Here are pics of the cage we did for our car. What you guys think? Suggestions?

 

The flat X from the main hoop to the rear shock towers is quite interesting, I haven't seen that done before.

Don't know the H-C cage rules yet but the back of the cage would not be SCCA IT legal as you have more than the allowed 6 regular plus two firewall pickup points.

I do wonder a bit about not running the rear down tubes to the same spot to tie in and going all the way to the back. I discussed this choice year ago at length with a CRX racer/bodyman friend the differences of going to the rear fame rails vs. the shock tower. He recommended the shock tower actually because this let the rear area be a bit of a crumple zone in case of a nasty impact before it got to the point of the cage. His point was that better to sacrifice some bodywork that could be frame rack stretched out or clipped back on later than to put bars all the way back and have load and potential damage from a minor rear hit transferred up forward. Also by not having the rear to the shocks tower means you lose several triangulations for strength.

Just some thoughts, not criticisms.

 

My concern with the flat rear 'x' is what I percieve as smaller diameter tubing. Not sure that will pass a tech inspection. I believe that all the tubing is suppose to be of the same diameter & wall thickness for both NASA & SCCA.

 

Looks fine, but doesn't make sense...

 

I would have triangulated the B-pillar hoop in the other direction, I don't think this is a big deal though

 

gutted & seam welded. where are you planning on racing this @? saw the speedvision banner in the back, btw.

 

I thought the diagonal from the top of the main hoop to the floor had to have the top on the drivers side and the bottom on the other side. Basically opposite of yours.

 

I assumed from the gutting that it wasn't an IT or NASA car, so the rules probably allow the extra pick-ups, alternate design, and tube diameters.

K

 

I think the flat X part is a decent idea if the rear supports had tied into them instead of going further back, and if the same diameter tubing had been used.

It looks like you would get all the benifits of chassis stiffening from the X, while not blocking as much of your rear view. Plus since the rear supports can still go straight back so the car would still be NASA legal. Im gonna ask my cage builder about this and see what he thinks. what do you guys think?

 

I don't think SCCA specifies where in the main hoop the diagonanal runs so long as it is there. Probably 95+% take the high end by the driver's head as it gives more strength and triangulation to that corner. If I was going to choose which roof/B-pillar corner was going to offer the most crush resistance, my pick is the corner my head is on.

 

What banner?

 

The title of this topic has a very bling bling sound to it. You could replace cage with body kit, or wheels, or stereo, and it'd sound perfectly natural.

Anyway.... Regarding that rear X.... First let me say I don't know jack **** about cage design. Then, let me say that when I imagine force pushing forward on the left rear of the car (assuming the front of the car isn't moving at all), or a force pushing to the left from the right rear wheel (like if you spun and got hit there) I imagine that the only two things resisting that force are the long vertical bar on the left sort of trying to bend under compression, the tube on the right getting bent (would that be a shearing force?), and then torque getting applied around that small joint in the middle of the X. And since the long tubes aren't connected to the same point as the X, they're only as strong as the part of the unibody they're connected to. I probably haven't explained that very well. But frankly, it seems like a pretty poor setup to me.

-Mike

 

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

This isn't the final product, it's still work in progress. Interesting points and suggestions. Keep it coming.

 

What race series is the car being built for?

That will help people give you constructive criticism and let you know if you are in violation of any rules.

 

Well, if the sky is the limit, I would redo the x with the top @ the top of the main hoop/rear stay points. This would give further support for a rollover. I would also have the bottom of the rear stays end near the rear strut towers to support the rear suspension. I agree with CRX Lee that the rear frame rails can be used to absord impact without throwing away the car. If you were looking for more stiffness, I would also add bars from the rear strut towers perch/baseplate to the perch/baseplate of the main hoop.

JMO

 

its alright.....needs to be painted....little things like that make me go crazy....other then that...good job....

 

Quote: "I believe that all the tubing is suppose to be of the same diameter & wall thickness for both NASA & SCCA."
_______

SCCA IT specs, and NASA, say that only the required cage elements be of the spec diameter and thickness. Optional elements can be of alternate dia. and thickness. Wording elsewhere in NASA specs caution that additional bracing which offers no safety imrovement may be questioned/removed.


[Modified by Track rat, 2:24 PM 2/17/2003]


[Modified by Track rat, 4:55 PM 2/17/2003]

 

What he said.
Where is this car racing.... or is it racing at all?

 

My Guess - drag project

 

Actually it's for SpeedVision, not drag. This going to be the third integra we are building for Speedvision.

 

I'm surprised then at your choice of only using a "X" on the driver's side door, not running a continuous-loop bar for the halo, and using smaller diameter tubing for the rear "X". What were the other WC cars you've built?

PS, Just so we're all on the same page, the series hasn't been called "SpeedVision" since 2001.

 

Really? Can you post the finished interior of the other race cars? I'm curious to see how it comes together as a finished project. It just looks so rough at this stage....

BTW, the lexan and gutted sheet metal, and totally unorthadox cage lead me to the drag guess...

 

Like I said before, This is still work in progress.
This particular cage is not finished yet.

Let me see if I can dig up some pictures.

edit- Here are some pictures for those that don't believe me

http://www.rpmnyc.com/speedvision.html













Need more pictures?

http://www.urbanracer.com/features/s...r_article.html





Thanks for the great comments !


Anyone recognize the car? Nick "The Hitman" Vitucci . They called him the hitman because he hit every single car! LOL


[Modified by ekb18c, 4:39 PM 2/17/2003]


[Modified by ekb18c, 4:45 PM 2/17/2003]

 

I don't know how that cage will pass any organizations rules. The bottom legs of the main hoop are very scary. Having those bends is a very big no-no. I know SCCA and NHRA don't allow it. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but its time to get the torches out.

 

Thanks for the commment. Got your statement, that is why we made the legs straight now. Look at the green integra they are straight instead of bent on the yellow integra.