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Tackling my first cage.

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crash89

15+ Year Contributor
3,537
181
Mar 5, 2008
Punta Gorda, Florida
Last year i decided i wanted to put a cage in my spyder since it was starting to get decently fast and just wanted some kind of reinforcement. Plus it strengthens the chassis so why not!? Plus ive been kind of teaching myself to TIG, also bought myself a pro-tools 105 tubing bender.

Using 1 3/4" .083" wall chromoly tubing. For now im just going with 6 point as i dont feel like cutting my dash up. Plus for now i think this will be sufficient for a while!

Template for the main hoop
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Floor plates and main hoop bent
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Cut the seat back support out to lose some weight and gain access to the strut towers
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First rear bar, i went as high up the strut tower as i could while still being able to get under the top. 30* bend was necessary.
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Other rear bar to match. This was a pain in the ass to get to be symmetrical.
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Rear shot.
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So far this is all i have. I also have the harness bar bent, just havent fit it up yet. Plan is to have some kirkey's by spring time too. Probably have 15-18 hours into it not counting getting the interior stripped and sound deadening and things cut out. Thoughts, comments, advise welcome!!
 

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Djd you do a search before you started?
Did you check SCCA or NASA rule book for roll cage requirements, they also have very good pictures on what the cages should be like as well as specs on materials.
Would you be willing to almost start over again? You only have a few hours invested so far.
 
I dig it man! Roll cages rock whether they are meant to be used or not! If I had the resources and skill I'd put one in my car just for sh**s and giggles. I had a 79 Trans Am with an after factory roll bar, looked way cool. and so does yours! :hellyeah:
 
You defiantly need to make sure that's up to par 6 point only gets you to 11.50, you need a certified 8 point to go 10.0, make sure what your doing is good so you don't have to cut it all out
 
(Whether meant to be used or not)
What does that mean.
I dig it man! Roll cages rock whether they are meant to be used or not! If I had the resources and skill I'd put one in my car just for sh**s and giggles. I had a 79 Trans Am with an after factory roll bar, looked way cool. and so does yours! :hellyeah:
 
Perhaps I misunderstood his intention, I'm not aware that his build is for the track in which case any roll cage is better than NO roll cage in the event of a roll over crash, even if doesn't meet some arbitrary specification from a bureaucratic organization. And in truth, I don't think any of us intend to roll our vehicles, ergo, it is never meant to be used. Furthermore, I have in fact rolled 2 vehicles (even tho I didn't intend to), neither of which had cages (they were not however convertibles) and I escaped relatively unscathed. Anyways the whole point of my original post was to simply commend him on his effort and results. If his build is for the track I will take foot out of mouth soon.
 
Agree on roll cage or no roll cage, the rest of your statement shows lack of knowledge and you are contradicting yourself.
No one would roll over on purpose most accidents in racing come from side impacts.
And since he is putting all this effort, it would be better for him to have some guidelines from bureaucratic organizations and arbitrary specifications that have saved many lives and injuries in racing.
Glad you are OK from your rollovers.
 
Looks good, man!

I always liked the roll cage Yoshi did for Andrew Brilliant's Spyder when he was doing high speed runs on the salt flats.

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Dsm dreamer, and arrowhead i have sourced the 2015 nhra rule book as well as picked the brain of a couple chassis builder friends i have on what i can or couldnt get away with. So far everything is in order to pass tech.

Bastarddsm, i know a 6pt is only "tech legal" to 11.5x, the tracks locally the car "could" pass tech in this configuration and run mid to low 10s. In fact, a local dsmer, Mr Peepers, is a complete factory car that has run 10.0s and doesnt have a cage and hasnt been kicked off the track. Is it really safe to not have a full cage? Probably not, can i get away with it and still be mostly protected, yes.

Corey, i liked Brilliants car as well! I tried to get ahold of him asking questions and for pictures of it so i could get ideas and never had a reply. So i basically just went off google pictures if other 2g's and other uni body cars to get ideas.

Thanks for the other comments though guys! Ill have more pics and updates soon!
 
Dsm dreamer, and arrowhead i have sourced the 2015 nhra rule book as well as picked the brain of a couple chassis builder friends i have on what i can or couldnt get away with. So far everything is in order to pass tech.

Bastarddsm, i know a 6pt is only "tech legal" to 11.5x, the tracks locally the car "could" pass tech in this configuration and run mid to low 10s. In fact, a local dsmer, Mr Peepers, is a complete factory car that has run 10.0s and doesnt have a cage and hasnt been kicked off the track. Is it really safe to not have a full cage? Probably not, can i get away with it and still be mostly protected, yes.

Corey, i liked Brilliants car as well! I tried to get ahold of him asking questions and for pictures of it so i could get ideas and never had a reply. So i basically just went off google pictures if other 2g's and other uni body cars to get ideas.

Thanks for the other comments though guys! Ill have more pics and updates soon!
When I made my comments earlier I was of the impression this was a "street" build not necessarily for the track. Sorry to make such an assumption and sound like a noob! Still though, looks cool! :)
 
Since the rear bars were fit and tacked i finally got around to molding the support plates to the strut tower and the driveshaft tunnel. Next time this will be step one as this kind of messed up the fitment a little and now have some gaps i didnt want. But i was having a hell of a time with the top in so i said f*** it and took it out. Plus this might actually get me to finally get a new top! Of course before i could finish fitting the plates my borrowed torch ran out acetylene. This is the only new pic i have!

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Just noticed that bend in the X brace. Went to re-read your earlier post and found out you did this for clearance. Is that safe to do, or it is better to have bends closer to the top? It seems like with a bend down low there will be more leverage from the hoop that will try to 'finish' that bend and fold the X brace there.
 
Ya know, im not really sure how to answer that nor really have an answer! But a couple buddies who do build cages and chassis havent thrown a brick at me saying that it cant be done that way because of x. My one friend did say that knows rear bars can have bends but wouldnt advise anything over 30* in this application. So thats what i did. If i do decide to try and have it certified ill find out pretty quick if it isnt acceptable and have to figure something else out or just leave it uncertified.
 
I tried to steer you in the right direction before, you are going about this all wrong , your main hoop is not located in the strongest point, your down bars suppose to be straight ,no bends , your friend is correct on the 30*,but it is from the main hoop down, I dont think NHRA is allowing bars that way, but I know that not one single org. in road racing would allow it.
Go to SCCA, NASA, WRL they all have pictures on how the cage should be.
Why waste the money and time in something that is wrong.
 
Ok i did find one thing that said rear bars should have no bends. But there is really no way to get the rear bars to mount anywhere near the rear strut towers without losing functionality of the top. As far as the main hoop goes, how is it not in the strongest point? The rule says it has to be as wide as the width of the full interior and be mounted on the floor which includes the rocker panels. Sounds like the correct place to me.
 
Are y'all saying it's supposed to be on that "step" between B pillars? Also are y'all suggesting a cage similar in structure to the Race one shown here: http://www.livermoreperformance.com/autopower_roll_bars.html#Mistsubishi where the X (or in this case a single cross brace) is in the main hoop and supports go to strut towers on either side?

Not trying to sound like a smarta** or a d*ck, only trying to help out and learn something myself.
 
Personally I would only trust a professional cage builder to do mine, being in the unlikely event you roll over, you dont want to question the strength of the cage.

Why connect the rear bars to the strut towers rather than straight down to the frame rails though? Isn't that how Nick and Andrew's cages were done?
 
Well it shows again you are not using the search provision in the forum, or any other place.
You can mount the main hoop on the floor provided you mounted on a steel plate of different sizes mandated by rules as you would any other down pipe. On a 2g you have only one layer of metal in that corner, if you go to the hump in back of that corner there are 2 layers + a reinforcement in the center in what is the strongest point of the frame.
You are ok where you are, providing you put the plate in, but it is not the best place is what I am trying to tell you.
There is a thread here in the forum started by Ludachris called,
What do you know, "Roll Bar/rollcage design", go to post #50 by greengoblin, I would link you there but dont know how, at the very end there are pictures of a cage for a 2 g. you dont have to get as sophisticated but it is the best cage I have seen of a 2 g.

Search is your best friend
 
I agree, those bends definitely look like a weak point and probably won't pass tech. I'm not a cage builder nor have I tried to translate much of the NHRA / SCCA cage building specs though.

Arrowhead, that's a great example of a 2g roll cage for a hardtop, he isn't able to come into the strut tower's at the same angle since he needs to clear the soft top cover.

That being said, Tom, I think there's a reason why all the Spyders with cages that pass tech have straight bars coming off of the main hoop (rather than cross bars) is because of the clearance with the soft top. Look at A. Brilliants cage I posted above (straight bars) and the same goes for Nick Fox's 2g Spyder...

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You may have to scrap that test run and go to something like this to make the cage fit under the top AND pass tech at the track. That would be a kick in the balls for you to continue on with this and then not be able to race your car once you start running <11.5's.
 
Not being familiar with the spyder set up, the only suggestion I have is go to the frame and back up to the tower with a diagonal, that should reinforce the tower and if possible a cross bar to the new support.
That is how I have seen them done in cars like the Fiero and other smaller cars.
 
I really do appreciate the input guys and i really am trying to be able to make it work the best possible way while trying to keep the functioning top. The problem with all the pictures of spyder cages that are out there is there are no photos of where the rear bars mount. I see that the LOOK like the go to where the rear seats meet but how do we know?

Corey, i tried to contact nick fox and ask about his cage. He said hed get pictures and never got back dispite a couple other messages. I also tried to ask andrew brilliant for pictures or tips as well, no dice.

Ramen- i looked at all of those same picture when i was trying to find mounting points and ideas for the spyder, still doesnt show the correct angles or pictures i need. Also his door bars wouldnt pass tech in the nhra aspect due to them not crossing between the shoulder and elbow.

Arrowhead, no i just welded the hoop right to the single piece of sheetmetal.... Cmon i told you i did source the nhra book and it said it had to be mounted on a 6x6" plate.

At this point the rear bars would only out me 50 dollars and some time. So if i have to change it and find a way thatll work i will. However until i find a way to be able to mount to the strut towers at my already in place plates this will stay tacked in place and ill continue. Also in the event of a rollover, if it were to fail id be in just as much trouble as if i didnt have one in the first place. At least i know this is better than the other cage thread thats up here! Haha << that was a joke! Laugh some!
 
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