Michael Posted October 16, 2000 Share Posted October 16, 2000 Owen, I don't have the S&W cage, but the main hoop of my cage is anchored the way I'm describing in the following paragraphs.... My advice is to weld a 6"x6"x3/16" (or similar size) steel plate right over the "box" where the seat belt retractor thingy used to sit, and where the end of your roll bar hoop currently sits. That distributes the roll cage loads over a broad surface, instead of introducing a stress concentration, as would happen if the roll bar ends were welded into the seat belt retractor box. Tie that piece of steel over to another piece of similar thickness, welded along the side of the rocker box. Then cut the roll bar ends, and butt weld them to the plate. If you have access to a means of bending tubing, I suggest that you "open up" the roll bar (that is, reduce the angles of the bends in the corners at the roof and the side windows), to get the bottom ends of the roll bar to sit further outboard - that is, closer to the rocker boxes. Then you can weld the ends of the roll bar into the "corner" of your 6"x6" plate and the rocker box, and leave more room to pull back the driver's seat. That also makes a natural hard point for welding in X-bars in the door openings, and for a bracket for the lap belt portion of the safety harness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 Not to say what Michael is saying isn't right, but I have that kit, not installed yet either. And I found out what you did. Something to consider is how far back you need the seat to go and where that bar is in relation to the seat back and your head (with a helmet) when you have the seat where you want it. For that reason, I'm considering cutting the bar, and mounting it to the raised area of the floor above the seat belt bucket. I know this isn't as good as welding it out by the rocker box, I agree with Michael on that. But I'm 6'2" and I need that seat back almost all the way. With the bar mounted as you have it sitting now, it's resting in front of the header just in front of the hatch. That's too far forward for me, so I'll be shortening the legs and mounting it above the seat belt buckets. I plan on putting a reinforcing plate on that raised floor area and to put a doubler plate on the bottom 6 inches of the inner wheel house as well, welding them together in the corner and gusseting the area. Then I'll take the tubes that go inboard from the area just below the window on the roll bar and angle them down so that they rest on/next to the ends of my subframe connector. I'll then tie the subframe connector to the bottom of the rollbar with a horizontal short tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 Pete, I have the same roll bar kit & was thinking of mounting the main hoop on the same raised portion (I stand 5 10 and the seat would have to stay to far forward than comfortable for me) but the width is a major problem. Even without to crossbar hammered in its to to wide. How were you planing on solving this issue? Any ideas are welcomed. I was thinking about having the cross bar modifid when I have the cage installed (this will be one of the only things I'm not installing myself due to saftey concerns). I know someone else had a post on how they solved this but I couldn't visualize what they did. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 I think it was Andrew Bayley that ended up adding short legs to the cross bar so that it could be installed behind the roll bar. I talked to Mike Kelly about the width issue. I know what you mean. If you were to cut the ends off the roll bar so that it would sit up on the ledge and angle back enought to not be too near your head, it looks like you'd have to dent or scallop out a section of the inner wheel house to get the bar to lean back enough. Even then, it is wide enough that the ends would be sitting on the forward edge of the raised ledge abive the hole for the seat belt retractors. Mike mentioned that a good welder could take a section out of the center of the roll bar hoop and it would still be structurally viable. I may just do that to get the bar to sit a bit farther towards the rear on that ledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 17, 2000 Author Share Posted October 17, 2000 Hi guys, For those of you who cut your S&W rollcage hoops to sit on the shelf behind the seat, where exactly did you mount it? With my hoop loosely sitting in the car, it looks like I don't have a lot of room to sit it on that shelf. some pix at: http://www.homestead.com/s30z/files/mys30z-1000-001.jpg http://www.homestead.com/s30z/files/mys30z-1000-002.jpg Thanks Owen ------------------ http://www.homestead.com/s30z/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 THat is correct, you should be ab'e to section the hoop easily without loosing structural integrity. Fitting cages in tight cockpits like the Z is a touch challenge. Chris hhas his whole interior out, so well add a fell bars through the firewall and back to the back 3rd of the car, and maybe do a few extra tricks I want to try. My time will start freeing up by early November and We'll be able to move his project along a bit quicker, so we'll let you know how it goes. Pete, Chris and I could come up and give yopu a hand on a Saturday when you are ready to fit the cage in... Mike ------------------ "I will not be a spectator in the sport of life!" mjk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 Owen I put my main hoop in the seat belt pocket after welding in a plate inside the pocket. As for the harness bar I notched it back for seat clearance( so you can move the seat all the way back) http://members.tripod.com/~SnowSurfer/mikekz4.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frank280z Posted October 17, 2000 Share Posted October 17, 2000 Owen I too welded a plate inside of the box and the main hoop to that. But the cross bar I had bent at a muffler shop. The pics might be in members section soon. How does one post a pic in a reply?? Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat, of course. But, I just wanted to make a couple more comments about the method that I attempted to describe.... With the roll bar "opened up", it ends up outboard of the seat. In fact, the seat backs up all the way to the wheel well. I'm only 5'9", but the firewall (and pedals, and steering wheel, and everything else) in my car is 6.25" set back from stock. With the way I have the seat mounted now, my legs are too short to even reach the pedals. The top of the roll bar sits underneath the stock roof "bridge". It's right under where the dome light used to be. But, I have to admit that I'm not using a stock seat. I have a Kirkey aluminum "drag race" seat, which is thinner and narrower than the stock seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 18, 2000 Author Share Posted October 18, 2000 Hmmm. Many possible solutions here... I was definitely worried about the width of the hoop, I guess sectioning would be easiest. I wouldn't know how to weld the tube end into the pocket, especially the backside. I am only 5'5" so I don't need the seat all the way back. Maybe big thick plates welded to the seat belt pocket and the floor as well - creating an upside down V? Then notch the end of the tube into an upside down V as well and weld the 2 together? Or just weld a thick plate covering the pocket and weld the tube to that? Just trying to picture things in my mind here at work : ) Owen ------------------ http://www.homestead.com/s30z/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Michael - when my rollbar was first put in it too sat just below the dome light. 'Cept I AM 6ft 2 and with the bar in that position it ended up with my head being ABOVE the darned bar! My rear vision sucked too. I took it back to the shop and had them move it forward an inch or two and raise it in front of that plastic trim. I'm now below the bar and can put my seat back far enough to drive with no problems. I think my bar is mounted on the rear wheel tubs - can take pics when I get it back to show. Oh yeah - the side bars that ran along the roof were also a bit low on the first attempt as they had to slope down from the front to hit the top of the bar in it's previous position. Wasn't too cool and I was most happy that I wasn't charged for moving the bar. Us tall folks have all sorts of fun in these little cars I'm afraid. I'm sitting on a Recaro seat whose mount is bolted to the stock seat mounts. Width is also an issue as I've got sidebars too that are a hassle to slip over. Will save my ass hopefully if I ever get T-boned so I'm willing to put up with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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