Rollcage options.
Discussion
I had my custom Rollbars fabricated and installed back in 2006. There has been no increase in road noise.
I have lost some space but have gained chassis stiffness. I run the rear adjustable shocks on a soft setting when compared to before the rollbars were installed.
Height is an issue as we have a roof which compromises the height of the Rollbars when compared to those installed in the Tuscan challenge race cars. I did consider extending the rollbar forward, down the A-pillars and across the screen. This would increase chassis stiffness and safety but restrict access when trying to get in and out of the car. As I only do a couple of Trackdays a year and mainly use my car on the road and on holiday trips around Europe with Mrs Precat, I have decided to live with what I have for now. I also have my seats fixed to metal plates located under the floor. Fabrication work is bespoke and was carried out by Chris Isaacs Race Cars. He has constructed other designs of Rollbars and cages in TVRs and other marques. You might find a visit to his website interesting.
Precat
I have lost some space but have gained chassis stiffness. I run the rear adjustable shocks on a soft setting when compared to before the rollbars were installed.
Height is an issue as we have a roof which compromises the height of the Rollbars when compared to those installed in the Tuscan challenge race cars. I did consider extending the rollbar forward, down the A-pillars and across the screen. This would increase chassis stiffness and safety but restrict access when trying to get in and out of the car. As I only do a couple of Trackdays a year and mainly use my car on the road and on holiday trips around Europe with Mrs Precat, I have decided to live with what I have for now. I also have my seats fixed to metal plates located under the floor. Fabrication work is bespoke and was carried out by Chris Isaacs Race Cars. He has constructed other designs of Rollbars and cages in TVRs and other marques. You might find a visit to his website interesting.
Precat
Edited by Precat on Friday 25th January 23:33
.Precat said:
The roll bars touch the underside of the rear roof section when raised. It's as high as we could get it and keep the original roof.
Isn't that the 'rub' though? From your second picture it doesn't look like they'll come in to play until your head has been crushed by a couple of inches.phazed said:
Podie said:
Sadly, yes.
Some years ago a PHer rolled his Chimaera and died.
ETA - almost a decade to the day.
That is sad, did he have a rool bar fitted?Some years ago a PHer rolled his Chimaera and died.
ETA - almost a decade to the day.
Minor tangent, but Nubbin (IIRC) rolled his Tamora and put his survival down to the rollbar in the screen frame.
Having done many T/Ds and having a good survival instinct, the only time that I can imagine going off is by late braking and going on wet grass or similar then a tyre wall!
A few years ago before fitting my roll bar I spun my chim at 100 mph on an airfield day, must be why I fitted the bar, (road tyres which are quite frankly dangerous at speed if you are pressing on)!
Edited to say, it can happen to anyone you just have to be as aware and take as much care as you can.
A few years ago before fitting my roll bar I spun my chim at 100 mph on an airfield day, must be why I fitted the bar, (road tyres which are quite frankly dangerous at speed if you are pressing on)!
Edited to say, it can happen to anyone you just have to be as aware and take as much care as you can.
Edited by phazed on Thursday 24th January 12:06
There's also at least one reported fatalityon here of someone (the driver's daughter on the passenger seat IIRC) hitting an aftermarket rollbar in an otherwise survivable road accident.
Approach with caution - IMO some of the designs here are unfit for use in a road car when drivers and passengers are unlikely to wear helmets.
One can moan about the twin hoop designs as per the last set of pictures not being high enough to clear a tall driver's head but you have to ask yourself this - why would OEMs - if not using an 'active' design - exclusively use a similar design, covered by the seat and headrest in front to the extent that it would be highly unlikely that the occupant of that seat would hit the rollbar in any kind of crash scenario, rather than the race-derived 'goalpost' design...
The roll hoops I've seen in roadsters of other manufacturers are no better (and probably offering a lot lless structural integrity) than the ones in the pic above. They might not always clear your head if your adamant to sitting up straight when in a roll, but they do offer some valuable survival space in such an accident (I'd probably keep the inertia reel belts rather than fixed four-pointers...).
Approach with caution - IMO some of the designs here are unfit for use in a road car when drivers and passengers are unlikely to wear helmets.
One can moan about the twin hoop designs as per the last set of pictures not being high enough to clear a tall driver's head but you have to ask yourself this - why would OEMs - if not using an 'active' design - exclusively use a similar design, covered by the seat and headrest in front to the extent that it would be highly unlikely that the occupant of that seat would hit the rollbar in any kind of crash scenario, rather than the race-derived 'goalpost' design...
The roll hoops I've seen in roadsters of other manufacturers are no better (and probably offering a lot lless structural integrity) than the ones in the pic above. They might not always clear your head if your adamant to sitting up straight when in a roll, but they do offer some valuable survival space in such an accident (I'd probably keep the inertia reel belts rather than fixed four-pointers...).
phazed said:
Having done many T/Ds and having a good survival instinct, the only time that I can imagine going off is by late braking and going on wet grass or similar then a tyre wall!
A few years ago before fitting my roll bar I spun my chim at 100 mph on an airfield day, must be why I fitted the bar, (road tyres which are quite frankly dangerous at speed if you are pressing on)!
Edited to say, it can happen to anyone you just have to be as aware and take as much care as you can.
Still safer than a Superbike and hence why I have the Chimaera A few years ago before fitting my roll bar I spun my chim at 100 mph on an airfield day, must be why I fitted the bar, (road tyres which are quite frankly dangerous at speed if you are pressing on)!
Edited to say, it can happen to anyone you just have to be as aware and take as much care as you can.
Edited by phazed on Thursday 24th January 12:06
900T-R said:
One can moan about the twin hoop designs as per the last set of pictures not being high enough to clear a tall driver's head but you have to ask yourself this - why would OEMs - if not using an 'active' design - exclusively use a similar design, ...
I wondered whether people would start to say that. The OEM hoops that you speak about are carefully referred to as 'style bars' because they are a fashion accessory. Which ever way you look at it unless you are fairly short there just isn't enough room in a Chim/Griff to do this exercise properly for most people, let alone tall people.IF your racing a modern TVR you'll need a full cage ( as its over 2ltr) and the top of the cage also needs to be 50mm above the top of your helmet.
to be honest though I've seen plenty of hard top cars or cars with the roof on that dont meet that requirement. but you get away with it as they cant see. if you run open top you will need a full height bar.
on a chim griff you might be able to do it with a different seat, i.e a tillet or a kirkey mounted lower than the standard seat, but i think you would still need to run with the roof on.
In my Tuscan racer i run a kirkey ( aluminium seat) bolted directly to some floor plates which are welded to the bottom of the chassis so I sit a few mm above the bottom of the chassis rails.
In my chim I run the rollcentre cage. its about as high as i can get it and mounted behind me. ideally it should be higher but then the roof wouldnt fit, but I'd rather have a roll over with that cage in than without.
to be honest though I've seen plenty of hard top cars or cars with the roof on that dont meet that requirement. but you get away with it as they cant see. if you run open top you will need a full height bar.
on a chim griff you might be able to do it with a different seat, i.e a tillet or a kirkey mounted lower than the standard seat, but i think you would still need to run with the roof on.
In my Tuscan racer i run a kirkey ( aluminium seat) bolted directly to some floor plates which are welded to the bottom of the chassis so I sit a few mm above the bottom of the chassis rails.
In my chim I run the rollcentre cage. its about as high as i can get it and mounted behind me. ideally it should be higher but then the roof wouldnt fit, but I'd rather have a roll over with that cage in than without.
I agree with all of that, better something then nothing imho.
Anyone thinking about a bar needs to consider their height and type of seats used.
My lane bar with Lotus seats bolted to the floor for lowest possible head height.
And with the medium sized test monkey
More padding fitted since this shot.
Another older shot.
Anyone thinking about a bar needs to consider their height and type of seats used.
My lane bar with Lotus seats bolted to the floor for lowest possible head height.
And with the medium sized test monkey
More padding fitted since this shot.
Another older shot.
Really interesting to hear the views expressed, agree with all of it, better to have one than not, you've always got the problem of road driving and knocking your brains out though, the point about the girl who lost her life as a passenger, I work with a chap who hates Tvr because his friends daughter died in one, passenger! I wonder, very sad but were about as protected as A 60's lotus driver!!! If I was going for a trackday car I'd look to have a full cage, as I also wish to travel with the car it's a difficult one, maybe that's why there so exciting, just as dangerous as a superbike and you can't get off it when it goes horribly wrong, he he, I think you have to consider what you have and drive to suit! Lower seats seem part of the solution. Looks like quite a big job to fit even a hoop type, there's a place near me that makes them, custom cages I think, Let them have a look so I'm abit more gemmed up. Hey some of those pics do look good. I'm thinking a radicals safer than us. s
t were brave, lol lol lol.
t were brave, lol lol lol. TA14 said:
I wondered whether people would start to say that. The OEM hoops that you speak about are carefully referred to as 'style bars' because they are a fashion accessory.
Errm no they are not... I don't think the likes of BMW would get away with fitting 'style bars' in cars as recent as the previous Z4 model (or the Nissan 350Z convert, or the S2000 etc. etc.)... and they're not particularly 'stylish' either. They are meant and tested to save one's bacon, although the makers will be realistic enough to agree that it's unrealistic to assume total safety in a ragtop unless it's so compromised that it's hardly worth the bother.I reiterate the point that no major OEM would ever dream of releasing a roadgoing two-seater ragtop with a goalpost-style rear cage running inches from the side of the occupants' heads, and for good reason.
Anyone who's casually studied the sort of deceleration the relevant human parts are subjected to in, say, a significant side impact, will instinctively know a bit of padding taped to the bar won't make a lot of difference to the outcome. Sorry if that sounds harsh
You pays yer money...
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