Rollbars 101 for this newbie

[Mike Unger]

I have to agree with Steve on this. If your serious about going racing get serious about the cage in your car and your safety gear. Stuff happens and it will happen eventually if you continue to race. I've had a couple of big hits and the safety gear did it's job. Vintage safety rules for roll bars are typically minimal at best. The SCCA rules are minimum requirements for SCCA and are a good starting point. They specify bar placement and also tubing diameter, thickness and type. You need to use DOM tubing. Many after market bars are ERW tubing. Of the cars above the only one that appears to meet minimal SCCA requirements would be the #46 car. My roadster has a full cage, not SCCA legal because it deviates from their very specific design requirements but I'm comfortable in it's design as being protective. I personally wouldn't race without a full cage but that is up to the driver and the rules allowed by your sanctioning body. My new SCCA car I'm building is built in excess of SCCA's requirements. Just my 2 cents as I too have been saved by my gear.

[RCMike]

Bumping this back up.

Im curious if my current rollbar is remotely near spec.

Is it welded to the frame? Are there door bars? I mean if not, you have a bar that might pass the insurance test for an HPDE, but it will not meet spec for wheel to wheel racing..

[2mAn]

Bumping this back up.

Im curious if my current rollbar is remotely near spec.

Is it welded to the frame? Are there door bars? I mean if not, you have a bar that might pass the insurance test for an HPDE, but it will not meet spec for wheel to wheel racing..

Answer to all of these is No. I had a guy check it out and he said its for for HPDE, and from your own experience I realize that Im not anywhere near VARA legal.

With that said, can anyone show where on the frame the rollbars are welded to?