Dual roll bars - form or function?

[Maricopa]

A driver of an FFR spec racer died a year ago of internal injuries suffered as a result of G-forces in a crash. No intrusion, no external injuries, simply the stop did it. Another driver (on the street) was killed in rollover/flip that never even touched the top of the roll bar. He had his neck snapped from the force of the barrel-roll. His passenger was thrown clear and lived.
If you're racing a car you better take whatever you can get, no argument. If you're building a cruiser and want a particular look do what you feel is best. Life is a series of trade-offs and to argue that it's foolish to not have a roll bar when you're driving a car that puts your head 40" off the pavement and gives you 2 layers of fiberglass and 4" of airspace between an opposing car is IMO, missing the point. These aren't safe cars and on the street you're more likely to get an SUV bumper to the upper body or the back of your cranium smacked against the roll bar from a rear ender at a stop light than to roll it over. Yes, anything can happen, but there's no need to tell fully grown adults the facts of life.

[RedBarchetta]

Tom, you have experience that I pray I don't have to replicate. Glad you lived to tell us about it. So, how does one (albeit, under supervised instruction) flip one of these cars at triple digits? I'd honestly like to know the circumstances that created this scary event.

[fastraxsg]

Maricopa is dead center right, everyone here is an adult and if you play with big boy's toys you always take a risk. No matter what type of roll cage/bars you put in, if you get t-boned at an intersection by a speeding 18 wheeler, you are going to be tapioca all over the road. Do what you think you need to do but don't dump on someone else if they make a choice different than yours, after all, these are replicas for the most part. They will never be originals no matter what type of stickers (or roll bars) you put on them. Just enjoy what you have, as safe as you can.

[Tom Wells]

RedBarchetta,

Turn three at Summit Point several years ago. A sweeping left-hander at 100+ mph. The rear gave a little "bobble" to the right and I "breathed out" of the gas, gave a slight steering correction to the right, maybe 3 degrees I thought, and was convinced I caught it. So did the instructor; he turned toward me with the intention of saying "good catch."

He got, he said later, about as far as the "g" and we were in a blender. Then WHUMP as we hit a berm and became airborne, and WHUMP again as we landed upside down after clipping some tree branches several feet off the ground.

As you can see from my gallery there are two roll bars from E-M, stout and 2" to 3" higher than our helmets, that saved us. No doubt. That and full 5-point safety belts and possibly the extra steel that E-M offered, and I had installed, to form a reinforced body under the windshield and the doors and across the back of the passenger compartment.

My left arm was crushed as I was on the high side of the flip where probably centrifugal force threw it outward - no recollection there - then squashed it.

My instructor didn't get a scratch. He said grabbed his shoulder straps to form the "mummy position" keepng his arms down.

If I had known about wrist restraints at that time I doubt I'd have had any injuries either. As it is, it took three years of healing and therapy to restore most of the function to that arm. BTW I'm the guy at the track now with the extra arm restraints going around asking everyone if they have theirs. If not, I do my best to get them to wear my extra.

The car required new everything including body, most of the suspension, wheels, tires etc. It still has the "tested" roll bars and its original E-M super-stout chassis. I have slowly changed the suspension and steering to make it behave more predictably on the track.

I've been back on a number of tracks with the rebuilt car and arm, and still enjoy it a lot. Roebling Road, Gainesville, Sebring and others.

I meant what I said about each builder making their own choices.

If I can provide a "horrible example" of what could happen to those who don't choose safety correctly over aesthetics, and then get in harm's way intentionally or unintentionally (dare I say accidentally?) then maybe I'll help spare someone some grief

Probably more than you wanted to know, sorry,

Tom

[rdorman]

I remember that well Tom. We are lucky to have you and it is a testimate to the strength of your car.

[RedBarchetta]

Tom, you sound like a guy that works hard and plays hard. You have my respect. There are some cars that I would feel safe in going through what you experienced. A Cobra is not one of them.

-Dean

[chuckbrandt]

Originally Posted by 496fe

Just curious. For those who have dual roll bars - did you get them for looks or for extra protection? For those who got them for extra protection, have you ever heard of anyone actually being saved by the extra bar?

Most events that provide driving instructors require equal protection. My buddy who does a lot of instruction recommended getting two roll bars and I've never regretted it. It came up at the first open track event I went to. Oh and I told my wife I got it to keep her safe, bonus points .

Chuck

[trularin]

I am not sure I have posted on this thread, but I have two bars and I have not regretted putting them on.

I made sure mine were tall enough to protect my noggin. Some are so short, I am not sure they would provide the protection.

Just my $0.02