I just got some new seats for Christmas and I'd like to get a roll bar. I'm mainly doing this for safety reasons so I can safely use harnesses. Please give me some suggestions for my E36 coupe.
Thanks
E36 325i racecar - WRL GP2/Spec E36
Thanks to: Bimmerworld and Lockton Motorsports
E90 M3 - street car
will your car be used on the street? If it will, then i would advise against getting a roll bar, because it would be harder if you had to be cut out of your vehicle in the event of an accident.
Survey say's - Huh?Originally Posted by myavus318ti
The roll bar will keep the cabin from deforming around the head of the driver in the event of a roll over. There are no "door bars" in a roll bar. Getting a cage would be a different story.
However, the back seat will be unsafe for occupants with a roll bar.
Check out www.cdoc.com for the bar. They make them in house and are desighned to work with your headliner.
I'm not sure how a rollbar would make it harder to be cut out of a car...a rollcage perhaps, but not a rollbar. That said, if they can cut the windshield supports off in just a couple seconds (I've seen it done), they shouldn't have any problem cutting through a rollbar either. In the meantime, a well designed rollbar should keep you safer in the event of an accident anyway.
Most of the ready made rollbars on the market are going to mount fairly close to your head. For a proper rollbar in a car that will also see street driving (without a helmet), I'd suggest having a local cage builder design a bar for you that is mounted a bit further back.
Be aware that your back seat will no longer be usable for anything but storage. Even if people can squeeze back there, it's not at all safe for them to sit with metal bars inches from their head.
Thanks for the link. I'm going fast enough at DEs that if I did have a mechanical failure it could be very dangerous. With the addition of seats I'd really like to get harnesses so I don't waste so much energy trying to hold myself in the seat. I do understand that the backseat will be unsafe and will become the new extended trunk. It should be a great holder for my track wheels when I'm headed to an event.Originally Posted by Abrahams/101CM
Thanks for the tips about design BMWRacerITS.
E36 325i racecar - WRL GP2/Spec E36
Thanks to: Bimmerworld and Lockton Motorsports
E90 M3 - street car
The Kirk roll bar from BimmerWorld is supposed to be pretty good
Thanks, that's probably the one that I'm going to get. Can you give me any details or pics? If you don't have it, could you PM me and let me know who does?Originally Posted by postmaster
I'm wondering about headroom it leaves for when I'm driving on the street without a helmet. Also wondering if they'll do a harness bar and removable cross brace.
E36 325i racecar - WRL GP2/Spec E36
Thanks to: Bimmerworld and Lockton Motorsports
E90 M3 - street car
FWIW - I have a Kirk cage and I'm very happy with it. The quality is good and the people at Kirk are very, very helpful. They sent me the wrong backing plates (bolt in) and managed to get the correct ones sent out overnight despite me calling them at 5:30pm on a Friday.Originally Posted by gottagofast13
James & Co. at Bimmerworld of good people too.
FMJ Motorsports
"not everyone is a princess like riley"
[16:04] spg383: my vagina gets cold below 40
i've heard of accidents where the rollbar was located a little too close to the driver, and it was difficult to cut the person out of the car for the particular accident it was (T-boned on driver's side). They ended up ripping the roof of the car off anyways, but I would still be a little wary of a large metal bar being so close to my head during normal driving conditions.Originally Posted by BMWRacerITS
NASA Fanboy
I just installed a Kirk bar in my e36. If anyone wants to host some picts I'd be happy to provide them. Fitment isnt wonderful, but nothing is ever is and I dont really mind. My 2 cents.
-Peter
Current toy: none
Past cars: 88 M3, 99 M3 x2, 04 M3, 91 NSX, 06 S2000, 01 911TT, 06 Exige, 00 NSX, 04 GT3
Definately the HMS rollbar, it's pretty much a direct knock off of the TC Kline rollbar...
'03 911 Turbo 6MT fun car
'18 Toyota Land Cruiser Daily driver/Ski Machine/Off Roader
'15 Cayenne Diesel Wife's DD
'17 KTM 690 "Adv" 2 wheeled Adventurer
Email them to me. hfmjic at fmjmotorsports dot comOriginally Posted by GotBHP?
FMJ Motorsports
"not everyone is a princess like riley"
[16:04] spg383: my vagina gets cold below 40
Am I crazy or this a reason not to buy it?Originally Posted by DocWyte
FMJ Motorsports
"not everyone is a princess like riley"
[16:04] spg383: my vagina gets cold below 40
The HMS bar is also almost twice as much as the Kirk. According to HMS it would cost $400 for them to install their bar. They have to use a forklift to get it to bolt in right.
Anybody know roughly how much a custom bar is?
I have the autopower one...
pics at www.cardomain.com/id/dorikin_86
the bar is not directly above my head and the car stiffened up quite a bit and the bar was 450+? installation at my shop + 1 bucket seat = 100 bucks
The car is only as fast as the driver
Thanks, I'll try and get some good picts of it tomorrow.Originally Posted by txse46m3
-Peter
Current toy: none
Past cars: 88 M3, 99 M3 x2, 04 M3, 91 NSX, 06 S2000, 01 911TT, 06 Exige, 00 NSX, 04 GT3
txse46m3, what do you mean? The TC Kline rollbar was basically one of the best rollbars made.
I wouldn't cheap out on a rollbar. I think HMS overquotes their install time. I've had talks with them and they told me they have the install down to 2 hours now. They use a forklift because it's what they have around that's convenient. They're just making the point that you need to pull the main hoop as far back as you can, using come alongs or the like.
I'm going to be getting a rollbar very shortly and it'll be an HMS one. I've had direct experience with both the HMS and the Autopower rollbars, and the HMS is clearly superior in fit and finish.
Last edited by DocWyte; 12-29-2004 at 12:19 AM.
'03 911 Turbo 6MT fun car
'18 Toyota Land Cruiser Daily driver/Ski Machine/Off Roader
'15 Cayenne Diesel Wife's DD
'17 KTM 690 "Adv" 2 wheeled Adventurer
Autopower just plain sucks.Originally Posted by DocWyte
I have one, and yes the fitment is poor at best. I would go w/the Kirk bar if I had to do it all over.Originally Posted by BMWRacerITS
that thing has bolts all over the place...how's that gonna do any good to the chassis in terms of stiffness or rollover protection?Originally Posted by 155///MPH
when it comes to rollbars, safety, & cages...the following are some good names to trust:
RRT, Kirk, Piper Motorsport, Fall line, TCDesign, Bimmerworld, Motorsport Connection, CDOC, McMahon...there may be others but this list is a good start. These guys build cages and provide safety equipment for pro teams so they can work with you on your needs...when your thinking about rollbars or cages, go with someone you can trust!
Sunir
M3 LTW
#22 HP
Thanks for the input guys. GotBHP, if it's not a problem could you e-mail me pictures (if you have them) of the bar in your car. Any tips or help you could provide about installation would be great as well. Do you have plenty of head clearance? Can all interior panels remain in place with the bar installed? Any modification needed?Originally Posted by GotBHP?
I'd appreciate any input, please e-mail me at gottagofast13@yahoo.com.
Thanks
E36 325i racecar - WRL GP2/Spec E36
Thanks to: Bimmerworld and Lockton Motorsports
E90 M3 - street car
The Kirk bolt-in looks the same way. Personally, I think bolt-together bars are always a bad idea. I don't mind bolt-in bars for street/track cars, but I don't like the bolt-together bars.
The bar in my old street M3 was bolted into the car, but the actual bar was a single welded structure.
You might be surprised.Originally Posted by sunir
FMJ Motorsports
"not everyone is a princess like riley"
[16:04] spg383: my vagina gets cold below 40
Hey everyone. I've gotten a number of requests for picts of the Kirk bar in my car. I'll send them to txse46m3 so he can host the picts.
I can tell you now that the bar contacts the sides of the car, as well as the roof (I have a sunroof btw). The fitment of the part of the bar that goes to the wheel wells is what isnt too great. Head clearance for me is excellent, but I'm only 5'10", and I sit rather far forward. I could see how clearance could be a problem if you are 6'8"+ and have the seat positioned way back.
I decided to go with the Kirk bar beacuse it was somewhat cost effective, and it would allow me to use the seats and harnesses I wanted to. I dont plan on keeping it in the car for a long time, I'll probably end up getting a good cage welded in when I have more time and money to devote to more serious track driving or perhaps racing if I get the opportunity.
-Peter
Current toy: none
Past cars: 88 M3, 99 M3 x2, 04 M3, 91 NSX, 06 S2000, 01 911TT, 06 Exige, 00 NSX, 04 GT3
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