Cage / Door bar pictures?

ItBites · #1 (**permalink**) 07-06-2011, 12:49 PM

All,

I'm re-doing my Midstates and it is mostly a track toy at this point. I have the interior out and putting in new seats, thin carpet without the jute backing this time, etc...

I am going to have a cage put in before the carpet goes in and am looking for ideas on the door bars and cage design/pick-up points.

If you have a cage you like and have a couple photos, I would appreciate the ideas, especially for door bar configuration and location.

I am going with at least the full-width hoop and two aft downriggers, with door bars. Not sure about the forward (halo) hoop at the windshield. I'd like the halo bar, but not sure I have sufficient structure under the floor to attach to (and I'm not sure I want the extra weight)... If you have a forward hoop and have a photo of the attach point at the frame, I'd be interested.

Thanks guys

cobrajeff · #2 (**permalink**) 07-06-2011, 03:09 PM

When I built my ERA, I planned to run "Open Track" and autocross events with it. I added extra bracing, to provide protection and stiffen the chassis. My modifications were "home-brewed", and not done to any particular sanctioning body's specs.

1) The decorative bars coming down at the front of the tunnel, which, on an ERA, only mount to the tunnel, I had fabricated out of thicker tube material, and lengthened them to bolt to the chassis (and bolted to cross-bar #2).

2) I had a bar mounted across the car, behind the dash, that is welded to the door pillar supports on each side.

3) The side bar braces are welded to the door pillar posts at the front of the door opening (tied to the cross-bar), and to the frame and original roll bar at the rear.

4) I ordered the car with a roll bar, braced to the rear, like a 427. I then added a forward brace to the roll bar like the 289 style.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

regards,

Jeff

ItBites · #3 (**permalink**) 07-06-2011, 05:08 PM

Thx Jeff. The door bars come from behind the seat, like I think I will be doing. Are you tall? Reason I ask is because your seat looks further back than mine. I am 5-10 and my seat is going to be pretty close to the wheel, but that matches me to the pedal position...

Does your left elbow hit the door bar while tracking?

cobrajeff · #4 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 05:59 AM

I'm not tall - I'm about 5'9" (when I don't slouch).

My left elbow rests on the door bar comfortably. I have added a pad at the front edge of the door bar for a knee rest.

I originally bolted my seat directly to the floor. I later added movable seat tracks (as shown in the "finished" picture). I was getting too much flex with the seat tracks, and have since removed them, bolting the seat directly to the floor again.

I bought some convoluted plastic tubing (similar to shop vac hose, but a little stiffer) at the hardware store that I used to mock up the position and shape for the side door braces. Stu Galbraith of Weldcraft then fabricated my design in steel, and welded it into the car.

Jeff

ItBites · #5 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 02:35 PM

Thx Jeff. I like your setup. I put a tube in mine where I think the door bar will have to go and when turning left (simulated, with vroom noises) my elbow hits the bar (partly because of the seat side bolsters - Kirkey intermediate road race seat). I hate to try to track the car if I have to keep my elbow above the door... I may have to gove up on the door bars, or lower it more than I wanted to. Anyhow, thanks alotly.

Any others with a cage or door bars? I know yer out there!

rschoeni · #6 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 04:40 PM

The fabrication is much like Jeff's as far as the knee bar and door bars except I located the forward end of the doorbars at the floor, welded to the base of the forward halo down bars. I have a diagonal in the main hoop, a harness bar, and overhead diagonal in the halo. The harness bar allows you to add a back brace for your aluminum seat. The seats are mounted so that the butt contacts the floor. I like to sit low.

I used 1.5" 0.120" wall chromoly. Because of the limited space in the cockpit, because I didn't gut the doors, and because I wantto be able to fit one of Bruce's Lemans tops over the cage, it is a compromise. It's compatible with the wind screen.
_____
/bs

BobSchoeni
FFR 347ci

twin turbo · #7 (**permalink**) 07-07-2011, 07:38 PM

Here is mine.

ItBites · #8 (**permalink**) 07-08-2011, 10:00 AM

Bob,

Thanks and yes, that is what I would like to do. Not sure I am going to do the fwd halo because installing the cross-bar behind the dash would likely disrupt all the gage locations and wiring - and this is not a new build and a new wiring job is more than I want to tackle this year, with the other mods I am doing. I assume you have a cross bar behind he dash?

TT - I like the bend. That would allow my elbow to fit under the bar and over the seat side bolsters. Not sure how well the swing-out connectors would transfer any bending loads from a side impact, but sure better than nothing... What does the rest of your cage look like and is it certified?

Thanks to all who have responded, keep the ideas coming!

twin turbo · #9 (**permalink**) 07-08-2011, 10:51 AM

ItBites, the rest of my car just consists of a full width roll bar in addition to both side bars. My car has not been certified as that is only req'd for full cages 9.99 and quicker, and I'm not running a full cage.

The swing-out side bars are NHRA legal for cars slower than 7.50 in the 1/4, so they are plenty strong. I used .134 thickness 1 3/4" tubing and the NHRA legal swingout hinges/pin from Applied Racing Technology. I'd be more worried about somebody driving over me on a side impact than the bending loads. The full width roll bar and swing out side bars are new on my car this year which is why you don't see them in the video at the bottom of my post. Cheers.

ItBites · #10 (**permalink**) 07-08-2011, 11:41 AM

TT - Thanks for the info. So if I do not put the full cage in, I dont need a cert for NHRA, even in the 9s? Not that Im in the 9s, but I went 10.69 on only the second pass on the drivetrain (there is more in it) and with a breath of N2O, nines are not out of the question.

Any pics of your hoop bar and where/how it attaches?

BTW, your TT FFR is really fast, very cool!

twin turbo · #11 (**permalink**) 07-08-2011, 12:18 PM

Technically speaking, most tracks will boot you for running in the 9's. To be "legal" for 9.99 and quicker, you will need a full cage and have to get it certified. You will also need an NHRA license, multi layer SFI full race suit, etc, etc. There are a lot of people that try to toe that line at 10.0 seconds for that reason. Test and tune nights are usually a little more lax on the rules.

I drove my car to the track last weekend and made multiple 10 second passes but turned my boost way down to 9 lbs to keep from going to fast/quick. As soon as I left I turned my boost back up to 15 lbs which is my normal street setting, lol.

As far as the roll bar I used the Whitby's full width bar and the stock FFR points of attachment which go directly to the frame. IMO, if your serious about going 9's on a regular basis you need to take your car to a shop that builds NHRA cages to avoid any hassles. Cheers.