Roll Cages?? are these legal???

[SIR33]

anyone know the legalities of roll cages??

[browny]

They can be road legal if done properly and it depends on the rules in your particular state. By far the best option is to speak with your local registration authority who should put you onto an engineering signatory. The signatory should know all the ins and outs.

In a nutshell in NSW there are rules for head clearance, visibility and access and all bars above shoulder height must be padded.

If you are planning on racing the car, you may also want to check with the relevant authorities to determine what they require because AFAIK a cage that is road legal is not necessarily approved by say CAMS.

My personal opinion (please note this is an OPINION only) for road going cars is that cages are unnecessary but racing is another matter.

[SIR33]

yeah i know what u mean, i wanted to take it out of the car thats all.

[Duncan]

Also, if its a bolt in jap cage it is highly unlikely it is approved for racing in Aus either, they need to be either developed or approved locally and jp use a smaller diameter pipe.

Unless you've got a great reason to keep it....out it goes

[EnricoPalazzo]

I must wonder why the Japs bother with those tiny diameter piped roll cages. I mean what is the real point of having them. Is it to increase chassis rigidity or is it so that u can race?

Is it a bad thing if ur car had/ or has a roll cage?

[akeenan]

basically if your car has or had a roll cage it was being driven where it was possible for all wheels to leave the road... this in my eyes would suggest the car would have been driven hard...

[Steve]

Dean, yes they do incrase chassis rigidity - very much so.

But they are illegal in SA:(

[EnricoPalazzo]

Do u want one steve?

[SKYL9]

hey guys i was actually looking for a cage a while ago but not so much any more.. but does any1 have any pix and prices on what they're worth?

[SIR33]

do u think they are needed in a road vehicle? say R33 with 350 to 400rwkw???

[Steve]

Dean, I would love to have one.

SKYL9, I have seen them from around $350 to $750+ second hand - you get what you pay for.

SIR33, just like installing decent sus, installing a roll cage will increase handling. Roll cages increase chassis rigidity which will provide more positive feedback to the driver.

[browny]

Basically my thoughts are that for a road only car a cage is a bit of a wank, here's my 2c:

Safety benefits are questionable. The RTA doesnt like cages because they pose a striking hazard in the event of a collision type accident which is way more likely than a roll over. Sounds reasonable to me.

Its an expensive way to chase better handling and a functional cage may require some aspects of the car are compromised (eg headlining, rear seat). Compromising the design of the cage to retain car functionality sort of negates the argument that you need a cage in the first place. Also RTA rules can make it difficult to install a proper cage (ie cant have side bars across doors and driver vision/movement not to be impaired).

So the only real reason I can see for the putting a cage in a road car is because you have lots of money and want to look like an uber cool race car driver.

Of course now someone will come on here and say they got an awesome cage for $10 that retains full functionality of everything in the car, increases stiffness by 1000% and its 100% legal

[Steve]

$10, are you kidding, my mates mates mates mate got one for $1.50:p

And browny, I have already spent over 30k on my car, and I consider a $500 roll cage quite a cheap mod, but yeah, if you want a daily driver with back seats and all the rest, a roll cage just wont cut it.

[browny]

What do you get in the way of a cage for $500?

[Bl4cK32]

Originally posted by browny

Basically my thoughts are that for a road only car a cage is a bit of a wank, here's my 2c:

Safety benefits are questionable. The RTA doesnt like cages because they pose a striking hazard in the event of a collision type accident which is way more likely than a roll over. Sounds reasonable to me.

Its an expensive way to chase better handling and a functional cage may require some aspects of the car are compromised (eg headlining, rear seat). Compromising the design of the cage to retain car functionality sort of negates the argument that you need a cage in the first place. Also RTA rules can make it difficult to install a proper cage (ie cant have side bars across doors and driver vision/movement not to be impaired).

So the only real reason I can see for the putting a cage in a road car is because you have lots of money and want to look like an uber cool race car driver.

Of course now someone will come on here and say they got an awesome cage for $10 that retains full functionality of everything in the car, increases stiffness by 1000% and its 100% legal

Personally, I think it would be worth it, saftey wise, to have a cage in the car. Don't they say driving out on the road is far more dangerous than driving on the race track?? I have seen numerous car fatalities on the news where cars have been stolen, then run through a red light. Who survives?? the thieves....

Sorry, my rant, but if you've ever lost anyone on the road, because of some ignorant *** heads then in my eyes, if you've done everything you can to protect yourself, your better off. NOT just wank factor - a life saver in some cases.....

[browny]

Did you read why I suggested they may not be great for safety on the roads?

The view by the RTA is that a roll cage is designed to protect the occupants in the event of a roll-over (rare). Because of all the bars and crap that you get with a roll cage it means there is more stuff that you can bust yourself up on in a collision type accident which is vastly more common. Hence in the majority of cases a cage presents more of a safety risk.

Racing is a different situation as there is much greater chance of a roll-over.

[Bl4cK32]

Arn't they supposed to be padded anyway?? I'd rather have the risk of hitting me head on the bar, than being crushed when the car gets torn in half.....

[ed]

there's other ways to stiffen the chasis for a daily driver without the use of a cage.

Do luck floor support bar.

Do luck front ladder bar

Do luck rear ladder bar

Do luck inside floor bar

[Steve]

THEN add a roll cage, and you are cooking. Besides, I can guarantee that all those pretty DoLuck bits added together probably cost more than 2 roll cages - nevertheless, EVER bit helps, its all good.

for $500, a excellent condition steel cage or an alloy one in decent condition with cosmetic problems. I have seen full chrome molly in near perfect condition second hand for $750.

[ed]

Originally posted by Steve

Besides, I can guarantee that all those pretty DoLuck bits added together probably cost more than 2 roll cages - nevertheless, EVER bit helps, its all good.

you're probably right, but you can probably get cheaper if you buy a different brand. Do Luck isn't exactly cheap