Well, I just picked up my car from the cage builder (K-FAB). My plan is to do the cage in 2 stages. For stage one, I requested a simple 6pt cage with a temporary single driver door bar. This way I figured I could still keep the car street legal until I get my truck and trailer situated. Stage two will consist of a driver side nascar door basket, completing the passenger "X", and some additional bracing. I'm pretty happy with the welds and how tight the cage fits to the car. There is some room on the sides of the main hoop, but that was done to allow the addition of nascar bars later. Here are a few pics, let me know what you think?






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Modified by 6ghatch at 10:31 AM 1/26/2004

 

I would have expected the rear downtubes to be attached to an/the mounting plate rather than the rear crosstube.

 

Don't worry about the down tubes. If the cross tube ever rips off from the side, you pretty much screwed anyway. The down tubes are holding the cross tube in place with the welds on the plates. I would like to see a diagonal tube in the back brace bars. That would pretty much anchor the whole thing together.

Looks great, simple is good, nice job!!

 

nice....good to see you've decided to go for it

good luck Chris

 

I could be wrong, but isn't the bar at the top of the windshield supposed to be a solid halo from the main roll hoop forward? Or is this just a metter of personal taste?

 

how much did that cost??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johng &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I could be wrong, but isn't the bar at the top of the windshield supposed to be a solid halo from the main roll hoop forward? Or is this just a metter of personal taste?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

either way is fine. the GCR allows for either design.

looks like a pretty basic cage, but well built. i would have made the diagonal one piece instead of one solid horizontal.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">looks like a pretty basic cage, but well built. i would have made the diagonal one piece instead of one solid horizontal.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Basic, but in my opinion much better than a bolt in.

Yeah, I agree on the diagonal in the main hoop, but this is the way he likes to do it. I'm sure if I had requested it to be one piece he would have done it, oh well.

 

If anyone needs a cage in the tri-state area let me know. I am very pleased with the service I got, my cage was done in only 12 days! Bare in mind I gave him my car stripped down and my cage is the "basic package".


Modified by 6ghatch at 10:38 PM 1/14/2004

 

Nice, how much did it cost you and what kind of deals (if any) did you get?

 

sweet cage brother

 

My only question (because it can't be seen in the picture) is if the junction between the halo bar and the main hoop is fully welded. It looks like they welded that joint while it is in the car in its final resting place (as seen by the welding marks on the roof) If that is the case I bet it is not fully welded the entire circumfrence of the tube. run your finger around the joint, especially where it almost touches the roof. This would fail a cage at tech, and the only way to fix it is to cut a big ole hole in the roof.

 

I'd have the same worry but the split in that main diagonal doesn't bother my sense of structure. All in all (halo welds being OK), this is what the average "starter cage" should look like. Time a lap? Buy one of these...

K

 

Looks good. I have a question about it though. The door bar on the drivers side doesn't go to the floor but the one on the passenger side does go all the way to the floor. I was just wondering why.

 

If you have a gap, use a gussett near the gap. That will make the tech happy. Still a very clean cage for anybody!

 

K,

Missed this one

4. Main Roll Hoop:
A. Main roll hoop (behind the driver) shall extend the full width
of the driver/passenger compartment and shall be as near
the roof as possible. It shall incorporate a diagonal lateral
brace to prevent lateral distortion of the hoop (See Figure 1).
Any number of additional reinforcing bars are permitted within
the structure of the cage. It is required that the horizontal
brace behind the driver’s seat (described in Section 18.2.10)
continue from the diagonal to the passenger side main hoop
upright or that a second diagonal be installed in the main
hoop.

Says "a diagonal brace" not a two piece diagonal brace. But nobody will call you because they let too many pass so far.

Super "Rules Nerd" thing.

However, the rear hoop support,

6. Bracing:
The main roll hoop shall have two braces extending to the rear
attaching to the frame or chassis.

FRAME OR CHASSIS not another bar connected to the frame or chassis.

No comment as to strength or weakness, strictly from a "rules nerd" point of view.

Kirk?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MightyMouseTech &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My only question (because it can't be seen in the picture) is if the junction between the halo bar and the main hoop is fully welded. It looks like they welded that joint while it is in the car in its final resting place (as seen by the welding marks on the roof) If that is the case I bet it is not fully welded the entire circumfrence of the tube. run your finger around the joint, especially where it almost touches the roof. This would fail a cage at tech, and the only way to fix it is to cut a big ole hole in the roof.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The cage was dropped through the floor, then the halo bars were welded, then the cage was lifted up and welded to the floor/rocker.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Looks good. I have a question about it though. The door bar on the drivers side doesn't go to the floor but the one on the passenger side does go all the way to the floor. I was just wondering why. </TD></TR></TABLE>

The passenger door bar is basically half of an X that will be completed at another time. The driver door bar is positioned to be non intrusive to the driver and will also be replaced with a nascar styled bar in the future.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Grumpy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
However, the rear hoop support,

6. Bracing:
The main roll hoop shall have two braces extending to the rear
attaching to the frame or chassis.

FRAME OR CHASSIS not another bar connected to the frame or chassis.

No comment as to strength or weakness, strictly from a "rules nerd" point of view.

Kirk?

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

I've seen plenty of people use this method or attach to a "box" that is welded to the chassis

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 6ghatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

</TD></TR></TABLE>
is the lack of rear legs from teh main hoop STRAIGHT to the shock towers ok because of teh X?

-confused

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 6ghatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The cage was dropped through the floor, then the halo bars were welded, then the cage was lifted up and welded to the floor/rocker.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

ah, i was wondering how he kept the top halo bars so close to the skin, cool trick.


lo-buck, as grumpy mentioned the rules above, the rear bars just have to go back attaching to the chassis or frame, doesnt say whether it HAS to be straight back, so i guess the X is OK.

i do see grumpy's point on 6g's cage not exactly adhering to the rule, but i dont tihnk its any less safe.

 

I posted this on the improved touring website regarding X braced main hoops


posted January 13, 2004 09:31 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have seen them and don't like them. I held a National Tech license at the time, but was locally overruled and logbooks were issued.
My contention is that at the point of the X there is ONLY ONE BAR.

Gussets at the X would help the situation. I would not sign the logbook. I would pass it to someone who thought it was legal.

This needs to have an "official" ruling.

The diagram in the GCR "suggests" the X bars as optional.

Additionally

6. Bracing:
The main roll hoop shall have two braces extending to the rear
attaching to the frame or chassis. Braces shall be attached as
near as possible to the top of the main hoop not more than six (6)
inches below the top and at an included angle of at least thirty
(30) degrees.

IT SAYS TWO BRACES.

in an X one brace does not connect the main hoop to the frame or the chassis.

Additionally With the picture of the roll cage for SS/IT it states:


IMPROVED TOURING DIAGONAL
Tube A-D of B-C is required
Note: Tubes A-F and/or B-E
are acceptable extra tubes
in addition to the
required tube.

Tubes AF and BE are the tubes that would form the X supports, and are clearly marked as acceptable EXTRA tubes.

I rest my case.

The center point of the X will not resist deflection in ANY direction.

 

In the top picture its not connected to the box is it??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Grumpy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">In the top picture its not connected to the box is it??</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'm not sure if it is, but my point is that the "box" is not part of the frame or chassis. IMHO, any of these cage designs are 100x better then any legal bolt in cage, most bolt in's are only mounted to the thin floor pan or fenders that are paper thin with no other reinforcement.



Modified by 6ghatch at 10:17 AM 1/16/2004

 

My point is not better or worse than bolt in, but "rules nerd" legality.

The box is considered the frame.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Grumpy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My point is not better or worse than bolt in, but "rules nerd" legality.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I understand Thanks for the input!