Roll bars always seem to be a lively topic around here, thought some might be interested in this ...
Been reading Bill Carroll's Ford Cobra Guide and came across an interesting bit about roll bars for the CSX2000 cars initially prepped by Shelby American for their racing program. They used 1-1/4" diameter, 3/16" wall, chromalloy steel tubing.
"When the installation is complete mechanics make a simple but definitive test. Using a chain fall, they lift the car by the roll bar and sway it back and forth. Though the roll bar is off center, and the car hangs at an angle, the bar proves its stiffness and strength. In racing, more than one Cobra has been stood on its head without damage to the carefully engineered and installed roll bar or driver."
Source:
Ford Cobra Guide
Bill Carroll
©1964 second printing 1974
page 80
This test only puts a 1 g static load on the roll bar / car in a direction unlike what it would probably see in an actual roll over. That being said, according to the book the roll bar certainly did its job. The key is likely how and where the roll bar is tied into the frame.
A clever 'test' per se … it's one way I suppose to check if all the bolts were properly installed
CSX 2000 Roll Bar 'Test' - Circa 1964
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