Hello.

For purposes of weight reduction, I'd like to remove my side-impact door beams.

I have a rollcage already, and my side-bar seems to be much heftier than the 2 bars in my door, and thus I feel there's little benefit in keeping them there.

Now; what's the best method to remove these bars? There are 2 of them in the driver's door, and possibly 2 more in the passenger.

I know I have to cut them out somehow, but how? From the side do I cut a hole and pull them through and then patch it up? Or do I cut from the door holes and leave a bit of the bar remaining at the sides where I cannot reach?

I'm looking for a clean job, so a recommended method and TOOL(s) would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

street driven machine? then I would not take them out, I bet the R&D at Honda made them to work with the rest of the car's crumple zone/ impact procedure.

Track use, go by the rule book.

 

http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/c...7.php

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zygspeed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/c...7.php </TD></TR></TABLE>

In the true WTDR style

 

Well I was looking at the bars...they don't seem to be a part of the chassis really because they're just part of the door. They could help in a side-impact, but as I said, I already have a rollcage which is much beefier than these bars.

Yea it is street-driven sometimes; I don't care about track rules really as I don't race in any leagues...just personal enjoyment.

I notice that my doors are unduly heavy...I don't see too much reason to keep these bars there...dunno, I'll think about it.

Oh, was that a suggestion to use a saws-all ? heh

 

keep the bars, you arn't going to win the Daytona 500 so chill out with that kind of weight reduction.

wow

 

buy fiber glass ones. they are probably lighter than the stock ones without the bars.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by archmage &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well I was looking at the bars...they don't seem to be a part of the chassis really because they're just part of the door. They could help in a side-impact, but as I said, I already have a rollcage which is much beefier than these bars.

Yea it is street-driven sometimes; I don't care about track rules really as I don't race in any leagues...just personal enjoyment.

I notice that my doors are unduly heavy...I don't see too much reason to keep these bars there...dunno, I'll think about it.

Oh, was that a suggestion to use a saws-all ? heh </TD></TR></TABLE>

Since you dont enter events its a street driven car, unless you only drive it at your personal track thats in your backyard . Keep them, will save your life.

Is your life worth 15LBS of a door? If so, reconsider your rules of life.

BTW, honda beams are punny compared to german cars. They are a saftey that you need because its already so fragile. THey are meant to hold the hit of a side impact and crumple a certain way when hit. I dont know about you, but I wouldnt wanna get hit and have a huge thick roll bar bend into me.

 

Sorry if you do race in leagues - my fault then. if not, statment above still stands.

 

Why is this in the ITR forum?

Remove the side impact beams.

Reid - who supports Darwinism...

 

Just remove the driver side is enough for daily driving.

Mind to post a picture of your cage?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nuts &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mind to post a picture of your cage? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, I'd love to see your ITR.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Reid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why is this in the ITR forum?

Remove the side impact beams.

Reid - who supports Darwinism...</TD></TR></TABLE>

I take that Darwinism reference to be an admonition then eh Reid? You'd rather I keep them in?

Ok well everyone here seems to think they should stay...and it is just extra work for me...bah.

Just so I know: Where can I get fiberglass or carbon fiber/kevlar or other composite doors? I've never seen these pre-fabricated...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by archmage &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I take that Darwinism reference to be an admonition then eh Reid? You'd rather I keep them in?

Ok well everyone here seems to think they should stay...and it is just extra work for me...bah.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I honestly don't care if you leave them in or not. If you would like to be hurt/killed in a crash, then by all means go ahead and remove them. I'd only remove them if I had Nascar door bars.

I'm guessing you have a "drag" style cage. Do you have any pics of the cage in your ITR?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by archmage &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just so I know: Where can I get fiberglass or carbon fiber/kevlar or other composite doors? I've never seen these pre-fabricated...</TD></TR></TABLE>

These type of doors on Hondas are only for vehicles that do not have license plates and get trailered to events. You will lose the use of your windows, which would be a horrible idea on a street car.

 

Yea I'm not actually going to get CF/fg doors, just wanted to see what they look like.

I don't have a pic of my cage that will show you the door area, but it's a basic 8-point weld-in chromoly. The door area has 1 bar diagonally coming up from the footrest area toward the rear of the car; there it joins with the mid-portion of the rollcage structure nearer to the rear strut reinforcements. You have to climb over this bar to get into the seat, but it's not nascar style at all.

 

They say side impact collisions are what kill people the most, and easiest..even if you do have a roll cage, you never know what's around that corner, do you really want to take out maybe 20 pounds of something that one day might save your life? I dunno about you, but I'd like all the protection from Death I can get.

 

Bleh, I guess you guys are right. I'll just leave them in...that way I won't have to screw up my door anyway. I mean it's either that or make my cage nascar style, which would add more weight and make things less convenient...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by archmage &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> The door area has 1 bar diagonally coming up from the footrest area toward the rear of the car; there it joins with the mid-portion of the rollcage structure nearer to the rear strut reinforcements. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Not to add to the flaming, but based on your description it seems to me that your cage was designed to be used <u>with</u> the OEM side impact protection in place.

The kinds of side impact protection that are actually better than OEM and replacing OEM are usually dual bars, and they would actually extend into the door, causing you to have to remove the door panel and the OEM side impact protection.

To whose CCR was your cage designed?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by George Knighton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To whose CCR was your cage designed?</TD></TR></TABLE>

NHRA/IHRA maybe?

I'm guessing it looks like this:

 

Sorta on-topic:

Have you removed the heavy *** bar that's underneath the rear seat? Appears to be there to preserve the cabin space for rear passengers in case of collision.

Anyone have any Darwinistic comments on that piece (well, 3 pieces I suppose)? Sure is heavy. Mine is out.

-Chris

 

Actually with them cut out the door weight substantially goes down.
quickest way is with a plasma cutter, But its tuff to not **** up then paint when torching it. have to use wet rags on the outside of the door to keep the temp down

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by archmage &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Bleh, I guess you guys are right. I'll just leave them in...that way I won't have to screw up my door anyway. I mean it's either that or make my cage nascar style, which would add more weight and make things less convenient...</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think you should chop the roof off the car. That will save at least 10 pounds.

 

Or do what this guy is doing for his AIX Cobra - making his own CF body panels. *Every* body panel.

http://www.corral.net/forums/s...60756

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sorta on-topic:

Have you removed the heavy *** bar that's underneath the rear seat? Appears to be there to preserve the cabin space for rear passengers in case of collision.

Anyone have any Darwinistic comments on that piece (well, 3 pieces I suppose)? Sure is heavy. Mine is out.

-Chris
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've taken that piece out of all of my other cars, not yet on the R. I've never had any ill effects from it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Splat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

NHRA/IHRA maybe?

I'm guessing it looks like this:

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm not sure what happened to my reply, but here it goes again:

My cage is like that, but add the upper front and side bars that go above the head and around the windshield; also add dimple plates because the upper bars connect with the lower ones. To that, add a bar connecting the rear struts; there is no "X-brace" in the back though...

General: I like that this thread is relatively clean, let's keep it that way. I'm trying to listen to what you have to say so try to avoid stupid comments unless they're funny or useful (the full carbon fiber mustang was cool enough). Yep, that's about it.

Thanks for the help/insight though.

Edit: Yes I have removed that lower side-reinforcement near the rear seats. BUT; I figured it was important so I have a piece of similar shape welded in to the same spot.