Roll cage question

[MaxHarvard]

Can i put in a cage that doesnt require posts going to the back of the car? such as just the front bars that weld just behind the seats and have a bar going to the front of the car?

[camcojb]

Wouldn't be legal for any racing that required a roll bar. Seems most crashes involve you going forward, and no rear braces would allow the hoop to simply fall rearward doing little to help you from being crushed. Now if you spun out and flipped over going backwards the front bracing would be more critical.

Why don't you want the rear bars?

Jody

[sinned]

I am putting a cage with no rear bars in my Elco, it will be leagl for all of the open road high speed events in Nevada (I work with a tech official). It should also pass for SCCA and NASA, I don't know if NHRA or IHRA will let it through.

It is impossible to lay out a blanket statement of yes or no, even if tech tells you no over the phone, when they see it in person they may allow it if it is properly built.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

this goes into my "you pay now or you pay more later" file.
Why even skimp or try to get around the rules? These rules are there to protect you,not make fabricators money. All cage rules state " All roll bars must be braced in a fore and aft direction with the brace attached within six inches of the top of the hoop, and at the angle of at least 30 degrees from vertical".
There are exeptions to the rules like Dennis's Elco, rear vert bars are optional but imo are very necassary to the whole cage doing its job. The rules state that the rear down bars should be no less that 15" from main hoop to floor mounting plate. Theres alot of room for a bar to go through the sheet metal and weld to the x member for your 3rd link.
Max, down bars can be made to almost be invisible.Plus it ties in he rear most part of the car to the front...more so than a nice set of SFC can.

http://hometown.aol.com/o6mrquick/images/int.jpg

[Steve Chryssos]

And beyond safety, you will be real pleased with the performance benefits gained by tying the frame rails into the main hoop. You will feel the difference--handling and acceleration.

Ifr you are worried about the rear downbars encroaching on the back seat area, have them custom bent to follow the roofline. Nice and kinky.