce the headroom, especially if you are tall. No sense for protection if your head is over the cage, right.

So if you want a stiff chassis you need a full cage.

Welded subframe connectors like the DSE will strengthen your car, but it will still flex.

It also depends on what you want to do with your car. If it is only to be streetdriven, but sometimes hard, I would say that you don't need the cage.
If you want to race with it, you might need it for the rules, you will need it for the strenght it will provide to the chassis.

To build a car is nothing but a major compromise.

Jan

[tndude]

Very well said Jan.

[Steve Chryssos]

I see gross generalizations stating do not under any circumstances install a roll cage in a street car because you might bang your head. How 'bout: Do not build a car capable of 150mph that does NOT have a roll cage--especially if it is capable of significant front end lift. Now there's a statement!! "Don't do it!!" is of no help at all. Instead there should be a thorough discussion about cage design that covers various topics including

-Bar Placement: By juggling seat height and side halo bar placement it is entirely possible to build 5" clearance between head and halo.
-Seat Type: I have a one piece FIA seat with significant side bolstering.
-Seat Mounting and Location. My one piece seat is rigid mounted to the cage and does not hinge.
-Padding Type http://lockracewrks.com/Products/Saf...BSCI/bsci.html available from BSR.
-Belt Type Mounting: Requires it's own discussion

Properly planned and executed, a roll cage will not hurt you and may very well save your ass--even on the street. I say do it--but do it right.


Oh! And keep your helmet in the car. You never know when it might come in handy

[conekiller13]

Very Well said Steve...............I knew I liked You for a reason.

[Marcus SC&C]

Steve`s right BUT there are a lot of ifs there. A lot of it depends on the driver. I`m a big guy,my hair usually just brushes against the headliner in most cars. Getting good bar to head clearance without a helmet just ain`t gonna happen in most cars. I`m a very firm believer in 6 and 8 pt. cages for the street (especially in subframe cars!). If the hoop in put in the proper location your head will never even get close and the low sidebars tie the chassis together through triangulation and provide side impact protection that most vintage muscle cars don`t have. Done properly the side bars aren`t much of an inconvenience at all.

When do you NEED a cage or roll bar? If we had put one in my sister`s 200hp 283/glide `67 Nova that got T boned she (and her best friend) might be alive today. The car squashed like a soda can. We had figured a cage would be "silly" because it wasn`t a fast car.... Marcus SC&C

[jonny51]

Sorry to hear that Marcus.I am a big fan of cages for many reasons.

[Steve1968LS2]

My new car has a full cage.. even belted in my head could hit the upper side bar but then again it could hit the edge of the roof too. the bar is thickly padded and hitting it would most likely do less damage than hitting the unpadded roof edge.

The rear hoop is far enough back so as not to be an issue and the door beam is protected because of the seat bolsters.

I may try to lower the seat some to give me even more room.

If done right a cage is fine.. if done wrong it can kill you.. seems simple enough to me..

Anyone remember the automatic seat belts on cars in the early 90's.. it would automaticly put on the shoulder belt but not the lap.. a few lazy people got decapitated and now that idea is gone.

Its called a safety SYSTEM for a reason.. all or nothing.. so buckle up