Who makes the best bolt in cage?

[ttypewhite]

I went to the track last week and got booted with a shakedown pass off the trailor of a 10.40 @ 119mph. I have no cage in the car and really just want one for tech at our local track when I go for bust. Its a true street car, so I need something that I can bolt in when I go, and pull out when I take my kids out on the street. What are my options? I don't run this in any class, just time trialing. Our local track just wants to see something there, they are not going to check it to spec or anythiong like that.

 

[charliep]

What makes you think your track is not going to check the car. That sounds crazy. You need to weld the cage in the car. It must welded to the frame of the car since yours is a full frame car. And by the way. 8 hundreths of a second faster and it needs to be a full cage and all SFI stuff. I assume you have a SFI flexplate, balancer, c-clip eliminator and afteramrket axles for the rear also??

 

[UNDER-PRESSURE]

There was a GN that used to run at Englishtown MANY years ago with a plumbing pvc pipe rollbar in the car. He had it painted grey with padding & never got stopped by tech. Light weight & removable from the car in minutes.

 

[ttypewhite]

What makes you think your track is not going to check the car. That sounds crazy. You need to weld the cage in the car. It must welded to the frame of the car since yours is a full frame car. And by the way. 8 hundreths of a second faster and it needs to be a full cage and all SFI stuff. I assume you have a SFI flexplate, balancer, c-clip eliminator and afteramrket axles for the rear also??

They won't check it because they are a bunch of hill billies that just look to see if one is in there. They check it only when you enter in a class for a event. Which I have no desire in doing. This is strictly a hobbie for me. The car gets driven 98% on the street. All the rest of the s h i t I have. Just need something to play to for that day at the track, then out it comes when I get home, and in goes the baby seats.

 

[norbs]

Nevermind the fact if you get into an accident on the street with a cage in the car, and you insurance doesn't know about it. There could ALot of trouble.

 

[conn84gn]

Your at the point where if things go wrong you better have a good cage!
No mickey mouse stuff will help you survive in a crash and they do happen.
Rules are there to protect you.

 

[oldtimer]

They won't check it because they are a bunch of hill billies that just look to see if one is in there. They check it only when you enter in a class for a event. Which I have no desire in doing. This is strictly a hobbie for me. The car gets driven 98% on the street. All the rest of the s h i t I have. Just need something to play to for that day at the track, then out it comes when I get home, and in goes the baby seats.

Ya know, for a moment there, I thought I was in the SAFETY section of the board ... must be mistaken


Seriously, you mention " and in goes the baby seats " Your babies may not have a father with this attitude, not to mention another racer may be in danger when you're at the track.

Rules are there to protect others also, even if you don't care about yourself.
Let's not forget " FAST WITH CLASS "

 

[ttypewhite]

I am insured with Silver Wheels. Its Hot Rod Insurance. They couldn't care less if it has a cage in it or not. If I didn't have kids, I wouldn't really care much about the cage. I go to the track maybe twice a year for a total of 6 to 7 passes. I don't want my kids wearing helmets when they come in my car. Ijust need something for a visual inspection. If stuff happens, stuff happens. Woulda shoulda coulda really doesn't mean much to me. If something happens where I lose control at the track, thats my fault. i signed a waiver. I would not look for some sort of coverage from the track. The same stuff could happen playing on the street so to me, it is what it is.
Question is, can I get a cage welded up that I could pull out? I saw the one that came out of Dusty's car in the forsale section, and it had me thinking. My car goes down the track like its following a laser beam. It goes straight as a arrow. The Wolfe bar I had installed keeps the car straight. I have a driveshaft loop, C-clips, tranny sheild, etc.

 

[GNBRETT]

There was a GN that used to run at Englishtown MANY years ago with a plumbing pvc pipe rollbar in the car. He had it painted grey with padding & never got stopped by tech. Light weight & removable from the car in minutes.

THATS FUNNY....! GOOD STUFF.

 

[GNBRETT]

Your at the point where if things go wrong you better have a good cage!
No mickey mouse stuff will help you survive in a crash and they do happen.
Rules are there to protect you.

I USE TO THINK THAT THE CAGE OR ATLEAST A BAR WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE STREET BUT I REMEMBER BEING UP AT COTTONS SHOP IN AGAWAM, MA. A FEW YEARS AGO AND HE SHOWED ME HIS SONS T-TYPE THAT STRUCK A TREE. IT WAS A RAINY DAY AND CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT IF HE DID NOT HAVE A BAR IN THE CAR HE WOULD BE DEAD. **** HAPPENS...! TO EVEN THE BEST DRIVERS.

I HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR FOR YEARS NOW AND HAVE SEEN PEOPLE DIE FROM VERY LOW SPEED ACCIDENTS WHEN EVEN BEING STRUCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. CRUSH CAN BE 3-4 FEET FROM A LOW SPEED ACCIDENT. WHEN A VEHICLE BEGINS TO SPIN IT PICKS UP ENORMOUS VELOCITY AND MOMENTUM. A VEHICLE DOES NOT NEED TO BE TRAVELING VERY FAST TO CAUSE A FATALITY. IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY AND WANT TO OPERATE THE CAR ON THE STREET PUT THE BAR IN IT!

 

[alb84]

Here's a little story bout that. A customer brought his supra into my shop for a cage. All I want is to pass tech he said. I heard you guys were really good. We said sure it will pass tech, but we won't do it unless we are allowed to make it safe. He had run some low tens, and had upgraded to a t100 during the winter. He griped and kicked at the gravel, but finally said OK. We put in a cage that passed tech, and had lots of extra braceing in a tig welded chrome moly fortress. On his second shake down pass he turned up the boost, and got loose at the top. He got it slowed down to about 100mph before he ran into a concrete barrier. He walked away, and the car didn't even get tweeked. A couple fenders and steering parts etc. and it would live again. My point is that at the power level you are running, it is really easy to have some little thing happen. You saying it is what it is is fine, but what it really is is stupid to threaten your kids with the loss of their dad because you want to bypass the proper saftey equiptment for the speeds you want to go. If I was your kid I would be pissed. And if you do kill yourself, the head lines will haunt your family as long as they live. Racer dies in high speed wreck at track because of shoddy saftey equiptment. OK, I'll shut up now.
Danny

 

[charliep]

Your attitude about safety really makes me sick. I don't car if you only go down the track once. Your doing a great job getting the car to run 10's now do the rest of the work and get a cage and safety equipments in it. I've been racing for over 30 years so I have seen things happen.

 

[norbs]

Especially accidents like this:

http://www.yellowbullet.com/Orlando/FastEd.wmv

 

[Grumpy]

wow...bunch of old farts in here My daughters car just had all the upgrades last year ... Cage, c clip elim , axles , tranny shield ect ect ... Her mother was in on all this more than the track

 

[oldtimer]

Here's a little story bout that. A customer brought his supra into my shop for a cage. All I want is to pass tech he said. I heard you guys were really good. We said sure it will pass tech, but we won't do it unless we are allowed to make it safe. He had run some low tens, and had upgraded to a t100 during the winter. He griped and kicked at the gravel, but finally said OK. We put in a cage that passed tech, and had lots of extra braceing in a tig welded chrome moly fortress. On his second shake down pass he turned up the boost, and got loose at the top. He got it slowed down to about 100mph before he ran into a concrete barrier. He walked away, and the car didn't even get tweeked. A couple fenders and steering parts etc. and it would live again. My point is that at the power level you are running, it is really easy to have some little thing happen. You saying it is what it is is fine, but what it really is is stupid to threaten your kids with the loss of their dad because you want to bypass the proper saftey equiptment for the speeds you want to go. If I was your kid I would be pissed. And if you do kill yourself, the head lines will haunt your family as long as they live. Racer dies in high speed wreck at track because of shoddy saftey equiptment. OK, I'll shut up now.
Danny

Amen brother !!

And remember, irresponsible racers give drag racing another black eye :frown:

 

[JDSfastGN]

im not a saftey expert but just because hes not following the NHRA rules, he is still putting in a strong bolt in cage. Bolt-ins are strong enough for unibody cars, so im sure they would be enough to protect the driver in a full frame car.

 

[Grumpy]

even if he did a bolt in ... it does't "just" come out after ya race

 

[charliep]

The rule is very specific for full frame cars. The cage must be welded to the frame. They do still allow for swing out side bars. However I don't think they will allow for swingout bars much longer.

 

[oldtimer]

im not a saftey expert but just because hes not following the NHRA rules, he is still putting in a strong bolt in cage. Bolt-ins are strong enough for unibody cars, so im sure they would be enough to protect the driver in a full frame car.

Unibodies are a structurally stronger than a regular framed car body. Framed car bodies can come right off the frame in severe collisions.

The rules are there for a purpose, not just to inconvience a racer. This forum is about safety isn't it ?

 

[Mac in SD]

About...oh...13 years ago, Dean Marcum of the BGNRA had a lot of discussions with NHRA Div 7 about bolt-in rollbars. We were dealing with the fact that most of the NHRA Techs at the time had no idea that ANY street car could run 11's. Anyways, because the G-body is actually a semi-full frame car, they said go ahead and do a genuine bolt-in like every other sanctioning body (SCCA, the eruos, etc.) accepted and often mandated. So AutoPower of San Diego did one for me (used my car to design a bar for g-bodies.) It's the real deal with removable side bars, etc., plates above and below the floors. Not the kind of thing you put in and take out for a weekend of racing. It's in there, but can be removed for upholstery work, etc.

Think about it: if a body-frame separation is the concern, wouldn't you rather have the roll-bar stay in the body with the driver?