The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Tech → Miata Roll Cage Question
Trying to put a cage in my NA Miata.
Can I do this with the door bars? or do they have to go to the main hoop?
Your welds look nice and where/how you're attaching door bars looks reasonable. But John Pagel is the guy to ask, as his decision is what matters. The "S" bends in your door bars might be a problem as "S" bends are not supposed to be allowed. Although I have seen cars pass tech with them.
S bends are fine, lots of cars have them including all 3 of mine. Never had them questioned. However, everything says they should be to the main hoop so I would get approval first from HQ. I'm pretty sure Pagel has a lot of experience with Miatas so he can also help guide you in the right direction. Probably a thread on it here if you search around.
I asked Pagel about this style of miata cage, a hoop that doesn't extend to the floorpan area and he says "That's the way I do it. That's the strongest part of the car".
I can't speak to the doorbars attachment. S Bends in door bars are permitted at this point in Lemons. I believe it is NASA that doesn't like them.
FWIW, EvilGeniusRacing (Pagel) can sell you a bent miata kit for probably cheaper than you can buy bare tube.
If you email John, post the answer here. I have a Miata, also, and will probably end up doing something similar - would love to know the "right way" for sure.
Did anyone end up building their miata cage like this or get a clarification from Pagel?
This is actually how I did the cage for our C4 Corvette. The frame kicks up behind the driver, and the floor pan is fiberglass. So the door bars attach to the A pillar bars in the front and to the frame of the car in back/behind the driver.
This is how ALL the C4 Corvette race cars I saw with cages did it. That being said I made sure it was OK with Pagel before I got out the welder. Its better to ask before you get too far into it!
In regards to the S-bent door bars, some NASA (the racing organization) keyboard commando used their high-school level understanding of statics to decreed that all S-bends are inferior. As silly as their ruling is, rules are the rules. WRL recently adopted the same rules, but are open to variances on certain S-bent door bars.
When I cage my BMW 4-door sedan, I simply ran the upper door bar THROUGH the B-pillar and then reinforced the B-pillar where the bar went through. Everyone seemed happy with the design and the driver has tons of room.
Great solution! I don't think the S bend rule is silly and haven't seen a cage with an S bend that couldn't have been done without an S. Including the vette and miata cages.
Yea, A lot of people are really scared of just putting the cage through the body.
It's not a real car anymore, don't compromise cage just to keep the body original. This isn't Showroom Stock.
Great solution! I don't think the S bend rule is silly and haven't seen a cage with an S bend that couldn't have been done without an S. Including the vette and miata cages.
Ive never seen a C4 Vette that was NOT done without an S bend. In fact the Vette was one of the cars that got the WRL to reconsider allowing them.
moparfan wrote:Great solution! I don't think the S bend rule is silly and haven't seen a cage with an S bend that couldn't have been done without an S. Including the vette and miata cages.
Ive never seen a C4 Vette that was NOT done without an S bend. In fact the Vette was one of the cars that got the WRL to reconsider allowing them.
I think you got one too many negatives in there.
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