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I recently purchased a 2002 C5 Z06. This car will be tracked quite a bit and I'd like to install a bolt-in roll bar as well as Sparco racing seat and 6-point harness. Internet searches reveal mostly drag racing style roll bars but I'm looking for a NASA/SCCA-legal Time Trials-style roll bar that will bolt-in to my C5 Z06. I prefer bolt-in as it gives me the flexibility to remove it.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a bolt-in roll bar for my car?
I recently purchased a 2002 C5 Z06. This car will be tracked quite a bit and I'd like to install a bolt-in roll bar as well as Sparco racing seat and 6-point harness. Internet searches reveal mostly drag racing style roll bars but I'm looking for a NASA/SCCA-legal Time Trials-style roll bar that will bolt-in to my C5 Z06. I prefer bolt-in as it gives me the flexibility to remove it.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a bolt-in roll bar for my car?
Check out Wolfe performance out of Texas... nice product
I hate bolt in bars. Often WAY too compromised, not to mention the challenges our cars present with existing structure to bolt to. Balsa wood floors and a sheet metal threshold FTL. Legit cages get structure buildup prior to cage tubes getting welded.
I hate bolt in bars. Often WAY too compromised, not to mention the challenges our cars present with existing structure to bolt to. Balsa wood floors and a sheet metal threshold FTL. Legit cages get structure buildup prior to cage tubes getting welded.
I'm no engineer nor do I have any training in designing or testing roll bars
That being said I did a bunch of research prior to having mine installed.
The problem with the RSD is that it is mounted to sheet metal that is not designed to support the weight of the car.
The Problem with the Wolf racecraft design is that it is mounted to the floor which is a Balsa wood/fiberglass sandwich. Additionally, there is no triangulation, which from what I found is one of the first principals of roll bar/roll cage.
My opinion is same as previous contributors to this thread, Bolt in adds minimal additional benefit over the stock factory roll hoop. In my opinion these products are primarily harness bars.
When I bought my C5 it already had a custom welded roll bar in it by a company called TC Designs near San Jose....they build a lot of cages for full on race cars. With the cross bars and triangulation I can only imagine what it weighs. But the workmanship looks very good and provides an excellent location for the shoulder harness.
Having said that, my last two track cars (Camaro and Mustang) both had Autopower products in them. The Camaro had a full bolt in roll cage and the Mustang a bolt in roll bar that I installed. I would not hesitate a bit to use a quality bolt in product if it is designed correctly and most importantly mounted correctly. The amount of chassis stiffness the roll cage added to the Camaro transformed the cars handling.
Unless you are doing hard core door to door racing, a harness bar and HAN's device should be more than enough.....plus it will save you from adding at least 50 lbs to the weight of the car.
I'm no engineer nor do I have any training in designing or testing roll bars
That being said I did a bunch of research prior to having mine installed.
The problem with the RSD is that it is mounted to sheet metal that is not designed to support the weight of the car.
The Problem with the Wolf racecraft design is that it is mounted to the floor which is a Balsa wood/fiberglass sandwich. Additionally, there is no triangulation, which from what I found is one of the first principals of roll bar/roll cage.
My opinion is same as previous contributors to this thread, Bolt in adds minimal additional benefit over the stock factory roll hoop. In my opinion these products are primarily harness bars.
The RSD bar in my car sure is solid and I've seen the mounting points.
I don't have any qualms with a name brand bar that has been certified down to 10.0/135 by the NHRA.
It appears the NHRA thinks they are a helpful structural addition.
Of course, a fully welded bar in a car like the vette would be a better alternative but for the purposes of limited racing where a bar is mandated, the bolt-ins make sense for most users.
Phadt used to have a really good that bolted to the frame. Sold mine when mine got a full cage, wish I would have keep now that I'm looking for a street going one. Not sure if AFE still has it.
I have an auto power setup that I’ve yet to install.
The bar requires plates to be welded in, but the bar bolts to the plates; so it IS removable but requires some of the hard work.
Mine offers the thick wall tube and removable cross bar.
Most of the full cages/bars require outriggers to be welded to to the steel frame behind the seats. This ties to some of the thinner metal behind the seats, but also the rear frame rails.
From what I’ve seen in a c5 or c6 rollover; the halo does NOT support the weight of the car. I’d be interested to hear thoughts on the rigity effects of this bar. As pictured it’s around $1k shipped with tax new.
- note: I’ve run a similar Autopower in a cobra vert with great success on track.
I have the RPM rollbar " bolted in " 4 point roll bar in my convertible, i think it is the same roll bar for the Z06, you can have it in 6 or 8 point also i think, see below pictures could be of some help.
02-16-2018, 11:43 PM
Bolt-in Roll Bar for C5 Z06?
