C/B Pillar bars ? RICE or actually work

[CTR Coupe]

I have a CUSCO Safety21 Cage sitting at home (un-installed). And YES, although it is NOT approved for 'TRACK USE' by CAMS - it can be approved for ROAD use by the local Road Traffic Department.
Anything is better than nothing in reality, but saying a CUSCO cage is BAD - i'm asking for PROOF.
A Home made cage i'd be worried to install, but these cages according to CUSCO have been tested and pass 'their' tests. Those may not be thesame rules here, and it fails but it doesn't mean its CRAP.

Where people nitpick the Cusco cages.

The bolt in aspect, sheer a bolt during a crash and you’re in the same trouble as normal with more metal flying around in the car.

The design of the front impact zone bars that fit around the dash so you don’t have to cut the dash. This design is useless it will just bend during in a crash possibly crushing your legs and trapping you.

Plus there are no side impact bars.

Front impact protection should look something like this

No weird bends to fit around dash, side impact protection, all straight lines with triangulation where possible.
I'm unsure if this would past roadworthy inspection.

This would be the bare minimum for front impact protection. still the same front end as the one above but without the X side impact. more applicable for a street car. still unsure if it would pass inspection

[Icegroove]

I have a c-pillar (and floor for that matter...) and i wouldnt say it makes the most noticeable of differences.

I would most probably agree with those that have said that it 1) made it feel 'tighter' and 2) more predictable.

[nigs]

Got all the usual sways and strut bars with coilovers 12/6kg.
Added the B Pillar and notice less flex. I'm not sure if that means "better handling"
But changing direction/weight quickly gives a more direct feed back with the nose. And the ass doesn't really drag behind as much when taking long sweeping corners. So everything feels a lil "tighter"

Chicanes are much easier and FUN to clear.
Given the car's age (15+), any bracing/reinforcement can't be a bad thing. =\

Only negative thing when stiffening the car, worn/old bushes are really noticable now. When they weren't before
Damn amplified effect >_<

Haven't bothered with a C pillar yet. Don't feel it's worth the coin.

[SINISTR]

double post.

[SINISTR]

Thats still no Proof - and lets face it - are we talking 'STREET or TRACK'?

For a start you'd have to be crazy to bolt any 'bolt-in' cage or a CUSCO cage directly to your floorpan using bolts - maybe 'that' is where all this 'unsafe' theory is around boltin cages. You should use a base plate which can be welded to the floor/chassis and then drilled through, another plate from underneath and bolted down. At this stage it wouldn't be a stupid idea to weld the cage to the base plate for extra support reducing risk of seperation.

6+ point Roll Cages (front legs) are not approved for street use in Australia - full stop. So the images posted above don't prove anything, infact both are shown in a LHD car thefore completly don't justify 'safe' roll cages in Australia.

I agree that the front 2 points of a cage which fits before the dash are dangerous - but it applies to 'ALL' cages with such design not just CUSCO.

'SIDE INTRUSION' Bars are also illegal in a street car in Australia and no, the 2nd pics side bars would NOT pass inspection.

The ONLY reason why CUSCO cages don't pass CAMS approval is due to the thickness of the piping being too thin by 0.5mm. Therefore its a street cage. Sure some may install it because it looks pretty, others will install it because it will actually do something beneficial as long as its bolted in correctly - compared to not having a cage at all.

[BlitZ]

on an old car everything helps... on a new car with strong chasis and good bushing it would be hardly felt..

mainly inteneded for track. if u want bpillar bar for looks then you might as well get chromies.. which i shold be considering ahah

[CTR Coupe]

I just stated why Cusco cages get a bad wrap.


ALL bolt in cages are bad.
all cages that form around dash and have stupid aesthetic bend are bad.

the only type of cage i would be running in my road car would be a welded half cage anyway and this would be only if i fitted a harness. 3 point seat belts let your body move and slide out in a roll over harnesses hold you in place and you get crushed.

why do Cusco make cages that are .5mm too thin. aren't CAMS standards based on FIA standards?
do Cusco cages meet the CAMS/FIA equivalent in japan?

I'm just stating why people rip on Cusco cages.

two things that stand out

1. Custom made welded cage designed and built by an engineer are better than a Cusco cage

2. Cusco cages don't meet standards = useless for track

This leads to people that have them to be labeled as show offs.

[bennjamin]

b pillar bars and c pillar bars also arent people friendly in a crash !

[e240]

b pillar bars and c pillar bars also arent people friendly in a crash !

No metal bars in a car are people friendly without the appropriate safety gear, even a roll cage (That means Helmet people!)

With B and Cs, You should not be carrying passengers. However, they would generally be safer as long as the bars are behind your seat and do not run past your ear or something.

[bennjamin]

No metal bars in a car are people friendly without the appropriate safety gear, even a roll cage (That means Helmet people!)

With B and Cs, You should not be carrying passengers. However, they would generally be safer as long as the bars are behind your seat and do not run past your ear or something.

Cs maybe -the examples of B pillar bars are too inviting when it comes to safety. Unless you have really short arms/legs , you are likely to be seated quite close to the B pillar location (right where the seatbelt guide is) and in any accident the return on whiplash would be a killer

fatboyz39

- hate it , only because of the negative effect your car will get in a impact. Instead of crumpling your body will take the brunt of the force and the car will bounce into the opposite direction.
Hence why generally rollcages are silly for everyday driving.Be careful out there man !

BTW i would love to have a roll cage on a track only car lol

[fatboyz39]

Id hate to see your car/s in an accident on the everyday road

why would you hate it so much? Its 4 point roll cage bolt-in, which makes it legal once engineered on Australian Roads.

If you ever get a chance to get hold of a roll cage, you'll know what i mean.

[e240]

Cs maybe -the examples of B pillar bars are too inviting when it comes to safety. Unless you have really short arms/legs , you are likely to be seated quite close to the B pillar location (right where the seatbelt guide is) and in any accident the return on whiplash would be a killer

Yeah, but the B pillar is generally behind the seat, infact, in cases of whiplash, the B pillar would act as a brace to reduce the backward motion of the seat. Thats what it looks like anyway.

If (The B pillar bar) is beside or in front of the drivers seat, you'd need to relook at your sitting position or you've mounted the thing wrong.