Has anyone actually seen any of the Cusco roll bar / roll cages installed?

[jamal]

Did it actually though? I know the crash you're talking about and a friend of mine was in there too. The OEM crash structure is VERY good and it's pretty hard to say if the cage did anything or not. If the a/b/c pillars had been gutted and the cage was the only thing protecting them that would be one thing. But to say they would have been dead or even seriously injured if not for it might be a stretch.

I don't really want to have this argument but with this thread and the other roll bar thread people need to understand that bolting in some shiny blue bars does not necessarily make you safer and can actually cause injuries.

Think about what would happen if you were in a serious accident where instead of being held in place by a crash tested safety system with airbags and belts designed to work in a specific way, you are strapped to a roll bar that bends or breaks or rips off the mounts. And don't get me started on harness bars.

[jkonquer]

i believe i know who you guys are talking about as well. lol

i actually saw the car at the bodyshop after the crash and i notice the roof being crushed in the areas were the cage wasn't supporting. the whole car actually was crushed accept for the areas where cage the was supporting. and no bends or broken pieces on the cage. I know this cause i helped him part out. although the cage was modded for extra support.

not saying cusco cage was what saved him, but it sure stopped the further concaving of the roof

[MKIV]

Originally Posted by JRitt

Back in '05 or '06 I saw a Cusco 6 pt. rollbar installed in a 350Z when I was out at Willow Springs for a track day. The bar actually had S bends on several of the vertical bars...which basically meant it would compress like a spring under any kind of load. I instantly wrote off their cages/rollbars at that point due to the poor design.

I can only assume that the one I saw was more of a 'racing style' cage for a show car to look 'racey,' not an actual safety device.

It looked like the pic below...can't imagine it would take much force to fold that S-shaped A pillar bar!

Yep, those bars are useless. They are very light as well and not really designed for safety. Whole lot of show and no go.

[Carlitoz3]

Tempting just for show though aha

[mrk1]

I am usually a fan of Cusco parts but those cages make no sense. To many bends. Also a six point is a very bad idea on the street unless you drive with a helmet all the time. Take that picture above of the A pillar bar. Your going to get pretty smashed up when you bang against that thing, knee's, face.

I've built a number of cages for numerous series, SCCA, BMWCCA, Rally America. I used to think it would be cool to have on the street but I really think twice about it now.

If your looking for a dual purpose car then the back seat is going to be useless and a welded in 4 point is the best bet. They often can be built for a very competitive price compared to the cost of buying and shipping a pre-made bolt in. And just welding in a bolt in cage is not what I'm talking about. Going with just a harness bar doesn't make sense to me, if you going fast enough and going to track often enough to need harnesses then you should be stepping up your safety. A harness bar offers no added protection in a roll over.

Look at this mustang, notice the feet of the bar punched through the floor. When a legit cage is made the cage is tied into the rocker panel which is much much stronger then the floor. Just think when you drill the holes for the bolt in's the drill go right through, how strong is that material.

[mrk1]

This is 6 point built in my buddies bmw for Rally America, looks strong right. This photo was taken after the roof had been cut off because he had a terrible wreck. End over end, barrell roll. The car was a complete write off. Cage looks brand new.

[Ryuu0u]

Cusco "Crush" bars. Did lots of research on cusco cages for the s2k and other cars before I bought them. Turns out they are more like death traps than to really save you. I've always been told to go with a custom welded and up to spec roll cage or nothing at all.

[GTM_Challenge]

Wish there were more solutions out there. I'm wanting to be seats in our car, but won't do so unless I can run harnesses to something real solid - more so than a harness bar.