Disadvantages of a full Cage ?

[Mat Jackson 1975]

13 hours ago, Naranja_Al said:

I’m leaning towards retro fitting a full FIA cage over the winter. The only reason I’m not 100%, is the fact I’d need to drill my chassis rails as I don’t have the pre-drilled holes already….🤔

It’s a fairly simple job to do!!

[Naranja_Al]

13 minutes ago, Mat Jackson 1975 said:

It’s a fairly simple job to do!!

I’d seen that you have recently done it. Maybe I need to pick your brains before ordering…..

[Matt_S]

@Mat Jackson 1975 I’ll have a look for some photos and forward them to you 👍🏼

[Matt_S]

27 minutes ago, Naranja_Al said:

I’d seen that you have recently done it. Maybe I need to pick your brains before ordering…..

Order it! Worry about fitting it afterwards ! 😂

[Naranja_Al]

10 minutes ago, Matt_S said:

Order it! Worry about fitting it afterwards ! 😂

Now that is the sort of encourage I do not need, or is it…..! 🤣

[Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO]

It's quite light (well under 30kg) so easy to hang from the ceiling while fitting and just lift/lower a few times while carefully drilling the holes with step drills etc

[Flying Carrot Steve]

1 hour ago, Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO said:

It's quite light (well under 30kg) so easy to hang from the ceiling while fitting and just lift/lower a few times while carefully drilling the holes with step drills etc

 

 

I've often wondered how much a cage weighs, that's helpful info for me ta @Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO helps me compare my heavy old thing weight-wise to cars without a full cage. 

 

Anyone know how much an MSA/RAC or Jap bar weighs?

 

Hopefully I've got the correct names this time? 😂

[Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO]

my old RAC bar was quite heavy - something like 12kg I think, so changing to a full cage only picked up about 15kg total, but I felt the increased body stiffness was immediately obvious on the road, so a great improvement just for that.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

2 hours ago, Flying Carrot Steve said:

or Jap bar weighs

Not a lot, compared to the others, but then it is NOT a safety device and is not structural, it's a cosmetic item, although on an FW it does act as the rear support for the roof.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

I did try searching, but unfortunately, the old faithful sites with parts weights seem to have finally succumbed to time and disappeared. (not really surprised, they must have been twenty or more years old at this point, with the old owners not having much involvement for some time).

[Flying Carrot Steve]

55 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) said:

Not a lot, compared to the others, but then it is NOT a safety device and is not structural, it's a cosmetic item, although on an FW it does act as the rear support for the roof.

 

 

I had one on my Tiger. Didn't realise it was only cosmetic until I looked one day and saw it was just bolted on with one nut and bolt each side and could probably be bent to 90° by a strong wind 😂

[Flying Carrot Steve]

2 hours ago, Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO said:

my old RAC bar was quite heavy - something like 12kg I think, so changing to a full cage only picked up about 15kg total, but I felt the increased body stiffness was immediately obvious on the road, so a great improvement just for that.

 

 

Yep, my Westfield with full cage is super stiff compared to some kits I've been in with just a roll bar.  

[KevanP]

My son and I fitted my FIA cage in a weekend. Fitted four eye bolts into some 4x2 cross beams, feed some rope through and hoisted the cage over the car. Lined it all up, marked on masking tape and checked, then checked again. Pilot drilled the key fixings front first and all was good.

 

I decided to weld in the side impact bars in, rather than bolt as it was a neater job and avoided drilling yet more holes in chassis box section. 

All in all pretty straightforward. 

Definitely stiffens up the chassis. 

 

In terms of getting in and out.... yes you've gotta be pretty flexible... Mines lowered floors and id say for me a detachable steering wheel is mandatory. That said I'm overweight, 65y old, 6ft 2 inches but still can get in and out reasonably OK. Not sure for how many more years though 🤔. 

 

Getting in, is left leg in first, head up through the hole in roll cage, grab the top, right foot in and lower your bum into the seat. 

Getting out is trickier, head up through the gap, right leg out, duck under and left leg out...

I'll have to video the manoeuvre, it'll make for some good laughs 😃 

[Matt_S]

@Mat Jackson 1975 I’ve PM’d you regarding the pictures 👍🏼

[Rob Hunter - Club Secretary]

Spotted this on the Customcages Instagram page the other day which looks interesting....

 

A few screen grabs if you haven't got Insta

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNDIuOENsuz/?igsh=MXRtOG04MWl2ZjNpag==

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMKbacGNfPD/?igsh=NWtkazdrNmU1NDB0