ubercooper

The race season is starting soon and I'm in need of an actual cage. I have all the proper tools (welder, bender, etc), can pick up all the steel I need at the somewhat local metal supplier, and have read the SCCA/NASA rulebooks. Other than that, my budget for this is small, so theres no shot this is going to be professionally built. There is a autopower "race" roll bar already in there which Im sure you guys will tell me to ditch and start from scratch. However, if possible, I would rather replace the bolt on rear supports entirely. Then weld on a halo bar + A bar pillar + cross bars to the existing main hoop to avoid having to bend up another.

Any advice/tips/tricks/bull**** would be appreciated as always.

Thanks again guys


Heres the current roll bar.




Also I just found this on Jegs site. Granted its for a Mustang, but prebent tubing is always nice to have and will cut down on build time. My only question would be is this SCCA/NASA legal or only NHRA?


http://www.jegs.com/i/Jegster/550/94...oductId=749661

Benton

Seb,

Check here: 928 Roll Cage thread, 2005

There are a few details I would change if I were to do it again today, but overall, I am pretty happy with it. PLEASE do yourself a favor and start from scratch. I don't see much with that roll bar that I would want to stick with.

Benton

If you were to ask me what I would change, it would be this:

1) I *might* make the DS reinforcement bar go from b-pillar up instead of the way it is now; HOWEVER, unlike the implication some gave in the thread posted above, it does not hinder ingress/egress as much as many thought. The layout of the 928, plus the steering wheel being closer to the driver, means that it isn't in the way that much. I have NO problems getting in-and-out of the window with the door closed. It would not work with a halo seat, though. My biggest complaint is it slightly blocks the line-of-sight on medium radius left turns. Sharp turns it isn't a problem.
2) I would reinforce the plates of the main hoop a little better (not that it is weak now, just now that I know the 928 better, I would do it a bit differently)
3) I would replace the stock dash bar with a cross bar there, instead of having an additional cross bar below the column for the cage.

A few other tidbits, but those are the main changes I would make.

A few more photos from throughout the build, and one side shot from recent to show the location of the reinforcement bar:

bsztanko

Check out www.cagethis.com in iis archives he has pic of a sweet cage in a 928.

IcemanG17

If I were caging a 928 today, my 3rd time....I would use double nascar bars into the hollowed out drivers door....just a plain X on the passenger side....I would not do any type of X brace in the rear....928's are plenty stiff and don't need it...but I would do an ankle bar for the driver.....

my 1st 928 cage has a triple nascar bar on the drivers door....while quite nice, it is a bit harder to get in-out vs the double..... it also has a full X in the rear.....It is EXTREMELY stiff.... my current cage only has 1 rear cross bar and is the best handling 928 I have built to date....

ubercooper

Mark, Thank you for the advice. Ive actually read your build quite a few times. That is one of the best looking 928 racers out there... mad props

This cage kit is a pretty good design for $500 and can always be modified with 2x nazzcar bars on the drivers side, ankle bar, and more if needed. The getting in/out factor isnt a big deal for me, Im 21 and in pretty good shape...plus I dont have a halo seat



I guess that my last question would be, with about 600 ft/lbs, should the front of the car need to be reinforced as well? I've heard the 928s are already stiff in the rear but Im not sure about up front.

Thanks again for the help everyone

IcemanG17

600ftlbs......that is ALOT.....as in trans destroying torque..... How much previous race experience do you have? The reason I ask is having a VERY powerful car as your 1st racer teaches you extremely bad habits....you are far better off learning how to drive in a "slow" car...say 200whp or less....

reinforcing the front end-subframe is a good idea given the amount of power you will be running....but some race groups will NOT let you have bars extend through the firewall...so read the rules carefully....however the 928 frame is VERY strong....

If you haven't built a race car cage before it is a very good idea to seek out a professional shop that is certified by the race group you want to run with....they know the rules very well and build cages all day long.... Chances are they also can help you immensely with other fabrication & tuning you will need.....

I couldn't find any good pics...but here is a few

ubercooper

I used to track a 944 and have driven a spec 944, supercharged mustangs, liter bikes, etc... Most of which I've had to their limits and then some. Ive heard the slow car fast bit many times, which is why I started with a 944 (tons of fun and so easy to drive on the limit but slow as a paraplegic turtle).. I understand this does not equate to race skill in the slightest, but I am a competent driver who has had track time and is used to the butthole shriveling torque of this car... The trans has been rebuilt with *hopefully* stronger and newer gears so well see how it copes. The guy who built my motor did another to the same spec which dynoed 470rwhp and 490rwtq, so its not really 600, more like 570.

Ill check the rulebook again to see about the legality of the a cross bar in the front somewhere

I personally have not built a cage before but I have a good friend who has built several custom spec dune buggys... One of the cages I personally got to test after rolling it in the state forrest
The closest shop that I know of that is PCA certified is about 2 hours away which is quite far to drive a car like this... my ears would be full of blood and my back would be shattered when I got there


Thanks for those pictures, I couldnt find too many that showed the reinforced front mounting points... also I like the switch panel, if you could describe Lemons in a picture, thatd be it.

stownsen914

Hi,

If you're inclined to do a cage yourself, go for it! Do yourself a favor, though, and make sure you've got a few basic things covered:
1. Use 1020 DOM tubing. If you're not sure what your roll bar is made from, don't use it. And verify what any cage kit is made from too.
2. It sounds like you may already have done this, but look around at cage build threads to find out what NOT to do. You'll see some knowledgeable folks chime in to critique things like, for example, badly designed NASCAR style door bars.
3. In case you're not an experienced welder, do some destructive tests on your welding work to make sure it will hold up in a crash.

Good luck with your project.

ubercooper

The tubing specs are: 1.75 x .095 DOM, which is legal for NASA and SCCA (2500-3000lbs).. However Im not sure if it is 1020.

Heres a link to the site: http://www.rollcagecomponents.com/kits8.htm

I have done many hours of research looking up caged 928 pictures/ threads but figured I'd post here just to cover my bases... the advice people have offered has been extremely helpful and will definitely make this whole process much easier.

The destructive test sounds like something right up my alley so that should be interesting, however I wont be welding much if any of the cage myself.

Thanks for the positive words, Ill also try to keep this thread updated once I put the order through for the kit.

333pg333

WoW...that Red one is just WoW. I'm loving the aero.
Why the slushbox all the time?

Loving the Blue and White one. It does look like the support bars would get in the way but if you're jumping out like Nascar racers through the window then I guess it doesn't matter.

mark kibort

you dont need the x in the back. waste tubing and weight. we are not talking flimsy bmw here, we are talking a very strong chassis , especially in the rear section. just do a simple 6 pointer and forget about the front bar up front, as there is already a chassis bar that traverses the dash. the only thing that you would want to modify would be the side bars and thats up to you. you need two bars in any configuration, tied with a vertical bar or x. dont do the vertical bar, on the cage, as it is dangerous on a 928 for getting out of the car in an emergency, especially with a halo seat.

dont re invent the wheel here,and dont waste tubing and add uneeded weight. what the "estate" and I have are perfect for club racing. (minus the x pattern with the estate )

Mark

ubercooper

Update:

Took a couple weeks to get the cage ordered/made/shipped but it's finally here and slowly getting assembled. Right now everything is just tacked in place until we decide its good to go.
At this rate it might actually see some track time before winter

Any comments or advice would be appreciated as usual.

Iridium

Drop the front to the sills, not the floor. Run the rear kickbacks to the shock mounting area, it's the strongest part of the chassis back there.

mark kibort

you have to realize the strength of this chassis. the front, however coudl be welded to the sides of the sils, as well as the floor. the rear looks good, a that is the same area as the shock towers. Just in front of them.

Looks good.

the Halo bar is not advised but might pass most santioning bodies. I had one on the holbert car, but its not the prefered way. I like to have more room up front to get in and out. you dont want to be trapped in the car should you have a impact and a fire. or get caught upside down. a lot of the front bars, like the red interior set up, is a little dangerous, although beautiful work, Its not really needed. the dual nascar siide bars should be fine. just bow them out into the gutted door areas.