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Roll bar/cage

JustCurious

Well-Known Member
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2:46 PM
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Feb 8, 2019
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So as im sitting here doing all of this research this has come across my mind more than once. i want to make this car fun and safe to an extent.

Unless i cant find one i plan to throw a 440 in my 74 charger, may even go ahead and go 502 :realcrazy:

So whats everyones recommendation on them? any specific brands?

I dont thinks its NEEDED but if i go fast and something happens i think it should be helpful (hopefully)

I have seen some where there is a side impact bar that you have to crawl over to get in the seats, i had rather have that to be able to be unlatched or not be there. i think that bar is the difference in an 8 point and 10 point set up?
 
Check out jegs they have pre bent kits anywhere from a 6 point set to up to a full cage. And yes you can put on hinges so the door bars swing out.
 
1967coronet400 is correct. If you plan to put in a roll bar, might as well make it NHRA legal. NHRA requires at least a driver's side "swing out" bar & those can be removable. Pre-bent ones are available & all you need to do is weld them in. They can make getting into the back seat a little difficult for people with big bellies.
 
A standard 6 point roll bar has a main hoop behind the seat, it's location mandated by nhra if you want to be legal. Then two bars to the rear, best in a straight line to the rear chassis, but lots of people who want to keep the back seat use a bent bar thru the package shelf. Next is two door bars to the floor below the dash. Their height is also mandated by nhra (must pass between shoulder and elbow). So, six places where the bar attaches to the floor. An eight point adds two short bars from the main hoop, sometimes to the trans tunnel to triangulate tha hoop, sometimes to a subframe connector, much preferred.
A roll cage , has a loop off of the main hoop that goes forward to just behind the windshield, and two bars that go down to tie into the forward door bars, usually considered a ten point. From there, it's how many bars do you want? I've seen 30.
If you use chrome moly, your bars can be thinner, and therefore lighter, and a moly cage is a value increase over a mild steel bar, but Moly has to be tig welded by somebody good, a mild steel bar can be mig welded.
If you put in a bar, your stock seat belts will be no good, you will have to use at least a five point harness, and change them every two years, and to be strictly legal, I think you have to have the drivers seat back fixed (bolted) to the crossbar of the main hoop. Tech may give you a pass on that one.
 
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Would any of you think it helps the resale value? Im not like some of the guys on the internet that TIG all day but i have welded a chassis for a formula 1 style car and it pass tech spec before. may outsource it since i dont have a TIG at my disposal anymore though.
 
If it's a RACE car, sure, a FAST street/strip car, maybe, street car that doesn't really need one, he'll no!!!
 
Cage is great for a race car with proper 5 point harnesses and a helmet.

Cage has no place in a street driven vehicle. Those bars are pretty hard when you or your passengers head hits them with no helmet on.
 
Noted, thanks guys. it may never see a drag strip, just the occasional stop light or hwy race (in mexico of course)
 
A standard 6 point roll bar has a main hoop behind the seat, it's location mandated by nhra if you want to be legal. Then two bars to the rear, best in a straight line to the rear chassis, but lots of people who want to keep the back seat use a bent bar thru the package shelf. Next is two door bars to the floor below the dash. Their height is also mandated by nhra (must pass between shoulder and elbow). So, six places where the bar attaches to the floor.

33IMP is correct. Also, there needs to be a "cross bar", behind the front seats, that goes side-to-side and connects to both sides of the main hoop. This bar is usually where the 5-point harness seat belts are attached. By NHRA rules, the main hoop, this cross bar & the back brace bars have to be welded together. Only the side (door) bars can be swing out & removable + you're only required to have a side bar on the driver's side. Down to a certain 1/4 mile time (10sec???), the main hoop & back braces can be welded to 6"x6" steel plates, above & below the car, and bolted together with four 3/8" bolts. Any faster & the bar MUST be welded to the frame.
 
Ok . Pros and Cons of a roll cage or roll bar . As you have stated you would like to put in a 440 or 502 in your car and you need to feel safe in it . Ask your self if you would behave with that much power or would you get frisky and play . Its always to be safe no matter what you do .
1 : the set up you pick will take away the easy access to your back seat . I have built cars for customers that wanted to retain their back seat but when all said and done they had a hard time getting back there . It was a street and strip car .
2 : If you build a full cage it will have door bars and you have to slide over them to get in and out . I am now 70 years old and it gets harder to do this .
3 : you can opt for a bolt in roll bar that would not have door bars . It would install with steel plates under the floor and bolt up thru the cars floor . This type could be removed if you ever wanted to sell the car . Again it is always to be safe that sorry .
I have build several cars for my self but do not think of my self as expert in the matter . I know me and I will play with my toys and play hard so I put in cages and roll bars to keep me and my passengers safe . I have several pic's of cages in my projects that I am working now . One has a roll cage and ties to the frame and the other is a roll bar with the side bars bent down and out to ease the pain of getting in and out , this one is also tied into the rear frame rails . The choice is yours . Hope this helps . Thanks John Also seat belts with shoulder straps help keep you safe . P.S. the last shot of the Yellow Willys is a car that it built 30 years ago it did not have a cage in it and was a fiberglass car and yes I did play with others some . Just lucky I guess . All this is food for thought !
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