Roll cage questions

[90GSX]

To those of you who have cages in your cars, how/where did you obtain them? Are you using Chromolly (4130?) or regular steel? Did you fabricate or have it installed?

I would like to buy a pre-bent main hoop, several feet of tubing, and the necessary hardware for swingouts on both sides. I can weld/fabricate enough to handle this project, I'd like to buy the parts and do it myself, but I don't know any place "relatively" close that stocks DSM main hoops.

Anyone have any suggestions? (other than the Roll cage VFAQ)

 

[2-0turbo]

I plan on doing this myself too, eventually. Follow the VFAQ site and Tom has a writeup on the install for his car. He says that he bought his main hoop from RRE. If RRE sells them, I will definitely go this route--all the other pieces can be straight or mildly bent, stuff I can handle in the shop.

MachV sells the Autopower cages, but I have not heard good things about quality. The naysayers might be wrong, but they sell them awful cheap. If you talk with RRE, let me know what they say as far as material, price and availability.

 

[90GSX]

I called RRE today, but I forgot about the +3 hr time difference, and the fact that they open at noon Pacific time. I'll call them back tomorrow.

That VFAQ is very good, but it's also several years old, RRE may not stock hoops and/or be willing to ship them across the country.

I'll check out MachV's page.

--Update: I checked out MachV's Autopower cage. It seems nice from the picture, but it's not at all what I'm going to build. My cage is going to be very similiar to Stangls on the VFAQ. Simple, straighforward, and effective.

 

[KenTSIII]

Competition engineering & chassis engineering (or is it chassis technology?) both carry main hoops & full kits for 1g DSMs.

 

[90GSX]

Thanks Ken. Do you have contact info for both/either? Websites? I did a search for "competition engineering" - 92,200 results!

 

[NDgsx]

Art Morrison has main hoops and "kits" (basically they cut notches in the front bars for you). http://www.artmorrison.com/

 

[GRNDSM]

One of New England Club DSM guy bought Art Morison kit for around $450 (this was top of the line stuff with all the bells and whistles). First problem: his mechanic did not have a TIG welder. So he started looking for someone else to weld it for him. That is where he ran into two new problems: most welding shops did not want the liability and/or wanted way too much to do it (their way of saying “NO”), most chassis shop did not want to touch someone else’s tubing. Until he finally found one that would do it for $500. Well, by the time that he was done, that $500 turned into $650-$700. So this cheap, mail order cage ended costing him over a grand.

Having seen his experience, I went to a local race chassis builder who did an amazing job, bending custom cage around my race seats. His cost was $800 + $150 for “swing-out” member.

I do not recommend getting kits unless you have reliable way to TIG weld it (I do not know if this has changed since then, but you had to have TIG welded frame, which could be MIG welded to the car)! There are a lot of very good chassis shops, like the one that I went to, who will do a mild steel cage for $500-$600 or chrome molly one for $700-$900.

As for mild steel AutoPower roll bars, I guess they are OK for looks and for some added safety. But they are not NHRA or IHRA approved, so do not count on them to pass tech inspection once you start going fast.

Leon
RR

 

[90GSX]

Leon,

Are you talking about Mike Rizzotti's cage?

 

[GRNDSM]

Nope, I got my done at the same place as Mike's. I was talking about Bruce's old car.

Leon
RR

 

[90GSX]

Would that be Mighty Mouse?? I only saw that car once, at the 99 shooutout I believe.

I have access to a pipe bender, welder, chop saw, etc... I think I'm just going to buy some lengths of tubing and, in the true DSM spirit, build it all myself. Thanks for all the input.

 

[GRNDSM]

>Would that be Mighty Mouse??


Yep, the original MM . Bruce is now on a 3rd one. IMHO, the best of the bunch .

>I have access to a pipe bender, welder, chop saw, etc...

I hope it is a mandrel bender and a TIG welder...

Leon
RR

 

[90GSX]

Mandrel bender: No. But does it matter as much in a cage? The only sharp bends that I'll need are in the main hoop. Does the structural integrity vary much between mandrel/press bending?

 

[RocketBoy]

Check out chassis engineering. They have really great prices...like 160 for the 8 point and another 35 a piece for the swingouts.
561-863-2188.
They have a website but i'm not sure what it is...i guess just use a search engine.

 

[GRNDSM]

>But does it matter as much in a cage?

It sure does!

>The only sharp bends that I'll need are in the main hoop. Does the
>structural integrity vary much between mandrel/press bending?

Press bend kinks have HUGE stress concentration! You will never pass tech inspection with a press bend frame!

If you must do something yourself, then buy one of those pre-bend kits and weld it together yourself.

Leon
RR

 

[NDgsx]

Originally posted by GRNDSM
Having seen his experience, I went to a local race chassis builder who did an amazing job, bending custom cage around my race seats. His cost was $800 + $150 for “swing-out” member.

I hate hearing quotes like that, because it makes me realize I got ripped . My cage is good, but the welds could be better.
After getting my cage done by someone else I found out about a rally shop that is only 15 minutes from my house. This is the kind of work Peter does:

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http://www.cascadeautosport.com/fabrication/customcages.html

 

[GRNDSM]

Well, Nick, do not feel too bad. My cage was only 6 point. Which is already outdated (I need 2 more supports behind the seats). A cage like your would have cost me $1400-$1600.

If I wanted full rally style chassis, it would have been over $2k...

Leon
RR