Roll cage in a daily driver

[dpaqu]

Is there a way to make a roll cage safe for the street with no helmet?

I’m sure there aren’t stats on this like there are with air bags and such but how dangerous is it do drive a vehicle with a roll cage and no helmet?

[revolutionary]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

If you look at anyone's rulebooks on how an acceptable cage is constructed, you should have no problems as long as you are just building a 6 pointer. In NHRA the top hoop has to be a max of 6" from the back of the driver's helmet to the bar. Figure there's at least an inch of helmet and you are looking at 7 inches of clearance and your seat should have some kind of whiplash support to keep your head from going back that far. Of course if you don't wear your seatbelts then you are just asking for trouble.

[Dans 83]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

As long as the cage isn't 25.5 (funny car style hoop around driver) it shouldn't be a issue. To be legal a drivers helmet must be completely below the main hoop. So hitting the main hoop shouldn't happen if the proper harness is used. If the cage is 25.5 cert. I would just put padding on the bars around your head!

[Duner]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

Depending upon your vehicle, you could put the rollbar above the headliner to get it farther away from your head. While the tech guys initially wonder what's going on with my setup, once they figure out where the rest of the tubing goes they're happy with it.



My top hoop is between the headliner and the outer skin of the truck. Notice the padding by my head where the bar goes past the seat. While my head can't get to this bar under "normal" circumstances.... It's hard to tell where my head would end up in a crash.

[Falcon67]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

The rule books require bar padding (real bar padding, not pipe insulation!) in the area of the driver's head anyway. With that and the proper install specs, you should be fine. If the main hoop is placed properly, your head should miss it and hit the window or door pillar in a left side impact. Last car I saw get wadded up at the track had a 6 point - it dropped a front ladder bar mount in the lights and flipped. Car was wrapped around the bar and the driver said his helmet didn't smack anything real hard. I'd have to hunt the pics, but IIRC there was no padding on the bars.

[dpaqu]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

That truck looks really well done.

It's hard to tell where my head would end up in a crash.

That’s kind of what I’m thinking. 6 or 7 inches is not that far. I looks like proper belt anchoring would be off the utmost importance.

Its funny I am real jumpy about installing a cage in a daily driver but I have no problem jumping on my motorcycle to go to work. .

[kick_the_reverb]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

I also was wondering about that and thought that unless everyone in the vehicle were wearing tight harnesses, it might be too dangerous. Above the headliner is a neat idea.

[Brad54]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

On a post on the HAMB, someone with the actual figures at hand included a really neat chart or diagram that showed how much the human body stretched during an impact, when everything was traveling at, say, 45mph and coming to a halt. It was scary.

You either have to put the bar up in the headliner as was shown (very nice work, by the way), or wrap it in proper padding.

One guy I know had a friend with a race mini-cooper, and he had an accident on the street. Granted, it's a small, SMALL car, and had a lot of roll bar tubing, but what he said really shocked me: "It was like getting hit in the head with an aluminum bat swinging at 40mph." He ended up with brain damage.

REAL roll bar padding is a must.

-Brad

[dieselgeek]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

what's the concern with hitting your head on the rollbar? everyone acts like hitting your head on glass, or an A-pillar, or door frame, is going to be "no problem" ? not that I condone bad cage design, but still. I keep hearing this "eeewwww, you can't be safe with a cage on the street cuz you'll hit your head on a bar" thing.

[cal67ss396]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

Duner very niiiice work, will you come put my cage in.

[yellomalibu]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

what's the concern with hitting your head on the rollbar? everyone acts like hitting your head on glass, or an A-pillar, or door frame, is going to be "no problem" ? not that I condone bad cage design, but still. I keep hearing this "eeewwww, you can't be safe with a cage on the street cuz you'll hit your head on a bar" thing.

Excellent point.

I simply don't feel safe in a vehicle without a seat belt.

When I'm racing, I pull the straps down quite tight. They're worthless if they're not tight if/when you crash hard.

When I drive on the street, I only wear the lap portion of my 5 point, as the other belts would be more likely to cause an accident by the restricted movement...a distraction... a hindrance, if you will. I do, however, make sure the lap belt is sinched down very tight.
I don't feel as likely to be in a crash when I'm street driving, because I'm not driving the car wide open on the street next to another guy/girl doing the same thing...and I drive very defensively when I'm taking the Chevelle out onto public streets.

[Duner]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

Duner very niiiice work, will you come put my cage in.

Thanks!

I WISH I had time to do more fab work.
I'm having enough trouble getting my own projects done...
I must be getting old and working too slowly or something.

[dpaqu]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

Don’t jeeps come factory with role cages? I going to take a close look at how those are done next time I see one.

everyone acts like hitting your head on glass, or an A-pillar, or door frame, is going to be "no problem" ?

Very good point though I have no idea how if your buckled in your going to hit the A-pillar. I guess you just made the case for side impact airbags. Maybe the shape of the tubing (aluminum baseball bat) is important.

I bet a street car with a well designed cage recessed as far away from the driver as possible and then padded would be at least as safe as any new Volvo. In fact I bet the safest practical vehicle to drive would be a Cummins powered pickup with a beefy cage built in it. The new ones have huge cabs, plenty of room around the driver and a 1100 pound engine in front.

[QuarterHorse]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

what's the concern with hitting your head on the rollbar? everyone acts like hitting your head on glass, or an A-pillar, or door frame, is going to be "no problem" ? not that I condone bad cage design, but still. I keep hearing this "eeewwww, you can't be safe with a cage on the street cuz you'll hit your head on a bar" thing.

That's said as the bar sits closer to you than the A-B pillar or glass etc in the car normally. I've seen some scarey set ups that's for sure.

[Fordplay0621]

Re: Roll cage in a daily driver

They are still a pain in the --- to get in and out of.