Roll Bar for daily driving

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Either your face hits the steering wheel or side window or your head tries to go there and paralyzes you instead. Both are good choices.

I'll take A of those choices. I've already done the 45mph head on into a truck that decided to make a left while I was entering the intersection going straight. Which I'd guess is a pretty typical street accident as far as speed & impact. I did not hit the steering wheel or get hurt, I had the OE 3 points on. Front of the car crumpled as best a 2nd gen is designed to. In fact you have to look for fatigue cracks in used 2nd gen hoods at the crumple points in front of the hinges. The hood in my back yard off the 81 Z I stripped has cracks.



btw the brand new S10 4x4 got totaled lol. I drove home. I could have had it all repaired including a new RR qtr panel for $2500. I should have!

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by LTb1ow

That was my thought, stock 3pt belt will slow you down but odds are, I would get a face full of steering wheel. Otherwise, 5pt would hold my body tight and neck/head would take shock.

how fast do you intend on driving in the street that you plan to stretch the OE belt that far?

[LTb1ow]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

how fast do you intend on driving in the street that you plan to stretch the OE belt that far?

Not fast at all, I drive the exact speed limit for the most part these days. Old person status.

Just curious on the tradeoff between a 5pts protection from body moving into roll bar, vs body held tight and head/spine taking all the shock.

Again, just bored at work and curious about the topic.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by LTb1ow

Not fast at all, I drive the exact speed limit for the most part these days. Old person status.

Just curious on the tradeoff between a 5pts protection from body moving into roll bar, vs body held tight and head/spine taking all the shock.

Again, just bored at work and curious about the topic.

no roll bar in front of you in 4/6 point setups, so non-concern. your seat should take car of movement backwards, they are designed to do that. That is why car seats got mandatory head rests in the 70s due to whiplash injuries. And old car guys that remove seat tops for the cool look are insane.

put your engineering hat on. Why do OEs still use 3 points and supplement with airbags instead of some other method? It isn't cost.

[LTb1ow]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

no roll bar in front of you in 4/6 point setups, so non-concern. your seat should take car of movement backwards, they are designed to do that. That is why car seats got mandatory head rests in the 70s due to whiplash injuries. And old car guys that remove seat tops for the cool look are insane.

put your engineering hat on. Why do OEs still use 3 points and supplement with airbags instead of some other method? It isn't cost.

Your head can still travel up and back into the main hoop from a real bad rear end or angle rear shot. I don't think a 3pt would keep you secured enough for that motion IMO.

Logically speaking a 3pt is more idiot proof than a 5pt harness and much easier for a EMT/fire crew to cut you out of the car.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by LTb1ow

Your head can still travel up and back into the main hoop from a real bad rear end or angle rear shot. I don't think a 3pt would keep you secured enough for that motion IMO.

Logically speaking a 3pt is more idiot proof than a 5pt harness and much easier for a EMT/fire crew to cut you out of the car.

that would be quite a wreck to take move the body up and back. which in my thinking gets back to 80/20. what you describe to me sounds like a 20%er while the wreck I was in is an 80% example. And my neck did not snap. Seat choice matters, as well as exactly where that bar is behind you. And where NHRA wants it.

Egress is a discussion we have not had. That was one of the interesting takeways for me talking to Ron last month. He said his drivers practice getting out of the car. Another thing that seemed perfectly logical but I had never thought of. Harness, HANs, smoke, cage bars, I imagine it can get quite tense getting out of a car. Imagine someone else trying to get you out of a burning car if you are wearing a harness, which is unfamiliar equipment to most people.

[LTb1ow]

So it seems a good compromise (other than price wise ) is to get solid mounted, non folding, high backed chairs, and mount the bar hoop as far back as legal via NHRA. Then run a 5pt harness and stock 3pt harness for street use.

Question then is, at the track, why do they not care about your neck injury just skull injuries? Assuming cause requiring a very pricey HANS device would be out of the question?

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by LTb1ow

So it seems a good compromise (other than price wise ) is to get solid mounted, non folding, high backed chairs, and mount the bar hoop as far back as legal via NHRA. Then run a 5pt harness and stock 3pt harness for street use.

Question then is, at the track, why do they not care about your neck injury just skull injuries? Assuming cause requiring a very pricey HANS device would be out of the question?

I cannot speak to what drives NHRA rules, they may be outdated, no idea. But I'm not sure how many front-enders you get into on a drag strip so maybe the rules skew towards different types of accidents. I really don't know..

i did some googling on HANs and tripped on this: http://www.autoracing1.com/goodboys/001031HANS1.htm

[WSex]

At the track what are you expecting to hit head on? Other than island.... I think keeping the oe belts for street and 5 pt for tracks is best bet.

[LTb1ow]

Originally Posted by WSex

At the track what are you expecting to hit head on? Other than island.... I think keeping the oe belts for street and 5 pt for tracks is best bet.

The wall on either side of me...?

Have you seen any cars hit it? I saw one knock a jersey barrier a few feet, then bounce down the track..

[WSex]

Originally Posted by LTb1ow

The wall on either side of me...?

Have you seen any cars hit it? I saw one knock a jersey barrier a few feet, then bounce down the track..

key word. head on. unless you launch facing the wall.. possible.

[LTb1ow]

Originally Posted by WSex

key word. head on. unless you launch facing the wall.. possible.

Yes, he 90* from something and nailed a wall head on.

Its possible.

[WSex]

idk man. pick your poison..... tie a rope from the main hoop to your helmet and enjoy.

[LTb1ow]

I got all winter to pick it, just wanted to hash out some thoughts I had on the topic.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by LTb1ow

Yes, he 90* from something and nailed a wall head on.

Its possible.

Plan for the 80%....

[LTb1ow]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

Plan for the 80%....

You do know whose car this thread is about? Lets be serious here. Anything is possible.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by WSex

At the track what are you expecting to hit head on? Other than island.... I think keeping the oe belts for street and 5 pt for tracks is best bet.

Expecting to hit dead nuts? Maybe the wall, maybe the guy that swerved into your lane by accident. **** happens.

[sweetbmxrider]

Yeah you could tbone someone or get out of the groove and take a hard turn into the wall.

[sweetbmxrider]

Accidents suck.

[LTb1ow]

Nice vids, pretty eye opening.

Guess I will stick to feeling safe in mai truck and live dangerously in the car.

[Dudbird113]

I know a while back a kid in my town (adult now) got his 4th gen sawed in half by a pole behind the driver seat. Both of them survived.

[The_Bishop]

Maybe stupid but somewhat relevant question; does a 6 point require the bar behind the seat for NHRA legality?

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by The_Bishop

Maybe stupid but somewhat relevant question; does a 6 point require the bar behind the seat for NHRA legality?

What bar? There is a diagram posted in here that shows helmet position relevant to the hoop. The crossbar is for seat bracing and belt attachment.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by The_Bishop

Maybe stupid but somewhat relevant question; does a 6 point require the bar behind the seat for NHRA legality?

Crossbar? Yes. It can not be removable, either.

[The_Bishop]

Yeah, I meant the crossbar behind the seat. Don't understand why they don't make it removable, seems like it would encourage more safety equipment use if it didn't impact so badly on the streetable aspects of a car.