Mark (smokey mow) Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 So I'm looking at adding a forward loop, 3 roof bars and 2 side bars onto my existing RAC loop Anyone done anything similar ? This sort of thing http://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic/98380-bolt-on-front-cage-for-sale/?p=1006257 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickmaster Andy Lowe Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 This sort of thing http://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic/98380-bolt-on-front-cage-for-sale/?p=1006257[/quote Yes that sort of thing bet there's a market for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander72 Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Heres a very young me driving my trials car with a spare tyre as rollover protection (look how low it is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickmaster Andy Lowe Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I like that roll bar James Is it self righting like a lifeboat ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander72 Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 it is if it rolls to my passengers side - I about 7 stone heavier than when that picture was taken… it was an epic car that - really miss it… :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleggy the Spyder Man Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I started with a single hoop roll bar, then fitted a braced RAC style roll bar, then fitted a playskool cage I just fealt more and more vulnerable in the car the when I started to do more track days - and as mentioned in previous posts I wanted some forward protection - I always thought about the possibility of an animal running out in front of you or a side swipe in a car, I don't think either would end that well but at least you have more around you Bit like folk that go out on motorbikes - it's your choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 As Cleggy said, it's your choice, you've got to do what you feel comfortable with. We all have our own in-built scale of acceptable risk vs reward. Just do it in awareness of both sides of the coin. There are a number of misconceptions surrounding cages and safety equipment. It's important to understand this when making an informed choice. A cage is a very hard structure requiring a lot of force to deform. This is both it advantage and it's problem. Unlike trees, lamposts, Armco, etc the cage will be with you in each and every accident at what ever speed. You must therefore dress and adjust the car appropriately, even for the half mile run to the corner shop. That means a helmet on your head and full harnesses done up properly tight. (Harnesses and seat belts stretch in a crash to help absorb and dissipate the energy and to release the g load on your body. This means you will move around more than you think at serious speed. Move around, and you will be (risking) hitting your own cage. This leads to the other popular misconception, roll cage padding. I think someone touched on this earlier in the thread. Almost all the proper, (as opposed to pipe lagging from the plumbers) padding falls into two types. A very basic type more beneficial in protecting you if you bump into the bars while climbing in or moving around in the cockpit, of comparatively little use to unprotected body parts in a crash. The more specialist padding designed for use in crashes. This is where the big misunderstanding lies, almost all of this type of padding is designed for use with a helmet. It is not to save your bear skull. There was one company, in the US, that a member was looking into a while ago that was marketing a padding for helmet less protection, but haven't heard anymore about this since. For the track, where you are helmeted and well strapped in anyway, a full cage makes a vast amount of sense, in fact, these days, for a mainly track use car, it's the only way I'd go. For the road, it's a big, big compromise, if you're someone that can live with that, excellent! Go for it, (plenty do). Don't, forget, it's passengers as well that will also need helmets and properly done up harnesses. But do think it through fully first, the classifieds both on here and at the other prime Westfield selling venues are full of those that caged up cars without considering if they could live with them, and simply slowly stopped using them on the road. The Westfield MSA half cage is probably the best compromise for the road, if you want the enhanced roll over protection it's height and superior strength give. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 When you guys are talking about the Westifeld Half Cage, what you really mean is an MSA specification Rollover bar or am I missing something ? As these have been around for years with all the aftermarket Westfield suppliers. It's only recently that Westfield have offered one themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I have personally bought a caged roll bar, the height and construction swung it for me it's my compromuse for now. Mine is currently only a road car, if I was a track user def full cage. I try and drive my Westy as if as vulnerable as a motorbike and that is part of the thrill for me - I drive even more carefully when my daughter is in with me. I like a little blat for a thrill and a smile not a huge rush - that can wait for a track day. What has not mentioned is that roll cages are all track based and designed for rollover not crash absorbtion, that said they do add huge protection and save lives. There is a difference between track and rally cages due to what you may hit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Yes the half cage is just Westfield's name for it, as is "MSA bar", it seems to be derived from, but not quite the same as, the Caged roll bar introduced years ago, but not at the time sold direct from Westfield? The current Westfield version has, IIRC thicker tubes and slightly different radii to the original one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I think so Dave, they may even be the same, whatever they are called they're both better than the standard or RAC bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I asked Simon about the details at Donington, when it had its first public showing. (The tube thickness and angles change is compared to just the rear hoop plus bracing of the full cage). Nick is right of course, other suppliers also do equivalents to the WF MSA bar. One other thing if you're a road user, to note for the WF bar, is that they do a version of the half hood to match it. Obviously you can also get someone like Softbits for Sevens to make a one off half hood to suit any roll bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Yes a half hood is another raid on my piggy bank after christmas... I think a half hood would even be made to work on a full cage. Anything that encourages all weather use is good in my eyes - that's when you learn most about driving it! Do full cages work with full screens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peet Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 BTW the Westfield bar is at a great price in WW this month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEiGHT_Steve Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 BTW the Westfield bar is at a great price in WW this month! Yes I noticed that too; down from £330 to £275 which makes it cheaper than the Playskool equivalent which I was going to get. Or should I go the whole hog and get the full cage from Playskool? Decisions, decisions....Fingers crossed Playskool decide to do a group buy deal and make the decision for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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