I have heard that roll cages stiffen the body as much if not more than subframe connectors. I will soon have the car running pretty quickly (I'm hoping for high to mid 12s) so I was wondering what everyones opinion was on this. I love the way the roll cage looks but there heavy . So do I go with the heavy roll cage or the subframe connectors???
Thanx

 

I would recommend to go with subframe connetors first,then go with the cage.

 

Go with a good set of weld in SFC,they make a huge diference. IMO,a cage is not even needed until your into the 11's.

 

SFC first. You don't technically need a roll "bar" until you hit 11's. Even a 12 second car will benifit from a bar though. Kits from Chassis Engineering are good to use.

My roll bar is a custom made 6 point made from mild steel and is thick enough to pass an NHRA tech inspection. The entire bar weighs 70 pounds. Chrome-moly can be smaller and is also lighter but also cost a lot more plus it needs to be TIG welded instead of MIG welded.

You don't need a full cage until you hit 9's. If the firewall or floor has been altered then a full cage is required quicker than 10.99.

There are pics on my web pages showing how I installed the roll bar. For a street car, a swing out side bar is recommended.

 

Stephen 87 IROC,
First off I'd like to say that you have one badass car. How much did the cage help get rid of car flex. How much did it cost for the kit and installation.
What did you mean by swing out side bar. Is that possible???

Thanx for all the suggestions all. Keep them coming.

 

Car flex? I don't know. Once I hit the 11's I put it in and I already had the SFC's since the first day I went racing at 14 second 1/4 miles. Although the floor has some wrinkled sheet metal from the suspension, there's no exterior damage yet.

To get something like that installed will cost around $500-$800 just for the labour depending on the shop. My "kit" cost me $250 and I welded it in myself. (All prices are Canadian). If you strip out all the interior first yourself, the cost of installation will be cheaper.

A swing out bar has a pivot point on the lower end just up from the front door piller. The top is attached with a pin. You pull the pin and swing out the door bar. It makes getting in and out of the car very easy. Swingout bars are NHRA legal. I don't use a swing out bar but do have a removable steering wheel to help get in and out but it was still awkward. Before I stripped down the steering column I had to use the tilt steering to give me enough access. When I'm working on the car I just removed the T-tops. That gives me lots of room.

 

I'll be getting a rollbar installed soon too. I've been quoted at about $800 plus $150 per side for each swing out(with me removing the interior). This is for a custom bent/fit rollbar which in my opinion is the way to go. I'm having the rear bars bent and placed just behind the folding seat in the corners(this is what the guy said he could do for me, it was his idea) This will leave the roll up cover in place and rear hatch area open so I can still easily place my t-tops back there with the bag and everything. I'll try and post pics in the Body/Interior section when it's done.

As far as the weight of the rollbar goes it's not too bad. Besides, if you stiffen the chassis then the power that was wasted(absorbed) from flexing the car will be used to help move you forward. With the swing outs you can also remove the sidebars entirely which is nice on a street car. Definitely get subframe connectors wether you get the rollbar or not as they do help.

 

well man sounds like a rough dillema honestly both are essential in my car i have both but for first. i would recommend five things/

1. Subframe Connectors
2. Subframe Connectors
3. Subframe Connectors
4. Subframe Connectors
5. Subframe Connectors

they are really important if you are running high horses and torque cuz if not youll bend the **** out of your frame at high rpm's my buddy tore the hell out of his car and sounds like you have a sweet ride id hate to see you have his luck.. but in the same sentence safety with a roll cage is just as important.. the only thing that is a downfall is the unibody frame...


good luck man....

 

Roll Bar = 6points?????????

 

Minimum requirement is a 5 point bar. 2 mounting points for the main hoop, 2 mount points for the rear braces and one point for the driver side door bar. Very rarely will someone just use a 5 point bar and will have a passenger side door bar installed for the last mounting point making it a 6 point bar.

A cage starts at 8 mount points with the 2 front bars that hold the roof bar up going down to the front mounts of the side bars.

10 point bars add cross braces in the main hoop that tie into the frame or subframe.

A 12 point cage has bars that go through the firewall and tie into the front of the frame.

Although there's no limit to the number of mounting points you can add to a roll bar/cage, those are the most common versions. You could take a simple 6 point bar and add the cross braces into the SFC and make it an 8 point "roll bar" but it wouldn't be an 8 point cage.