JPS

If your front seats don't tilt forward, can you still install the DAS coupe rollbar without removing the front seats? I get you still have to remove the rear seat backs.

ilko

I removed one of my seats to fit the roll bar in the RSA. It's very easy to do, just unbolt the seat from the rails and move it forward. But be careful with the allen bolts since they are made of cheese.

JPS

I haven't installed the setup yet. Well, frankly I don't even have the car yet. But I do have the rollbar. Go figure.

I install/uninstall the bar about 5-7x per year in my cab, which is relatively painless now that I have all the tools (impact drill for speedy disassembly, and come along strap for installation). Trying to figure out any challenges ahead of time with a coupe...

Mark in Baltimore

It's going to be almost impossible, if not 100% impossible, to install the bar if your seats don't recline. As ilko said, taking the seats out is super-easy. Even if your seats did fold forward, the bar is so heavy and awkward that it would be really easy to ding/puncture/scratch your seats. Moreover, removing one seat (or both) gives you so much more room to maneuver. If the bar and chassis holes don't line up properly, you'll be using a bottle jack to stretch the bars or ratcheting straps to pull the bars together.

JPS

Thx guys. I was going from the experience of removing stock seats, which is sort of a PITA getting the allen wrench in the tight spaces. Shells are easier then? (Or stick with reclining).

ilko

Couple of things:

1) The cab & coupe roll bars are different height AFAIK.

2) The bolts and nuts are supposed to be a one-time application according to the guys at CDOC.

Mark in Baltimore

Regarding the removing the allen head seat bolts, just be sure to use a dedicated allen head socket for your ratchet. I think people have issues if they have to insert, remove and reinsert the allen key over and over again. With a ratchet, once it's in, there's no need to pull it out and potentially round out the allen head.

JPS

I haven't been able to get enough clearance for the rachet, socket, and the bolt coming out.

Yup. Whole different animal Right now I have both bars.

Hm. First I'm hearing that on anything other than front caliper bolts. I'll look into it, thx.

Mark in Baltimore

Use a universal joint to angle the ratchet away. It's been years since I've had to remove stock seats, so I forgot about the u-joint.

JPS

Thx. Shells are easier though, huh?

Mark in Baltimore

It's been awhile since I had to remove my Recaro shells, but I think it's super easy.

ppressle

#1 on the earlier comments. The DAS install is much easier if you remove the front seats.
My shells are much easier (lighter) than the stock seats. Neither are that hard though. I use a wobble extension.

I also started out planning on R&Ring the bar for events, it was too much work though. I did it once or twice and then just left it in.

One suggestion I would offer is to bend the bar to properly fit your car. I have installed a couple of these and the fit varied. The DAS bar seems to be made from malleable steel so I was able to bend it to the shape I needed to correctly fit my car and the bolts just thread in by hand. If it doesn't fit properly, it is a wrestling match to install it.

Pete

JPS

Isn't that sort of bad considering what a roll bar is supposed to be used for??

Mark in Baltimore

Beats having it be too brittle and cracking. Trust the board and DAS; the bar works as intended. Not only does it meet the standards for PCA racing (for rookie candidates and only good for two event weekends), but it also has been proven in real world track roll overs.

ilko

The DAS roll bar is very slightly flexible, yes. I've installed 3 of those and 2 fit in without issues, the third had to be muscled into place and I'm talking about squeezing it maybe 4mm so that the holes align and the bolt can go through. I don't know if the bar was bent or the car I installed it was bent (a friend's 964) but it was a pain to install and had it not been a little flexible it would've been impossible to fit it in.