Well, even at my local track with pretty lax tech and where they know me I will need a cage next year. My car is a 'vert and I am running high 10's. Next year, more likely low 10's, but hopefully high 9's. That's all provided I can use a swingout side bar. The car will lose it's utility as a street car if I have to climb over a side bar to get in and out. I know some of you "kids" find this to be no problem. But I find it unpleasant at best, and painful at worst (I have a bad back).

My question is whether I can still use a swing-out side bar with a cage in a 'vert. The IHRA rule book doesn't mention swingouts anywhere that I can see. The NHRA book alludes to the specs for a legal swingout, but isn't clear on when they may be used. Have any of you passed tech in a car that requires a cage but has swingouts? Or any other light you can shed on this?

Thanks.

Rich Krause

 

Buddy of mine passed tech yesterday, w/ his 6-point Wolfe Racecraft bolt-in cage w/ swingouts in his 95Z....car ran 10.85 @ 129. I didn't get the swingout option on my cage; I'm young, I can climb.

 

Swingouts are still an option Rich even at the 10.0 level. Matter of fact I believe they are till 7.50 so you should be fine. Just make sure the bar is the proper height in relation to the driver.

 

Rich, I'm running a vert also, and like you, perfer a swingout side bar. I just called my reginal tech director and NHRA considers the Camaro convertible a FULLBODIED car, so five point with swingout is good to 10 flat and cage with swingout to 7.50.
Now a five point must be 1 3/4 dia. A cage can be 1 5/8 and you can't addon 1 5/8 to a 1 3/4 bar So if you have a five point and cage it, you need to use all 1 3/4 tube or start from scratch. Look at page 208 thru 215 of the nhra 2002 rule book.

 

Rich,

Steve covered most of the details for ya. There are some other intricacies in bar length, diameter, and wall thickness.

My solid recommendation would be to take the car to the absolute BEST chassis shop you can find within any reasonable distance. I chose wrong the first time and have regretted it since. My choices were fairly limited in this area. I finally found a great one in the area though.

I know of one in NY that specializes in Stock Eliminator cars and does alot of work on 4th generation F-Bodies. If you would like to know more about them drop me a line.

Also I don't know the NY/NJ area that well, but Neverlift is in NJ and would be a great option as well.

Many of these guys will cringe at the thought of putting in a Swingout/Takeout bar due to loss of ridgidity, but if you tell them thats the necessity I'm sure they can work around that and make the car work for ya.

Good luck!

 

A little OT, but still on the subject of bars NHRA rules.

How fast can you run on a 6-pt, bolt-in cage? Does it make a difference if you tack the nuts to the bolts on the bar mounts?

We had a debate about this after the Shootout Sunday morning.

 

Bobby: thank you (and the other who responded) very much. Interesting that with NHRA rules my 6-point bar would be ok. IHRA usually follows NHRA or is less stringent. But they seem to require a full cage at 10.99 or faster for a 'vert.

Kurt: I am planning on having G-force in Tonawanda do my cage. They have a great rep. Who do you suggest?

Thanks again.

Rich Krause

 

A bolt in cage (in a unibody car) won't do you any good it you really need it! So get someone to weld it in, please

Rich Krause

 

Rich,

I've never heard of G-Force myself but that means virtucally nothing, I was just giving a couple of recommendations. Neverlift has had a couple of 8 second Torque Arm Suspended cars. (3rd Gens).

All I can recommend is MAKE SURE they understand what it takes to be NHRA Legal. Be sure on what you want and make sure they understand that. After that you should be golden. I'm having to add 2 bars to get the chassis certified , While I'm at it I'm be adding a couple for some extra ridgidity.

Good luck!

 

A bolt-in roll bar properly installed has the 6x6" plates on the top and bottom of the floor. When bolted together it sandwiches the floor. When properly installed it's just as legal as a welded in bar but I'd also prefer the weld in version.

A 6 point (5 point minimum) roll bar is good to 10.0 UNLESS the floor or firewall have been altered. This includes moving the firewall back so the engine can be set back or if there's an access cover for transmission removal in excess of 1 square foot. Cutting a floor to do a modification then welding it back up is not considered altered. Backhalfing a car is not considered altered.

If the floor or firewall have been altered then a full roll cage is required at 10.99. The swingout side bar is legal to 7.50 in an OEM bodied car.

 

A six point BAR can be bolt in with 6X6 plates, a cage is weld in only. A six (or five) point BAR is good to 10.00. This applies to unibody cars, full frame is different.

 

Rich, The rule book also says that a 10 point cage is required in all cars running faster than 135mph no exceptions. People tend to forget that. You could very well be doing that speed so a 6 point would NOT be legal in that case.

 

I just got around to reading last week's Digger (NHRA's Weekly Magazine) and it should be noted that for convertibles faster then 10.99 or 135mph will now be required to have a full cage. This is a change from the 2002 Rule book which was faster then 9.99 or 135mph.

Theres also some new changes at the 180mph range, but I think most of us will be OK for now.

 

Hey Rich. Contact Pete Z at A.T.E enterprises. He is huge among the stocker crowd and does some great work. It will be done right the first time. Check them out at

http://www.hpspecialties.com/index.htm

 

Actually that site is run by someone else reselling some of Pete's products. HP SPecialties is kind of a PITA. Probably some of the worst CSI I've had. Emails are never answered, no phone number to call.

If you want Pete's # just shoot me an email.