HPDE Safety Equipment

[ka-t_240]

Originally Posted by Sleepless

Contact www.cantrellmotorsport.com. I have their bar and am very happy with it. Similar price range as you found. Apparently if you go to OK, you can get them a lot cheaper

I don't see anything for our chassis on their website. Am I blind?

[OkieSnuffBox]

Originally Posted by ka-t_240

I don't see anything for our chassis on their website. Am I blind?

It's not on there. I contacted them 5-6 weeks ago. It's not a regular production item, it was a one-off.

So you'd have to take the car to them for it to be fitted since they didn't make a jig to reproduce them.

However, I believe PST has mentioned having a roll bar for Q1/Q2 2016 that should be much more reasonable in price.

[Sleepless]

Autopower makes a decent looking four point bar at a lower price.

[OkieSnuffBox]

^Has anyone actually fitted one? (on the forum at least)

I wouldn't mind having my buddy make the front plates bolt-in, instead of weld-in. But I don't remember reading anything about the fitment of the bar.

[Sleepless]

Originally Posted by OkieSnuffBox

^Has anyone actually fitted one? (on the forum at least)

I wouldn't mind having my buddy make the front plates bolt-in, instead of weld-in. But I don't remember reading anything about the fitment of the bar.

Not that I'm aware of. I saw the bar on a show car at a cars and coffee gathering which started my quest for a bar. The Autopower looked ok, but I didn't want a bar that mounts to the fender. I also wanted the rear crossover bar to be reMovable.

Cantrells fabricator felt that backing plate style bolt-in for the front wouldn't work well; I forget the reason but I recall agreeing. The floor is extremely flimsy if I recall correctly... There is also some issue with the close proximity of the fuel tank ... Anyway, we felt the weld in plate on the top of the shelf was the strongest/best mounting solution. YMMV

I know you think the Cantrell bar is overpriced, but in my experience in the Seattle and Bay Area, it is priced inline with other shops. I got the feeling that the PFS bar would be in the same ballpark... It is more expensive to design/fab a good bolt-in than a weld-in. Keep that in mind when comparing...

BTW - the Cantrell bar is not a one off. If they get some interest, they will pull my bar to make jig.

[gatorac]

Originally Posted by LOLS2K

Thanks. I definitely don't want my head to be the roll bar, but I figure that the HANS will provide other benefits. I have seen many people using neck donuts without a cage/roll bar, and HANS seems like it will be far superior. I'm going to give them a shout.

Edit: I spoke to a Simpson/HANS rep and he let me know that it is safe to run a HANS without a roll bar. What I took from our conversation is that the HANS will protect me from spinal injury, in the case of a collision (head flying forward). We did go over roll over scenarios, however the HANS still does it's job during the collision aspect. Bucket seat, harness, and HANS device without a cage will still result in head being roll bar, whether the HANS is being used or not. The HANS still seems beneficial in MY case where I'll be using a harness with factory seat and no cage. I'm definitely still open to suggestions, criticism, etc. Thanks guys!

Thanks for sharing the info from Simpson. Everyone will tell you it's best to have the full roll bar. While I agree with that, I understand that's not always an option right now. Finances and our overall goal for the car often limit our safety options. You have to decide what's important to you. Do the tracks you run regularly see rollovers? If so, you should take that into account when you make your safety upgrade plan. One thing is for sure, if you have a harness and a helmet, you better be wearing a Head and neck restraint. The thick collar is only effective at reducing neck fatigue. It won't provide much protection in a wreck.

[LOLS2K]

I was relieved to hear a recommendation from Simpson that was geared toward my needs, and not simply "all or nothing". You're definitely right, and some/many of us enjoy weekend HPDE and simply do not want/can't run full on safety equipment. I have been fortunate enough to not have to experience a wreck that would test out my gear (helmet, harness, etc.), but I'm always looking improve where I can. Thanks for the tips.