Removable rollbar

[rdorman]

Naturally, I want my cake and eat it to. I have a roadster and do not want to mount a roll bar in the typical S/C fashion. Instead what I want to do is to mount a roll bar that is a full hoop with a forward running brace that can be removed and does not require any holes in the body.

Has any one done this and if so how did you go about it?

Thanks
Rick

[eliminator]

Rick,

From the way you state this, its going to be cosmetic and not functional. If it dosn't require any holes in the body it can't be functional!! Has to mount to the frame to be functional and the body sits on top of the frame?? Not sure of your intentions on this one.

Eliminator

[eliminator]

Rick,

From the way you state this, its going to be cosmetic and not functional. If it dosn't require any holes in the body it can't be functional!! Has to mount to the frame to be functional and the body sits on top of the frame?? Not sure of your intentions on this one.

Eliminator

[rdorman]

There would be holes in the floor but not in the exterior body. You know what I mean? So there would be three mounting points on the frame that protrude into the cockpit enough to bolt the bar in.

Perhaps mounting to the 2x2 'outriggers' that come from the main rails to the bottom door sill area (what the pipes mount to) behind and to the outside corner of the seat in the rear and the front bar going from the top center of the hoop down to the main rail in the passengers foot box.

Does that paint a clearer picture of what I am looking to do?

Thanks
Rick

[rdorman]

There would be holes in the floor but not in the exterior body. You know what I mean? So there would be three mounting points on the frame that protrude into the cockpit enough to bolt the bar in.

Perhaps mounting to the 2x2 'outriggers' that come from the main rails to the bottom door sill area (what the pipes mount to) behind and to the outside corner of the seat in the rear and the front bar going from the top center of the hoop down to the main rail in the passengers foot box.

Does that paint a clearer picture of what I am looking to do?

Thanks
Rick

[eliminator]

yep,

More like a roll cage, right.

Eliminator

[eliminator]

yep,

More like a roll cage, right.

Eliminator

[rdorman]

I guess cage would be a better way to put it! Any experience, thoughts on this?
Rick

[rdorman]

I guess cage would be a better way to put it! Any experience, thoughts on this?
Rick

[Brent]

What are you trying to do? If you want the real deal you need a main hoop, (driver side frame rail to pass side frame rail overhead hoop)door bars, (extend from main hoop at shoulder height to front frame rails about 12" in front of shock mount) and a dash bar that connects the two door bars together and runs just behind dash area. A cage can be 4 point,6 point, 8 point, 10 point, etc. Each point means how many times the cage connects to the main chassis.

Brent

[Brent]

What are you trying to do? If you want the real deal you need a main hoop, (driver side frame rail to pass side frame rail overhead hoop)door bars, (extend from main hoop at shoulder height to front frame rails about 12" in front of shock mount) and a dash bar that connects the two door bars together and runs just behind dash area. A cage can be 4 point,6 point, 8 point, 10 point, etc. Each point means how many times the cage connects to the main chassis.

Brent

[rdorman]

I am not looking into building a full cage.

I have the roadster, the street 427 body, no roll bar. I really like the clean lines with out the roll bar. But on occasion I would like to do some limited track events such as SAAC or a drag race. So what I would like to do is to build a bar that can be removed and offer at least as much protection as the standard Cobra hoop. The roll bar would only be three point, but in most of the Cobra rollovers that I am aware of, that generally proved to be sufficient.

So I am looking for some details from some one who has done something similar or some general construction advise.

Thanks
Rick

[rdorman]

I am not looking into building a full cage.

I have the roadster, the street 427 body, no roll bar. I really like the clean lines with out the roll bar. But on occasion I would like to do some limited track events such as SAAC or a drag race. So what I would like to do is to build a bar that can be removed and offer at least as much protection as the standard Cobra hoop. The roll bar would only be three point, but in most of the Cobra rollovers that I am aware of, that generally proved to be sufficient.

So I am looking for some details from some one who has done something similar or some general construction advise.

Thanks
Rick

[Mike Geddes]

Rick
A couple of thoughts come to mind.And a question.

When you talk of a full hoop...do you mean a full 'Single' hoop..driver side only...or a full 'Double' hoop....driver and passenger sides.?

Now to the thought (s)........
To be effective, the main roll bar hoop should be mounted perpendicular to the chassis....wether its mounted as per Unique..thru the body or as you propose to the floor.
The braces ( however many you have. ) can go to optimum locations.

However, if you mount your roll bar to the floor, in the corners behind the seat (s)...the vertical bar will end up in the door opening,......If thats OK for your occassional use, then off you go.

Do not tilt the floor mounted roll bar backwards to match the backward slope of the cockpit.....the brace would end up taking undue stress in the event of a roll over.....potentially break at a weld....and you would end up with a crushed noggin, or worse.

For my money, I'd put in the Unique roll bar......seen it in action...it works.....and it looks good.

Have a good one.......Mike


Mike Geddes

[Mike Geddes]

Rick
A couple of thoughts come to mind.And a question.

When you talk of a full hoop...do you mean a full 'Single' hoop..driver side only...or a full 'Double' hoop....driver and passenger sides.?

Now to the thought (s)........
To be effective, the main roll bar hoop should be mounted perpendicular to the chassis....wether its mounted as per Unique..thru the body or as you propose to the floor.
The braces ( however many you have. ) can go to optimum locations.

However, if you mount your roll bar to the floor, in the corners behind the seat (s)...the vertical bar will end up in the door opening,......If thats OK for your occassional use, then off you go.

Do not tilt the floor mounted roll bar backwards to match the backward slope of the cockpit.....the brace would end up taking undue stress in the event of a roll over.....potentially break at a weld....and you would end up with a crushed noggin, or worse.

For my money, I'd put in the Unique roll bar......seen it in action...it works.....and it looks good.

Have a good one.......Mike


Mike Geddes

[rdorman]

Thanks for the input Mike. This is the type of thing I am looking for. The main hoop would be full width. It is just to much fun scaring passengers;)

This is just off the wall but here goes. Lets say I did angle the bar with the rear bulkhead. It would weld into the frame in the location that I mentioned earlier, realizing of course that I may have to add to the frame for a good mounting point. The part welded to the frame would continue up parrellel to the bulhead to about the seat height. From there there would be two tube running reaward through the bulkhead to the rear frame rails. Between these two rearward tubes would be a bar running the width of the car that would give me a good place to mount the upper harnesses. The removable portion of the bar would fit down into the tubes that run parrellel to the rear bulkhead with a cross brace (part of the removable section running from the upper left hand corner to the bottom left hand corner welded to the removable hoop. I forward running bar would extend downward from the center of the main hoop to a frame point in the passenger side foot box. Double gusset every joint as much as possible. With the bar removed the only thing you would be able to see is the two tubes along the rear bulkhead on each side of the seats. These could be carpeted. Sort of a point in, 5 point roll bar that also takes care of the upper harness mounting issues.

Heck if I wanted to I could bolt in side braces that run from the bars along the bulkhead down to the frame at the bottom of the door opening. But I think I am getting a little caried away concidering why I want the bar.

Before some one suggests it, I am not going to just put in a S/C bar!:) I would just get an S/C instead!

Thoughts on this idea? Sounds to me to be strong. I got this idea from an original FIA that had a roll bar similiar to the one I am describing. Seems to me that it went through the body though.

Rick

[rdorman]

Thanks for the input Mike. This is the type of thing I am looking for. The main hoop would be full width. It is just to much fun scaring passengers;)

This is just off the wall but here goes. Lets say I did angle the bar with the rear bulkhead. It would weld into the frame in the location that I mentioned earlier, realizing of course that I may have to add to the frame for a good mounting point. The part welded to the frame would continue up parrellel to the bulhead to about the seat height. From there there would be two tube running reaward through the bulkhead to the rear frame rails. Between these two rearward tubes would be a bar running the width of the car that would give me a good place to mount the upper harnesses. The removable portion of the bar would fit down into the tubes that run parrellel to the rear bulkhead with a cross brace (part of the removable section running from the upper left hand corner to the bottom left hand corner welded to the removable hoop. I forward running bar would extend downward from the center of the main hoop to a frame point in the passenger side foot box. Double gusset every joint as much as possible. With the bar removed the only thing you would be able to see is the two tubes along the rear bulkhead on each side of the seats. These could be carpeted. Sort of a point in, 5 point roll bar that also takes care of the upper harness mounting issues.

Heck if I wanted to I could bolt in side braces that run from the bars along the bulkhead down to the frame at the bottom of the door opening. But I think I am getting a little caried away concidering why I want the bar.

Before some one suggests it, I am not going to just put in a S/C bar!:) I would just get an S/C instead!

Thoughts on this idea? Sounds to me to be strong. I got this idea from an original FIA that had a roll bar similiar to the one I am describing. Seems to me that it went through the body though.

Rick