kurt M

Are there any racing groups that do not allow window nets to be mounted to the door?
I am using a full containment seat in a gutted 911 and want to TiG a set of aluminum mounts to the upper brackets to the aluminum door frame and lower to the door. Would be nice as you could get in and out via the door with out having to dither with the net every time. The net could still be dropped the same as with conventional mounting
I have seen most mounted to the cage bars. There is a window net that slips into the window slot that makes me think that door mounting is likely OK with PCA but I am wondering about NASA and SCCA too.

993944S2

PCA posted a new rule that required the window net to be attached to the cage, and specifically not the door. However, the rule was not approved for 2008. Good thing as mine is attached to the door. Not the best solution, I know.

Tom W

NASA does not allow door mounting.

Greg Smith

BMWCCA does not allow door mounting... but that's not gonna affect you.

993944S2

I have a NASA log book and they have never mentioned anything about my net being mounted to the door. However, it is clearly spelled out in the NASA rules that the net can not be attached to the door.

kurt M

Thats too bad. If done right it cuts out a step in a fast exit from a car that has a working door. I wonder why it is considered bad form? Poor methods used in the past or something that I am not thinking of perhaps.

bgiere

What if the door is torn off or opens in the accident?

kurt M

Good point! Cage it is.

RedlineMan

Here's another test; Kurt;

Find a junker in a scrap yard with an upper door frame similar to a 911, grab the bare door frame with window down, and give it a yank. Think it will bend? A 911 window frame is pretty flimsy, eh?

Let's say the average arm weighs 10lbs. In a 40G hit, that equates to 400lbs. A helmeted head weighs 15 = 600lbs. I could go on.

Of course, this does not do anything to assure that the cage mounts on most cars are worth a shirt either. If yours is mounted with hose clamps, you might review the above scenario and rethink things.

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Funny story. The mid 80s Nissan Sentras were famous for air leaks around the window frames. The doors aligned perfectly, but the door frames did not seal. We had to adjust most of them when I worked at a dealer back then. We would take them into the body shop, making sure the owner was no where in sight, open the door, put our knee against the inner door panel right at the rear base of the window opening, and give it an appropriate yank. We were slightly bending the window frame to make the thing seal.

The Service Manager was an older guy, and a pretty strange duck. He'd asked us to do this many times, and apparently thought this day that he would speed things up and manage it quite nicely himself, thank you. We of the body shop were sitting outside enjoying a break on a nice sunny day, and watched him walk out with the customer in tow. He offered that is was a simple adjustment. A little crude, but perfectly acceptable. He opened the door, put his knee against the inner panel, grabs the window frame, gives it a tug, and folds it down about 30 degrees! He and the customer were a bit stunned. We could not manage to stifle our laughter for long.

He overlooked one important detail in the proceedure. You NEVER did it unless the window was UP!

kurt M

I would guess that the alloy window frame in a 70s 911 is far stronger than most of the little weedy stamped steel brackets that are tack welded or only band clamped to the bar. Sounds like I am lucky am not working with a Nissan too. I took one of my doors and put the frame in and it is not too shabby at all. On the other hand I was able to take and pull the net of a store purchased and installed per the directions rig out as the flimsy brackets and thin rods deform. On one setup I looked at recently the release buckel latch tab is sharp and sticks into the egress zone.
This all maters not, the rules call for cage mount and for good reason, then cage mount it is. You can count on the release system to be simple, quick and out of the way during an exit.

My side net task will be more to keep stuff from coming in or only my arm in. If my helmet hits the side net in the car I am building I am already in a world of high G hurt as the Kirkey full containment seat that is in turn braced into the fully X braced cage has failed. My arm is the only thing my net shoud see in a wreck from the inside. I was not thinking about the steel door opening up thus exposing my arms to the harsh world during a wreck. I like my arms, they keep my hands from getting lost or mixed up right to left and I make a living with those. This is why I ask stuff, to learn and cover the many things I don't think of. I like to learn from other peoples mistakes more so than my own. There are so many to make and I have so little time and money to spend on them. Thanks again for the insight.

RedlineMan

Absotively, Brother;

If anyone were inclined to think that all this "voluminous knowledge" comes from any other place than having assembled a big pile of T-shirts...