roll cages
- Thread starter j16jrf
- Start date
Peter Empson
PCGB Member
Nah, just my excessive beer consumption [
]My original post was me thinking along the line of just a bolted in 1/2 cage as I thought that had been mentioned as a group purchase some months ago but I hadn't realised the possible insurance issue.
I do have a sunroof fitted !
Does the fitment alter the stiffness of the car ?
I do have a sunroof fitted !
Does the fitment alter the stiffness of the car ?
944 man
Active member
Not really, although people will post soon to contradict me. The fact remains though that you only 'stiffen' a car by attaching the structure to the suspension mounting points and then spreading the load.
Most 944s have a sunroof, so Id expect most cages to accomodate this.
Most 944s have a sunroof, so Id expect most cages to accomodate this.
Neil Haughey
New member
ISTR talking to RollCentre about the Sunroof thing and he said something about the car they used as a base for a welded in cage was a non-sunroof car. However the guy didn't think it was much of an issue just move things around slightly. BTW he advised that a pre-notched cage is not a great idea as all shells are not identical, you may have to adjust a little to get the bars as close as possible to the chassis (which should always be done with a proper race cage). Therefore the Roll Centre weld in kit is not pre-notched, but is very cheap. Thing is I looked in detail at all the options a few months ago and when you got down to it a welded in solution fully fitted costs about the same by any of the vendors, about £1500 or so. You can weld yourself or get a mate to do it but I wanted something fully certified for competition use.
si30boxsters
New member
Bolt in half cages are for looks only.....there are NO benefits (except if you get a camera mount for it). If you are serious about a track car a weld in 6 point cage is the only way to go. Custom cages have an excellent reputation and produce cages for top race teams (touring cars, WRC etc.). One thing of note even if they fit the cage for you I'm pretty sure you have to give them a ready stripped car and then you will have to rebuild it afterwards.......it is a big job.
944 man
Active member
There are benefits. Front corner crushing cant be prevented of course, but the whole roof is strengthened (hopefully protecting your head, depending on the model) and the rear section adds a good deal to the bodys ability to withstand side impacts. Of course, a weld-in six point/eight point cage will certainly not add the benefit that most people seem to expect. In fact, by stiffening up the cabin area youre giving the suspension loads a far smaller area over which to be absorbed. This wont positively affect the handling but it will affect the monocoques longevity. Where your rules and regs do allow suspension tie-ins, you have to weigh up the benefit of secure suspension mounts, against the loss of body deformation: exactly as you do when you seam weld the front chassis rails and mounts (and cover them in seam sealer hoping no one will notice). You end up with a car that barely gives when you hit something that is equally resistant. When this happens its your insides that give.....
si30boxsters
New member
I stand by my statement re no benefit other than as a camera stand.....specific to bolt in cages. I'd dispute the addition of crash protection.........it is only held in place with bolts afterall. It will affect the handling in an unpredictable fashion. It will upset the wieght distribution of the car. I'm pretty sure there are no race series where bolt in half cages meet regs.........IMHO they are pointless
944 man
Active member
Much depends on the design of course; and even more on the fitting. In some lightened cars, mine for example, it restores the balance lost due to so much weight being removed from behind the centre line. If you look at pictures of a national rear hoop fitted into a 944, alongside profile pictures of the car; you can see why it will provide a reasonable amount of protection. I have seen scores of crashed 944s (perhaps hundreds) and reassuringly few have rolled. Of those that have, and where the B pillar area has moved, whichd have been resisted by a rear hoop, I dont recall seeing any which have crushed the A pillar enough to affect the driver. I understand that the front section does more than reinforce the A pillar, but Im confident that its omission does not make the rear section useless.
Neil Haughey
New member
There is a guy racing an S2 in the PCGB championship this year using a bolt in cage. They are approved as the MSA minimum requirements are pretty minimal + for PCGB you have to have door bars. Some of the *other* arguments well we have been here before.
edh
New member
Some interesting thoughts from Kevin Eacock in this month's PP - interviewed by Paul F in the 968 register bit
"....My personal thought is that a half-cage is of no use at all except for cosmetic effect.."
I'm not going to type out the whole article - you'll just have to join the club to read it []
"....My personal thought is that a half-cage is of no use at all except for cosmetic effect.."
I'm not going to type out the whole article - you'll just have to join the club to read it [
]
944 man
Active member
Kevin has some strong views and I seldom disagree, but Im not sure about this. I do know what Kevin is talking about here though (large impacts, like the racer that hit the wall at Silverstone at 100mph+), and I agree. Kevin only tends to see 10/10ths use though and everything else to him is just f***ing about.[] I believe that he is equally dismissive of complete bolt-in SD cages: hence his refusal to fit them to proper competition cars...
] I believe that he is equally dismissive of complete bolt-in SD cages: hence his refusal to fit them to proper competition cars...
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