I'm still in the planning phase of what i'm going to be doing to my ke55, it's going to mainly be a street car with occasionally track time for fun.

I'm thinking about putting in a half cage/harness/bucket seat.

I was wondering whether people think this is actually safe in a car that will be driven on the street? as i have seen a lot of debate about it.

The cage would be properly padded and harness set up correctly.

 

Reasons for wanting the cage:

-To me if wearing the harness properly and decent/proper padding on cage it seems safer in a crash (or is this not the case if not wearing a helmet)

-A lot of track days i have seen need at least a half cage to take a passenger

-I like the whole look of a cage and harness setup

 

Thoughts?

 

On a similar note, people thoughts on stitch welding the car whilst it's stripped down (safe/not safe for street car)?

 

Cheers,

Eli

This debate goes either way really, from personal experience I had two friends in a datto 1600 with a half cage that are still alive today after one of the worst multiple car crashes so I fall on the not needed but could help side of things.

Id say the main issue with adding a cage to a street car is the added time and difficulty the fire brigade will have removing you from it should the worst happen. Harnesses do not replace adr seatbelts either for street use. It can be done within the law as all bolt in structures are more or less legal. I just don't think you can weld in A pillar bars any more.

Edited June 23, 201412 yr by LittleRedSpirit

I'm still in the planning phase of what i'm going to be doing to my ke55, it's going to mainly be a street car with occasionally track time for fun.

I'm thinking about putting in a half cage/harness/bucket seat.

I've always thought half cage for half wits. That said, if a car wants to be registered on the road these days, half cage is the way to go. Full cage is just too hard.

 

 

I was wondering whether people think this is actually safe in a car that will be driven on the street? as i have seen a lot of debate about it.

The cage would be properly padded and harness set up correctly.

Yes it will be safe, however kiss goodbye to carrying anyone in the back seat. Best bet is to reregister the car as a 2 seater. Thats what I did anyway. You can't bend cages to the roofline anymore, so no head space in the back.

 

 

Reasons for wanting the cage:

-To me if wearing the harness properly and decent/proper padding on cage it seems safer in a crash (or is this not the case if not wearing a helmet)

More than likely. However if you're going to turtle it, draw a line between the main hoop and the front of your bonnet, and make sure you head is not poking above that line, because thats where the roof will come down to. It is better however than the roof coming down to the door line.

 

-A lot of track days i have seen need at least a half cage to take a passenger

Can't comment on this one.

 

-I like the whole look of a cage and harness setup

Do you also sit down to piss? Really, this is not a reason to have a cage.

 

 

Thoughts?

You cannot legally wear a harness on the road. 4/5/6 point harness (with a few very small exceptions) are not ADR approved. You would only be able to use it "offroad". Having owned registered competition cars for the last 20 years, I go out of my way to have normal belts in them now, as they're much more comfy if you have to drive more than 20 minutes somewhere.

 

 

On a similar note, people thoughts on stitch welding the car whilst it's stripped down (safe/not safe for street car)?

It's safe, but I don't know why you'd do it. A good cage will do more to strengthen the car.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Eli

 

Cheers

Dwarf

Edited June 23, 201412 yr by Redwarf
I can't spellz

Wheres BUZ440 when you need him?

Half cage is really a rollover hoop, it good as a rollover safety measure but its not a cage.

New NCOP is currently no 6 point cages last I looked. 3 point retractable seatbelts

allow you to perform street driving duties which a harness may not. Bucket seat must be adr

approved with engineered rails. Note seats that may "meet" adr are not adr "approved" ie tested.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I think I will go with it, i was never going to be able to fit people in the back anyway as to fit in comfortably i have to the seat all the way back which pretty much rules out the back seat. I think as long as it's built properly and padded right it will be safer than not having one.

The current NCOP guidelines are listed under these codes...

 

LK8

LK9/10

 

http://www.infrastru...1Jan2011_v2.pdf

Edited June 25, 201412 yr by styler

The current NCOP guidelines are listed under these codes...

 

LK8

LK9/10

 

http://www.infrastru...1Jan2011_v2.pdf

 

Awesome cheers

i have a bolt in half cage in mine.

It wld be safer.

So would a harness.. but you can't wear it on the road.

 

hahaha

 

Quote

 

-I like the whole look of a cage and harness setup

Do you also sit down to piss? Really, this is not a reason to have a cage.

A cage would make every car safer, you only have to look at motorsport or movie stunts.. the question is really, WHY don't the Govt allow them and even encourage their fitment? All their crash tests are just straight into some object, never about safety as you roll down a bank after hitting that kangaroo.

 

Fit the cage if you can, and it only has to meet the minimum CAMS requirents for your racing, so make it in the smallest diameter pipe allowed so it is less intrusive. Back in the 80s I had a weekend warrior & we used a size smaller than the minimum required but with thicker walls, and had an engineer approve it.

WHY don't the Govt allow them and even encourage their fitment?

 

Because people cut corners. People don't use the right materials. Because people bend them under the dash because they don't want to cut it. Because people don't put decent feet on the cage and they punch through the floor. Because people mount them to back parcel shelves and don't reinforce them. I could go on and on.

 

Seriously, fit a CAMS spec cage and the cars now a two seater. No ifs or buts. Cages are a pain in the arse day to day. And to be honest, if you have a modern car, you don't need one. At all.

 

I drove stunt cars for three years with no cage. Didn't need one.

 

If you roll down a bank after hitting a roo you did the wrong thing in the first place. Defensive driving 101.

 

Only competition cars should have cages.

Edited July 15, 201412 yr by Redwarf

nanny state..

Dwarf has summed it up perfectly.

 

What a pain in the arse in daily it would be.

 

They a pain in rally car to get in and out.

 

rob

It wld be safer.

So would a harness.. but you can't wear it on the road.

 

Errr....No. Hypothetical situation: You have an accident, the car ends up on its side or roof. Which is quicker to release so you can get out of the car/emergency services can extract you, a single point lap/sash belt or a racing harness? The single point, all day, every day.

 

Only competition cars should have cages.

 

^ This.