Half Cage (Roll Bar) Options *Glenspen*
02-19-2016, 02:35 PM
#16
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The main purpose of a half cage (4-point roll bar) is to provide a rollover protection to someone who is strapped to the seat with 5 or 6 point harness. Also most roll bars have a built in harness bar to support harness.
Theory says that it's not safe to use anything other than 3 point factory harness without an additional rollover protection.
Also all the airbags may be kept operational with a rollbar . That's not the case with a full cage.
Theory says that it's not safe to use anything other than 3 point factory harness without an additional rollover protection.
Also all the airbags may be kept operational with a rollbar . That's not the case with a full cage.
Last edited by wwrx; 02-19-2016 at 02:38 PM.
02-19-2016, 03:50 PM
#17
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The main purpose of a half cage (4-point roll bar) is to provide a rollover protection to someone who is strapped to the seat with 5 or 6 point harness. Also most roll bars have a built in harness bar to support harness.
Theory says that it's not safe to use anything other than 3 point factory harness without an additional rollover protection.
Also all the airbags may be kept operational with a rollbar . That's not the case with a full cage.
Theory says that it's not safe to use anything other than 3 point factory harness without an additional rollover protection.
Also all the airbags may be kept operational with a rollbar . That's not the case with a full cage.
And another parts that always bugged me, in a roll over situation with half cage, isn't the front half of the car in danger on getting smashed in since all of the extra protection is right behind the driver? Or is the combination of main hoop, harness and helmet good enough in most (side?) roll situations outside a straight up front flip and/or head on crash? Again, please correct me if I am wrong. I am sure these are n00b questions
02-19-2016, 04:05 PM
#18
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Front air bags will be but curtain airbags won't have space to deploy (if car has them) because of top side bars. Also full cage (good full cage, not the imitation like Cusco) will require at least partial interior removal. For example, in many cars you cannot have door bars without removal of front door panels. So if keeping a nice looking interior is the goal (car is dual purpose, etc.) than 4-point roll bar is the only way to go 
That's correct, front part of the roof wont be protected as much but at least it's better than nothing when driver is strapped to the seat. Also depends on a drivers's height, sitting position and etc.
Here is a nice "flowchart": https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...54&oe=57473A13
And another parts that always bugged me, in a roll over situation with half cage, isn't the front half of the car in danger on getting smashed in since all of the extra protection is right behind the driver?
Here is a nice "flowchart": https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...54&oe=57473A13
Last edited by wwrx; 02-19-2016 at 04:07 PM.
02-19-2016, 04:11 PM
#19
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I have seen a ****load of car crashes...and Heedz, you will see a bunch too. I have yet to see one where some one came out of their seat enough (with a seatbelt) to hit the roof area.
I have also seen quite a few roll overs up on skyline, where the car was caged, and there was no head to cage impact...
I don't really know where this theory all came from.
I certainly wouldn't run a cage unless I had a 5 point harness and decent seats, just to make sure, and I'd pad the bars closest to the head in case there WAS deformation of the cage upon an impact. But the fact is, if your impact is going to crush a well designed cage, it would have killed you with out the cage...
This above of course is my opinion based upon my own experiences and should just be taken as an FYI and not fact.
I have also seen quite a few roll overs up on skyline, where the car was caged, and there was no head to cage impact...
I don't really know where this theory all came from.
I certainly wouldn't run a cage unless I had a 5 point harness and decent seats, just to make sure, and I'd pad the bars closest to the head in case there WAS deformation of the cage upon an impact. But the fact is, if your impact is going to crush a well designed cage, it would have killed you with out the cage...
This above of course is my opinion based upon my own experiences and should just be taken as an FYI and not fact.
I am a shade over 6'3" and it seems like I am always one good head bop away from cracking my head open in every full cage car I sit in. Though I am sure some of that would be attributed to the seating position optimized for someone else.
02-19-2016, 05:01 PM
#21
Just piggy-backing on everyone else's stuff. There's good info in this thread.
Added protection while maintaining crumple zones.
obviously, there's big differences between racecars and streetcars. But there's also big differences between the racetrack environment and the street environment. On a racetrack, everything you're going to hit is padded to some extent. On the street, there is no padding.
When you hit a wall at the track, the wall absorbs the impact. When you hit a wall on the street, the car absorbs the impact.
Street cars are designed with crumple zones to absorb impacts. When a cage goes in, the car can't absorb as much of an impact.
For a car that's going to be on the street, a full cage isn't a great idea.
Added protection while maintaining crumple zones.
obviously, there's big differences between racecars and streetcars. But there's also big differences between the racetrack environment and the street environment. On a racetrack, everything you're going to hit is padded to some extent. On the street, there is no padding.
When you hit a wall at the track, the wall absorbs the impact. When you hit a wall on the street, the car absorbs the impact.
Street cars are designed with crumple zones to absorb impacts. When a cage goes in, the car can't absorb as much of an impact.
For a car that's going to be on the street, a full cage isn't a great idea.
02-20-2016, 07:26 AM
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To go back to the OP's question:
Mike Maier out in Livermore builds some really amazing cages. He's known as a Mustang guy, I've he's done a ton of import and other stuff over the years
https://www.mikemaierinc.com
Pacific Fabrication in Morgan Hill does really awesome work with Roll Cages as well
Home Page
Again - known for American, but they've done lots of import. I used to work with the shop owner Kevin, he's very smart
Mike Maier out in Livermore builds some really amazing cages. He's known as a Mustang guy, I've he's done a ton of import and other stuff over the years
https://www.mikemaierinc.com
Pacific Fabrication in Morgan Hill does really awesome work with Roll Cages as well
Home Page
Again - known for American, but they've done lots of import. I used to work with the shop owner Kevin, he's very smart
02-20-2016, 09:11 AM
#26
Pacific fab did some awesome work building me hydro steering on my truck and fab'ing a gm psc hydro pump onto a ford.
They had some cool vehicles in there. But I think they moved to gilroy or somewhere new
They had some cool vehicles in there. But I think they moved to gilroy or somewhere new
02-20-2016, 10:04 AM
#27
Just piggy-backing on everyone else's stuff. There's good info in this thread.
Added protection while maintaining crumple zones.
obviously, there's big differences between racecars and streetcars. But there's also big differences between the racetrack environment and the street environment. On a racetrack, everything you're going to hit is padded to some extent. On the street, there is no padding.
When you hit a wall at the track, the wall absorbs the impact. When you hit a wall on the street, the car absorbs the impact.
Street cars are designed with crumple zones to absorb impacts. When a cage goes in, the car can't absorb as much of an impact.
For a car that's going to be on the street, a full cage isn't a great idea.
Added protection while maintaining crumple zones.
obviously, there's big differences between racecars and streetcars. But there's also big differences between the racetrack environment and the street environment. On a racetrack, everything you're going to hit is padded to some extent. On the street, there is no padding.
When you hit a wall at the track, the wall absorbs the impact. When you hit a wall on the street, the car absorbs the impact.
Street cars are designed with crumple zones to absorb impacts. When a cage goes in, the car can't absorb as much of an impact.
For a car that's going to be on the street, a full cage isn't a great idea.
yeah it does brace, I agree, but its a safety thing. What about full cage, but no tie ins on suspension parts like the strut tower. (yes I know you dont make the rules)
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