Northwest Members - Roll Cage Choices

Sorry to bore you again with my dilemma, but sometimes it feels better to run all these choices past you guys & get a sanity check. It seems like every time I think I've made up my mind, I read another article or post & start thinking again. There are only about a thousand possibilites.

First is the Wolfe that Tbyrne sells. It's nice, it's NHRA legal, but not ORR legal. I do like the swing-out door bars. And it's on sale.

http://www.wolferacecraft.com/images/Install%20Pics/fbbar/fbbar04.jpg

But then there is this bar. It is ORR legal. Looks VERY stout, has a harness bar, cross brace (diagonal), camera mount, but I'd need to add door bars. They sell one that has a front hoop, but with my pillar pod I don't want to do that.

http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=70151&Category_Code=AP151

Or maybe I should just drive the car down to Art Morrison & let him build me a custom cage that does everything I want. (isn't this from your design Ellis?) What to do, what to do? :confused:

why isn't the wolfe ORR legal?

Sorry to bore you again with my dilemma, but sometimes it feels better to run all these choices past you guys & get a sanity check. It seems like every time I think I've made up my mind, I read another article or post & start thinking again. There are only about a thousand possibilites.

First is the Wolfe that Tbyrne sells. It's nice, it's NHRA legal, but not ORR legal. I do like the swing-out door bars. And it's on sale.

http://www.wolferacecraft.com/images/Install%20Pics/fbbar/fbbar04.jpg

But then there is this bar. It is ORR legal. Looks VERY stout, has a harness bar, cross brace (diagonal), camera mount, but I'd need to add door bars. They sell one that has a front hoop, but with my pillar pod I don't want to do that.

http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=70151&Category_Code=AP151

Or maybe I should just drive the car down to Art Morrison & let him build me a custom cage that does everything I want. (isn't this from your design Ellis?) What to do, what to do? :confused:

Mark what kind of plates does that orr cage mount with? if it's 6X6 1/4inch steal than all you would hve to do is add a one down tube to the drivers side to be leagel for nhra.

I want to ask what josh asked why isn't the wolf legal for orr? It doesn't matter to get a cage that legal for both events you will have to add to eather one of them, which isn't that hard just have to know the rules and buy some extra tubing.

After looking at both of them in the links, my first thought is to go with the Wolfe... being NHRA legal is important since you do mostly drag racing anyhow. It looks like you can make the Wolf ORR legal by adding that cross beam in the middle... which should be fairly easy for someone that can do a little fabrication.

ORR requires a diagonal bar that goes from the drivers side by the roof to the passenger side by floor. Although in either race, my car will be slow enough to not REQUIRE a cage. For now anyway. But I want to be safe, so I want to add one that meets both requirements. Which means I'll have to add something to either. (good point Jasons)

Well in that case i would buy the wolf. Call them and they can include whatever peices you need to make it legal. Or just have them send you another chunck of tubing and we will make it.

God i wish i had your problems.I want a cage for the vert.....The rumors I hear they cant be bolt in for NHRA.And I do use it as a daily drivers so perm mount is out(kids in the back seat from time to time.They love speed too)

If anyone knows diff let me know

I asked Tm Byrne if they offered a diagonal bar that I could add, but he has yet to repond. It's only been 3 days!

Verts have different rules, but I think Wolfe makes a bolt-in that is NHRA legal. The rear bar must be welded to run 11.49, which means no people in the back seat at that point anymore.

I asked Tm Byrne if they offered a diagonal bar that I could add, but he has yet to repond. It's only been 3 days!

Verts have different rules, but I think Wolfe makes a bolt-in that is NHRA legal. The rear bar must be welded to run 11.49, which means no people in the back seat at that point anymore.

people in the back seat with a cage is a bad idea anyway. I don't even like the ide of people riding in mine without a helmet. Could you imagine the damage it would cause if soem one hit there head in it in a wreck.

people in the back seat with a cage is a bad idea anyway. I don't even like the ide of people riding in mine without a helmet. Could you imagine the damage it would cause if soem one hit there head in it in a wreck.

hell yeah, even with the padding that's gonna hurt like hell to smack your head against it without a helmet. And when I get a bar, the back seats come out permanently anyhow.

That's also why I'll be running the minimum bar (5 point) for NHRA purposes... don't want to not only inconvenience any passengers, but also don't want them to risk hurting themselves on it as much as possible.

I asked Tm Byrne if they offered a diagonal bar that I could add, but he has yet to repond. It's only been 3 days!

Verts have different rules, but I think Wolfe makes a bolt-in that is NHRA legal. The rear bar must be welded to run 11.49, which means no people in the back seat at that point anymore.

Cool Thanks for the info

people in the back seat with a cage is a bad idea anyway. I don't even like the ide of people riding in mine without a helmet. Could you imagine the damage it would cause if soem one hit there head in it in a wreck.

Since kids ride in the back from time time.I never want a weld in cage....However i want some sort of roll over protection in the car to protect the little monsters in case of accident.

hell yeah, even with the padding that's gonna hurt like hell to smack your head against it without a helmet. And when I get a bar, the back seats come out permanently anyhow.

That's also why I'll be running the minimum bar (5 point) for NHRA purposes... don't want to not only inconvenience any passengers, but also don't want them to risk hurting themselves on it as much as possible.

For sure the back seats will be coming out when the cage goes in. And there will be padding. But that is why I wanted to sit in a few cars to see how the different cages fit. First I need to be able to get in the car. Second, I don't want to be whacking myself (or passengers) on steel bars. But it also needs to pass tech for whatever race I'm running.

Since kids ride in the back from time time.I never want a weld in cage....However i want some sort of roll over protection in the car to protect the little monsters in case of accident.

Roll over danger isn't too high in these cars, thankfully... last time I was looking at some rollover tests, the Camaro was listed as a 120+. Which means they put it into a sideways skid at 120, it still didn't roll, and they said it's far too dangerous to continue trying above that speed... so the really good cars got 120+ ratings.

Needless to say, no SUVs got within sniffing range of 100 mph, let alone higher. ;)

That is nice to know Mark. I am with slowpoke. I don't have anyone to sit in the back (no room anyway) but I do have a $1000 toneau cover that I don't want to cut just for a cage.

But to answer your question, I might be inclined to do the custom cage. It looks like you would have to add tubing to either one you got (door bars or a diagnal bar), so just design the cage to meet both ORR and NASCAR.

That is nice to know Mark. I am with slowpoke. I don't have anyone to sit in the back (no room anyway) but I do have a $1000 toneau cover that I don't want to cut just for a cage.

But to answer your question, I might be inclined to do the custom cage. It looks like you would have to add tubing to either one you got (door bars or a diagnal bar), so just design the cage to meet both ORR and NASCAR.


The only thing with a custom cage is price. Ask boyce how mucha custom cage costs, it ain't cheap.

Since kids ride in the back from time time.I never want a weld in cage....However i want some sort of roll over protection in the car to protect the little monsters in case of accident.


It would put them in more danger with a cage. Just remember that. Like i said i would never put any in my car without a helmet, just because of the risk involved.

For drag racing I am not that worried. Not yet anyway. Maybe when the car gets into the sub 11.5 zone I will be. But to this point I feel I can handle just about anything that happens at the track.

Now open road racing is a different story. Rolling along at sustained speeds of 140mph, hit some oil, blow a tire, whatever, in a turn on a 2 lane road with a 10' drop-off on either side, and nasty $hit becomes a real possibilty. These cars don't do the 4x4 stuff very well. Most dig in & flip over (several times according to the videos I've seen). :eek2:

It would put them in more danger with a cage. Just remember that. Like i said i would never put any in my car without a helmet, just because of the risk involved.

You missed the point.....I was referring to something like this(Ugly aint it)
light bar (http://www.importprecision.com/light_bar_camaro_firebird.htm)
for everyday driving to proctect kids.(their heads sit above the top of trunk line so in a roll over their necks would be snapped without some sort of protection. see the problem

Actually those do VERY LITTLE to protect in a roll-over. I looked at those at one point too.

Actually those do VERY LITTLE to protect in a roll-over. I looked at those at one point too.

Ya that is what i learned i just throw that up to represent what i meant and the problem i have with back seat riders.

That is nice to know Mark. I am with slowpoke. I don't have anyone to sit in the back (no room anyway) but I do have a $1000 toneau cover that I don't want to cut just for a cage.

But to answer your question, I might be inclined to do the custom cage. It looks like you would have to add tubing to either one you got (door bars or a diagnal bar), so just design the cage to meet both ORR and NASCAR.


This might fit the bill you are looking for http://www.wolferacecraft.com/install/fbod/fbodbarconv.aspx

You missed the point.....I was referring to something like this(Ugly aint it)
light bar (http://www.importprecision.com/light_bar_camaro_firebird.htm)
for everyday driving to proctect kids.(their heads sit above the top of trunk line so in a roll over their necks would be snapped without some sort of protection. see the problem


Oh sorry, i always forget......no roof :bang:

Why does everyone instist on Ordering some thing from across the country when Morrison is in Tacoma and you don't have to pay shipping to pick it up? I bought a $240 kit and made my own cage!

Mark I might as well weigh in here. I personally like the ioport bar much better than the wolfe for the following reason

The wolfe has a "straight across" horizontal bar. If you mount it far enough back so that your seat won't hit it, then the top of the "hoop" will be too far rearwards to adequately protect your head. Go out and sit in your car with your helmet on and measure the distance from your head to the roof. Scary huh ?! More than likely your head is touching the roof. You NEED the top of the bar as close to the rear of your head as you can possibly/comfortably get it to afford you the kind of protection you're going to need in a 140 mph off road excursion. The ioport bar with its "reliefed" cross bar allows you to get the top hoop nice and close like it should be. Like you already said, in ORR, IF you go offroading, your doing endo's and rolls for 100% certain. NOBODY has ever gone offroading in ORR without this happening.


I also like the fact that options are available :) Naturally a custom bar would be superior to both. Lot's of $$ though.

Sardog in ORR the specs for the plates for mounting the bar are 6 x 6 x 3/8th in. So it's pretty stout stuff.

NOBODY has ever gone offroading in ORR without this happening.
That's cause I haven't been down there yet... lol

But yea, I know it's a different type of off roading...

BTW MY custom Bar was $460 installed ;)

We crushed the Liner to the roof to get it as high as I wanted

http://groups.msn.com/WashingtonFBodys/twofast4lv.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=200

Mark I might as well weigh in here. I personally like the ioport bar much better than the wolfe for the following reason

The wolfe has a "straight across" horizontal bar. If you mount it far enough back so that your seat won't hit it, then the top of the "hoop" will be too far rearwards to adequately protect your head. Go out and sit in your car with your helmet on and measure the distance from your head to the roof. Scary huh ?! More than likely your head is touching the roof. You NEED the top of the bar as close to the rear of your head as you can possibly/comfortably get it to afford you the kind of protection you're going to need in a 140 mph off road excursion. The ioport bar with its "reliefed" cross bar allows you to get the top hoop nice and close like it should be. Like you already said, in ORR, IF you go offroading, your doing endo's and rolls for 100% certain. NOBODY has ever gone offroading in ORR without this happening.

I also like the fact that options are available :) Naturally a custom bar would be superior to both. Lot's of $$ though.

Sardog in ORR the specs for the plates for mounting the bar are 6 x 6 x 3/8th in. So it's pretty stout stuff.

you make very good points bill, see i am a short basterd, and i have about 5 inches btween my helmet, and the roof, but i also have no headliner or anything.

I like elis's idea to just buy a kit from art morrison and bend and build it yourself. I also think whichever route you go mark you should weld it in. Once you see what a pain it is you will never want to remove it.

Hmmmm, great ideas guys. I guess I really do want a custom. Maybe I'll take my car & some pics of these cages down to Art & show him what I want & see what he thinks. To Hell with the sale @ Tbyrne.....it's cheaper in the long run to get it done right the first time.

Hmmmm, great ideas guys. I guess I really do want a custom. Maybe I'll take my car & some pics of these cages down to Art & show him what I want & see what he thinks. To Hell with the sale @ Tbyrne.....it's cheaper in the long run to get it done right the first time.

Damn right.