Can a roll cage be removed and reused in another car?
Discussion
Bear with me here, I know this may sound like a stupid question but I was pondering this morning, while stuck in traffic, whether the removal of a cage and the cutting that would be involved, would render it useless afterwards?
My thinking is that when you cut it, you will remove material. Having no knowledge of welding, I don't know if the welding process would be able to fix this or not, but since I have my eye on a cage in a chassis currently, I thought I better try and find out.
Using a grinder to cut the bars would definitely remove a few mm on each cut, and using a hacksaw would take forever and a day, so what's what here? Can it be done without compromising the cage? And would a cage lose FIA certification by doing this?
My thinking is that when you cut it, you will remove material. Having no knowledge of welding, I don't know if the welding process would be able to fix this or not, but since I have my eye on a cage in a chassis currently, I thought I better try and find out.
Using a grinder to cut the bars would definitely remove a few mm on each cut, and using a hacksaw would take forever and a day, so what's what here? Can it be done without compromising the cage? And would a cage lose FIA certification by doing this?
r11co said:
Cages themselves can usually be unbolted, but the re-inforcing plates welded to the monocoque would have to be cut off. Nothing to say they couldn't be tidied up and rewelded on to something else...
But you would never do that, the cost and trouble of cutting out the old reinforcing pads would far exceed that of just making or buying a new set.To be fair, yes a splitter will cut with a small gap, which could then be re welded with a full penetration butt weld, not requiring a sleeve. But you would need to be doing it where you can get good access to the perimeter of the tubes. That might not always be practical.
Still best to try and source a bolt in cage which designed to be re used if necessary and has bolted joints complying with the blue book.
Still best to try and source a bolt in cage which designed to be re used if necessary and has bolted joints complying with the blue book.
I have a mate who has all the certification and equipment to build and design cages to international standards, he regularly refits cages and they are accepted for international events without question, so yes it can be done, but I am talking about Asia with low wage rates, I would not imagine it would be economic in Europe.
I have a couple of friends who make CAMS-approved cages for forest rally cars.
These are welded in situ and tabbed to the pillars as well as welded to the floor plates. Once the cage is cut into sections small enough to fit through a door aperture, it is scrap. Cheaper to build a new one.
These are welded in situ and tabbed to the pillars as well as welded to the floor plates. Once the cage is cut into sections small enough to fit through a door aperture, it is scrap. Cheaper to build a new one.
If a cage has been welded into the car properly, then there is no way you'd be able to remove it in a fashion it could be re-used again properly.
Cuts will be made in places that affect it's shape/size so re-fitting would just be a mess. Unless you'd be happy with something that fitted like f
k all....which to be fair a lot of cages do anyway.
Could it be cut and removed, but re-installed with some old and some new parts....absolutely.
But really...why on earth would anyone even try and remove an old welded in cage and try and re-use it ?
Cuts will be made in places that affect it's shape/size so re-fitting would just be a mess. Unless you'd be happy with something that fitted like f
k all....which to be fair a lot of cages do anyway.Could it be cut and removed, but re-installed with some old and some new parts....absolutely.
But really...why on earth would anyone even try and remove an old welded in cage and try and re-use it ?
V8RX7 said:
Yes it can easily be done.
A slitting disc is only approx 1mm wide, a pro would probably use a plasma cutter.
I'd be happy to do so on a car I used - the easiest way is to sleeve the cut by welding a larger tube over it - I wouldn't know whether this contravenes a regulation.
A slitting disc might only be 1mm wide, but given you'd have to make a lot of the cuts by the weld across the coped joint, you're going to lose more like 10mm of material by the time you clean it up and make it fit for rewelding. The vast majority of the time you can't just slit the tube and butt weld it.A slitting disc is only approx 1mm wide, a pro would probably use a plasma cutter.
I'd be happy to do so on a car I used - the easiest way is to sleeve the cut by welding a larger tube over it - I wouldn't know whether this contravenes a regulation.
There's more labour in trying to cut a cage out and clean it up than there is just making a new one, seems pointless.
PhillipM said:
V8RX7 said:
Yes it can easily be done.
A slitting disc is only approx 1mm wide, a pro would probably use a plasma cutter.
I'd be happy to do so on a car I used - the easiest way is to sleeve the cut by welding a larger tube over it - I wouldn't know whether this contravenes a regulation.
A slitting disc might only be 1mm wide, but given you'd have to make a lot of the cuts by the weld across the coped joint, you're going to lose more like 10mm of material by the time you clean it up and make it fit for rewelding. The vast majority of the time you can't just slit the tube and butt weld it.A slitting disc is only approx 1mm wide, a pro would probably use a plasma cutter.
I'd be happy to do so on a car I used - the easiest way is to sleeve the cut by welding a larger tube over it - I wouldn't know whether this contravenes a regulation.
There's more labour in trying to cut a cage out and clean it up than there is just making a new one, seems pointless.
As always it depends upon your budget and abilities - I can cut out a cage and weld a sleeve - I can't bend pipe.
Last time I inquired a decent cage was north of £1k - seems like a weekend well spent to me.
Surely, if the worst happens, you will have a bent cage that you won't re-use anyway?
TroubledSoul said:
Very glad I asked and didn't spend any money on the shell I had my eye on now. Thanks all.
Think I'll try and get a bolt in so that it can be transferred to another shell if the worst happens.
Think I'll try and get a bolt in so that it can be transferred to another shell if the worst happens.
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