Mike-SEiW Posted March 17, 2004 Posted March 17, 2004 I would like to know (since I'm too far away to actually purchase one), the width and height of the RAC rollbar. So if someone could please go out and measure center of tube to center of tube the width, and height from the rear bulkhead to the top of the bar. That would be luvverly and I'd be forever in your debt Quote
deano.1 Posted March 17, 2004 Posted March 17, 2004 Mike it just so happens that i have the said item sitting in my dining room centre to centre across is approx 930mm and bulkhead to top of bar is 410mm. Hope this helps, Cheers Dean Quote
Mike-SEiW Posted March 18, 2004 Author Posted March 18, 2004 Mike it just so happens that i have the said item sitting in my dining room I thought someone might!! Good to have the dimensions. I'll go home a double check measurements and then give that to the rollbar people to make the main hoop (I'll do the rest myself). Quote
Mike-SEiW Posted March 18, 2004 Author Posted March 18, 2004 Thanks Dean, I've got everything I need. Dimensions checked out and I will make mine to those specs. Quote
Mike-SEiW Posted March 19, 2004 Author Posted March 19, 2004 Ordered the main hoop today with those dimensions and extra 3x1,2m lengths for diagonal and rear braces. I hope those lengths are sufficient? Material is seamless CDS 45mm OD but I didn't check the thickness but these guys know what they're doing. Cost is about £120 for the hoop and extra material. I think that's a fair price. Quote
neilwillis Posted March 19, 2004 Posted March 19, 2004 If you are fabricating one yourself, the height dimension - for competition at least - is a minimum of 50mm above helmeted head, under a line from the top front rail of the chassis to the roll bar. Just a thought, if you happen to be above average height Quote
Mike-SEiW Posted March 19, 2004 Author Posted March 19, 2004 If you are fabricating one yourself, the height dimension - for competition at least - is a minimum of 50mm above helmeted head, under a line from the top front rail of the chassis to the roll bar. Just a thought, if you happen to be above average height Ok thanks. I know about the height, I'm a normal 176cm heel to top of head, but as far as I can tell the RAC looks tall enough judging by most pics. I haven't done the seat yet, but its only a bucket seat without much padding that bolts directly to the floor of the car, so it should be quite low. I also ordered the height +10cm so I could cut it off myself, whichmeans I *can* make it higher if I wanted to. Quote
deano.1 Posted March 19, 2004 Posted March 19, 2004 Mike, my struts are 740mm from centre to centre of the rose joints and the roll bar is 40mm dia Quote
Mike-SEiW Posted March 30, 2004 Author Posted March 30, 2004 Back to the top. I've had my main hoop now since Friday and have been looking, measuring, scratching my head and now I'm back to this topic. Whichever way I measure, i end up that the top of the bar should be about 540mm from the top of the bulkhead. The RAC bar is a whopping 130mm lower. It doesn't make sense, and I'm not that tall either. As I can measure on myself, I'm about 85cm from seat to top of head when I'm sitting, not measured vertically but along estimated backrest angle (about the same angle as the rear bulkhead angle). Let's say the seat adds 50mm from the bottom mount (maybe a little high estimate). Add a few cm for helmet and 50mm more for "competition" clearance (good to have anyway). That comes to a neat 970mm. Since the angle formed from top of bar to front chassis rail is quite steep, I estimate that to add approx 150mm to the 970mm height above "me" because I like to sit quite close to the steering wheel. So the total height of rollbar should be 1120mm. The bulkhead is approx 580mm high measured along it's slope. So bulkhead to top of bar measurement comes to 540mm. Unfortunately, having that high a bar looks really awkward and "top heavy". If anyone has an RAC bar and thinks its too low, please speak up now and give your reasons please. Any pics of "normal height" people in the cars with RAC bar would I guess also be helpful. Any other tips or recommendations? Mike Quote
neilwillis Posted March 31, 2004 Posted March 31, 2004 My bar does look ungainly too. Some people get around the height issue by welding a hoop onto the top of the standard RAC bar, which give the height needed, but looks a lot less top heavy. In all honesty, I'd wait until the seats were in before I started measuring. The roll bar can be fitted last of all. Fitting the bodywork doesn't need the roll bar in place, just use a single rivet instead of using the roll bar to hold everything together as they describe in the manual. Quote
Mike-SEiW Posted March 31, 2004 Author Posted March 31, 2004 I guess you're right. I'm just so anxious to get the thing on the road and I've been putting off making the seats for half a year... Quote
timd Posted March 31, 2004 Posted March 31, 2004 FWIW most people won't get under the imaginary line drawn from the top of rollhoop to highest solid bit at front of car (which is probably engine not chassis BTW). Even if they are avg height and using the westy RAC bar, and especially if they have seats on runners. Also I understood the "ruling" to be 50mm measured vertically from top of crash helmet. Scrutes could measure this, but they aren't gonna go pulling all the covers off the front of the car and putting a long stick between the 2 to check... The reason for the 50mm is to take into account that imaginary line. I'd agree with Neil though, get the seats in 1st and do it right, once. No point guessing now and ending up with something either way too tall and looking daft, or too short and useless.. Quote
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