Nick_LeMonsHQ wrote:Thanks for posting these pix, they are very helpful. ALL THREE OF THESE DESIGNS ARE LEGAL. The "continuous" language is a little tricky--but one-piece front hoops, left/right hoops, and "halo" designs are all acceptable. What we want to avoid are main structural elements of the cage being made of sectioned-together pieces of tube.
At minimum, cage must include: Full front and rear hoop, appropriately braced to each other along the roofline; two drivers-side door bars (X-design is acceptable); appropriate main-hoop backstays with no bends, located as close to 45 degrees from horizontal as practical; one main-hoop diagonal; appropriate spreader plates and gussets; complete 360-degree welds at all joints. Each major load-bearing member must be formed from its own single, continuous tube.
Thank you Nick.
The continuous part isn't the tricky part - it's the "Full front ... hoop" that is the sticking term in the rule. That is what is making the design hard. Doing a cage that way is the worst of all worlds...
I really hate to point to another organization for rollcage specs but you could look at the SCCA GCR but paraphrasing the IT rollcage rules:
Main roll hoop (behind the driver) shall extend the full width of the driver/passenger compartment, shall be as near the roof as possible, and shall be made of one continuous tube. It shall incorporate at least one diagonal lateral brace to prevent lateral distortion of the hoop. It is required that a horizontal brace behind the driver’s seat continue from the diagonal to the passenger side main hoop upright or that a second diagonal be installed in the main hoop (this is currently optional in theLeMons rules but makes the main hoop much stronger). The main roll hoop shall have two unbent braces extending to the rear attaching to the frame or chassis. Braces shall be attached as near as possible to the top of the main hoop and as close to 45 degrees as possible.
The front or side hoops shall follow the line of the front pillars to the top of the windshield (as close to the roof as possible) then horizontally to the rear attaching to the main hoop. These two side hoops are to be connected together by a tube over the top of the windshield, or
a front hoop following the line of the front pillars and connected by horizontal bars to the main hoop on each side at the top may be used, or a top “halo” hoop following the roof line from the main hoop to the windshield with forward down tubes following the line of the front pillars to the floor.
Two (2) side tubes connecting the front and rear hoops across the drivers door opening are mandatory. NASCAR-style side protection, or one bar bisecting another to form an “X” is permitted.
--Rob Leone
Schumacher Taxi Service We won the IOE at Southern Discomfort.
We got screwed at The Real Hoopties of New Jersey and we took cars down with us.
We got the curse at Capitol Offense but they wouldn't let us destroy the car.