>Now that I have walked from one accident, I am worrying about the next
one.
>What are the roll bars that are available and the pros and cons of each
>one? I know there is an early CAT model and a late CAT model. I also
know
>some are only advertised as "show bars" - is that a liability issue
only,
>or is there really a difference? Which ones are acceptable for what
kinds
>of racing? (now that my car is no longer, and will never again be,
>perfect, racing may be in order). Also, I seem to remember that the
only
>ones that are any good, or the only ones that qualify for racing, mount
to
>the floor, not the shelf, and interfere with the seat travel - which
would
>be a problem since I already sit with the seat slid all the way back.
Is
>that true?
>
>Thanks
>
>Jay
Jay,
I dont think any roll bar manufacturer would claim any sort of
performance in the event of a rollover. The fact of the matter is
that any well made well mounted bar will offer some level of
protection in the event of a rollover.
All of the usual sunbeam roll bars mount on the rear seat platform.
This is quite rigid, and will meet any racing orgs requirements.
The most important issue with bars and racing is how the bar is
mounted. Most orgs require a backing plate the same size and shape
on the backside, as on the bar side. This presents some serious
problems for the person that is mounting the bar for you, and often
requires the cutting of sheetmetal beneath the car.
The problem with many sunbeam bars is that in order to clear
the top, the height is too low, and the persons head/helmet is at
or above the level of the bar. Some racing orgs will not allow
this.
One key point with the rollbar is where your head will go in the
case of a rear end collision. Will it be smashed against the bar,
or will it be snug in a high back seat, or will there be some padded
panel between the drivers head and the bar. The same apllies to
the passenger.
It would be very sad to survive a rollover, only to be killed by the
bar itself.
Jarrid Gross
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 10:10:14 CDT