PDA

View Full Version : My 5 point rx7 roll bar pictures



AutoMods
06-08-2011, 01:42 PM
My rx7 infiltrated the MSCA gang for a roll cage installation. They normally don't mess with rice burners.

Steve and Chris (the twins, or stevo and lorenzo or c-lo or '90 Notch', they have many names) did a great job. Basically started on thursday and car was ready following Wednesday and that was over the memorial weekend.

Looks like they took their time and made it nice and safe, extra gussets and an extra brace on the drivers side bar on the floor because their was some flex on the drivers floor. Welds look great and they welded to strong areas of the car. They worked around my rear storage bins.

Drivers side bar is a swing out and that adds some complexity but that looks nice too, swing out bar has a metal pin sleeve welded in the tube for the release pin and the bar is capped for added strength.

AutoMods
06-08-2011, 01:46 PM
I'll post some more pictures after with one more coat of paint and the interior back in. Paint is a grayish/blue that was color matched to the interior panels and filled into spray cans by sherwin williams.

http://www.importevolution.com/temp/roll_bar.jpg

http://www.importevolution.com/temp/roll_bar2.jpg

sparkles
06-08-2011, 02:32 PM
Are you happy with that Comp swing out kit? I'm wanting the CAC kit, but at $130 a side, that's a bit of money.

OldSkoolRCR
06-08-2011, 02:57 PM
Told ya it would be Super nice and fast turn around time.

AutoMods
06-08-2011, 03:02 PM
I ordered a s&w rx7 8 point roll bar kit with an extra 4 foot tube and the twins modified it from there. I have the s&w swing out kit, it looks very strong, safe and simple and easy to use. I have an extra unopened kit I'd sell you for $30. looks like this http://images.craigslist.org/3mb3of3lf5T25W45P5b58701d160dbaf01d43.jpg . Cost me $43

snickerlicker
06-08-2011, 04:13 PM
Top notch Lorenzo work again!!!! Looking good!

JustinS
06-08-2011, 08:09 PM
Seems like they are go to guys in Cedar Rapids, love all of the work they have put out.

c_mart_28
06-08-2011, 08:45 PM
Sweet. I always wanted to cage my fc but never had any reason to.

Looks good man. Can't.wait to see it running flat out with some tires under it! I didn't get to see it run its best last year.

allgo
06-08-2011, 09:15 PM
Lorenzooo and Stevo always do top notch work...

sparkles
06-08-2011, 09:29 PM
This is the kit I'm wanting. Pretty clean look to it and it's good if you have an existing fixed bar like me. Plus, it comes with 2 pins so you can just take the bar completely out if you're not wanting it in there for street driving.
http://www.cachassisworks.com/images/Product/icon/7037.jpg
I'll think about your offer though.

Couple questions on your cage. Where's the passenger side bar? That's a pretty interesting setup for the rear bars. I thought having bars come into a T is a bad thing?

AutoMods
06-08-2011, 10:00 PM
no passenger bar . roll bar is good to 10.0
http://www.skyroadster.com/forums/attachments/f40/30943d1234877186-nhra-rules-roll-cages-nhra-rollbar.gif

Drifte
06-09-2011, 08:32 AM
This is the kit I'm wanting. Pretty clean look to it and it's good if you have an existing fixed bar like me. Plus, it comes with 2 pins so you can just take the bar completely out if you're not wanting it in there for street driving.
http://www.cachassisworks.com/images/Product/icon/7037.jpg
I'll think about your offer though.

Couple questions on your cage. Where's the passenger side bar? That's a pretty interesting setup for the rear bars. I thought having bars come into a T is a bad thing?

I happen to know the alphabet, and I cant find a "T." What part are you talking about?

85XR7Project
06-09-2011, 08:47 AM
I think he is referring to the way it's setup in the hatch area. It does come to a "T" in two places.

sLoWnStEaDy
06-09-2011, 08:57 AM
I assume he is talking about these spots...

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/6991/rollbar2.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/rollbar2.jpg/)

Drifte
06-09-2011, 09:01 AM
That's pretty common, stronger than the floor in this case. I think the additional braces are to spread the load out so its not an issue.

AutoMods
06-09-2011, 09:47 AM
normally those two bars go straight to the floor, which would also still be a T . Also the main hoop goes to the floor which would also be a T.

AutoMods
06-09-2011, 10:12 AM
Here is a similar design but a 10 point

http://www.swracecars.com/store/images/cart/driftcage.jpg

sparkles
06-09-2011, 10:23 AM
Yeah, but where they hit the floor, they are on a 6x6 plate to distribute the load vs a 1.75" bar. Not nitpicking it by any means, just curious on why you didn't have them go from the top of the main hoop to the shock towers.

In this case, I'm sure it doesn't really matter. Beings how it's just a rollbar, you're not really going for the energy transfer and stiffening effect that a full cage would provide. I'm guessing your just trying to not get kicked off the track? If you had 10 different guys build a cage for the same car, you'd probably have 10 different ways it'd get done.

TbTalon94
06-09-2011, 10:30 AM
The bars running into a T-bar that connects to the shock towers is stronger then longer bars that connect to the flimsy floor back there. The shock towers are designed to take load, the floor isn't. The 6x6 plates are just to distribute the load on the flismy sheet metal floor. In this case and most, the shock towers make a great place to mate the bars....plus then you can add a parachute later if need be.

Cage looks good Ryan. Chris does good work. I hate doing cages man lol they suck.

sparkles
06-09-2011, 10:33 AM
I understand that. I'm asking why didn't they just connect the bars to the shock towers where the horizontal bar is already mounted.

Drifte
06-09-2011, 10:38 AM
I think the angle from the top of the hoop out towards the strut tower would not meet the regulations, but thats just a guess.

sparkles
06-09-2011, 10:44 AM
That's what I was getting at. I'm curious as to what the rules are regarding the down bars. I'm guessing they have to be parallel or something.

skipdownstairs
06-09-2011, 11:05 AM
That's what I was getting at. I'm curious as to what the rules are regarding the down bars. I'm guessing they have to be parallel or something.


The down bars must pass between your elbow and top of shoulder I set mine by sitting in the car and holding the bottom of the steering wheel

looks nice thats good to 10.00 right?

AutoMods
06-09-2011, 11:17 AM
they wanted to connect the right and left shock towers to stiffin the car. also the carpet will slide under the rear horizontal bar with no cutting. but I do have to cut holes in the shock tower carpet.

there is also metal plates formed around the shock towers but hard to see in that picture. also as you can see in the picture the top of the shock towers just hold speakers and i don't think its as strong as the lower part of the strut tower.

here is a picture of the rear , this picture was from my neighbors clean 55k miles fc that I bought for $2k not running. one month and one fuel pump later, sold it for $4500.

http://www.importevolution.com/temp/rx7_red_interior_trunk.jpg
off topic but here are more pictures of that car
http://www.importevolution.com/temp/rx7_red_interior.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/temp/rx7_red_interior2.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/temp/rx7_red_interior3.jpg

sparkles
06-09-2011, 11:53 AM
The down bars must pass between your elbow and top of shoulder I set mine by sitting in the car and holding the bottom of the steering wheel

looks nice thats good to 10.00 right?

The back bars, not the door bars

sparkles
06-09-2011, 11:55 AM
Ryan-I gotcha. I've never really seen the back of an RX7 to see how it lays out. Tying the towers together looks like a good idea if you don't mind a bar in the middle of your trunk.

TbTalon94
06-09-2011, 12:55 PM
I think not tieing the bars directly to the shock towers from the main hoop is because they wouldn't be parallel. It's not only asthetically pleasing to have them like this but probably more secure also. It would make sense just to go straight to the shock towers, but it looks better and honestly would probably be a pain to weld the bar to the tower at such an extreme angle.

AutoMods
06-09-2011, 01:12 PM
Here is my s&w swing out kit before I painted it. Its simple and its beefy and even if you forget to put the pin in, there is a back plate there to keep bar from crushing the driver. I'm going to ship back my one unused kit for a refund in a few days if you don't want it ben.

Not sure if the pipe caps are required but they are not included with the s&w kit, the twins made the caps and welded them on

http://www.swracecars.com/

http://importevolution.com/temp/rx7_swing_out1.jpg

sparkles
06-09-2011, 01:12 PM
We took mine all the way out of the car and welded it, put it back in and then welded it to the floor.

sparkles
06-09-2011, 01:14 PM
Let me call the guy that did mine and get his opinion. To be honest though, I'd need 2.

c_mart_28
06-09-2011, 01:57 PM
Thats very similar to what I have in my car.

Fire Hawk
06-09-2011, 06:48 PM
That is some awesome work they did!!

sLoWnStEaDy
06-09-2011, 07:59 PM
I am use to seeing those back bars cross and tie into the strut towers. Not saying there is a right/wrong way because I have NO IDEA, just stating I am use to seeing a big X in the back... Looks awesome though!

I am curious what something like that costs but too scared to want to know!! I am planning something similar for the Mach One but am hoping for a little structural strengthening as well. not like it is going to be too crazy, hoping for 400rwhp at least though, in a car that heavy, probably won't need a roll cage due to ET's lol

sparkles
06-09-2011, 08:36 PM
I am use to seeing those back bars cross and tie into the strut towers. Not saying there is a right/wrong way because I have NO IDEA, just stating I am use to seeing a big X in the back... Looks awesome though!

Like this?
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk276/ericksonb06/TAs/91%20TA/Cage/DSC_3650.jpg

sLoWnStEaDy
06-09-2011, 08:40 PM
Like this?
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk276/ericksonb06/TAs/91%20TA/Cage/DSC_3650.jpg

yeah... LOL I bet 95% of the cages I have seen look like that in the rear...

AutoMods
06-09-2011, 11:47 PM
every organization has different rules on the cages. nhra, scca, nascar, etc

the more bars the merrier , but at some point you have to say enough is enough. I think the rules nhra has are pretty safe. all the other rules they have like they make you get your 5pt harness re-certified every 2 years, and the battery mounting and cutoff rules shows how strict they are with safety. so if nhra says a 5pt roll bar is all i need then i'm not going to go overboard and add all the extra weight to the car

AutoMods
11-13-2012, 07:01 PM
just realized this thread was closed. accident i guess. sparkles accused me of abusing my powers. reopened now.

anyway. cage swing out works fine at the track/street. i usually take the drivers door bar out after the track as well as the 5 pt harness. just not fun to mess with all the time on the street. i'd recommend any street car have the swing out or removable door bar.

as far as tech inspections. so far tech barely even glances at the roll bar.

AutoMods
11-13-2012, 07:53 PM
unlock test

sparkles
11-13-2012, 08:06 PM
Man, that really must have been eating at ya huh?

AutoMods
11-13-2012, 09:27 PM
Man, that really must have been eating at ya huh?

my blood has been boiling ever since you said that

Scott
11-14-2012, 06:44 AM
Like this?
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk276/ericksonb06/TAs/91%20TA/Cage/DSC_3650.jpg

The X bars add alot of strength in a wreck, but the fact those down bars in the rear dont line up to the other bars that go by your head "A-pillar bars" is not excatly ideal.. but you can nit pick a roll cage just like anything, none of them are perfect