Roll Cage!

[Simon]

Hey,

Ok someone will sell me an Autopower roll cage for $300, yes it is bolt in but I will get it welded later by a friend. BUT I dont know how to tell if it is DOM or ERW tubing, it is smooth inside it, and thats all I know. He does not know either as he bought the car a few weeks back with the cage in it.... I dont know how to tell! I have pics of it if that would help. Also I am still wanting a Kirk cage, so I am selling my slot car track and tamiya r/c race car, these are not toys, they are fast and cool..... They are in the classifieds. Thanks!

Simon
www.simontibbett.evaluand.com

[Knestis]

Unless the Autopower is pretty darned new, it may well be ERW tubing. DOM tubing is REALLY smooth on the inside - like almost polished, from running over the mandrel and you can actually feel or see the weld seam on the outside of ERW in most cases.

K

EDIT - check the logbook of the car that it's in to see when it was inspected and/or if there is any notation of what material it is. It MIGHT be possible to actually buy the logbook with the cage, since the number will come with it. It is not entirely clear what the logbook literally records, since it is relatively common to reshell a racing car...

[This message has been edited by Knestis (edited October 27, 2003).]

[Simon]

Hey,

Ok thanks! Also I found a cage with these specs: 1 3/4" by .134 wall mild steel tubing, is that legal?? I think though I may just go with Kirk as I talked to them tonight....

Simon

[joeg]

Legal but HEAVY!

[theenico]

I'm going to sound like my dad here for a second... "you can't put a price on safety"
That said, I'm extremely cheap (ask my wife).
So, and this is just a suggestion, if you use any prefabricated rollcage, the way you do the mounting plates can make all the difference in the world. IMO the ideal way, since this type of cage generally attaches to the floor, is to extend the plates over to and up the rockers and then add a vertical gussett between the vertical portion of the plate and the tube. This is a very inexpensive way to enhance the safety and maybe stiffen up the chassis at the same time.

------------------
Nico
KCRaceware (816) 257-7305
[email protected]

[rage_racing]

correct me if I am wrong but starting next season ERW is no longer acceptable right?

or are you still gonna be able to use the heavier walled ERW rather than a thinner DOM

clarification please as I am in the process of cage design now and would just as well use ERW 1 3/4 .095 or .120
*Nascar,NHRA,and many other sanctioning bodies still allow it and use it regularly and I wont be doing 200 MPH **
The biggest thing will be proper design no matter what tubing you use Right?

[tderonne]

ERW was out 1-1-2003. Per the 2003 GCR.