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Roll Cage material

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 9:26 am
by GJUK
Hi all,

So, I've having a cage installed by Pete here on the forum.
It's going to be a 8.5 second cage, probably through the dash - 6 point with door bars and tunnel brace, harness bars etc.

The cage will be weld in.

Should I have this done in CDS or Chrome molly?

There is quite a price change between the two, is chrome molly really worth it?

I don't think I'm ever going to put a hemi in the car or get down to 8.5 seconds, the car is about a 13.5 second car at the moment (at a guess)

Perhaps in the future I will make the 400 block a stroker...

Help me please! I want to future proof the car but not remortgage the house to have to do this!

Thanks

Jon

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 9:52 am
by Pete
CDS.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 10:04 am
by GJUK
Any reason for that choice? I know it's cheaper!! :D

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 10:07 am
by Guy
Its horse's for courses and depends what you intend to do with the car Jon.

As Pete says CDS for a street car that will see a bit of action at the strip but mainly be used on the road. It would certainly help with the rigidity of the car and make it feel a lot taught-er on the street.

If you were building a race only car I would go for the chrome moly as it is about a third of the weight of the CDS and that along with fiberglass wings, bumpers, bonnet, boot and doors you could be looking at a considerable weight saving.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 10:09 am
by GJUK
What do you have in yours Guy please?

Thanks again guys.

Jon

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 10:12 am
by Guy
CDS Jon as it is meant to have been built for the street plus I only had a mig welder and didnt have access to a tig welder (a must for CM)

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 10:25 am
by Pete
CDS.
Trust me.

I have already done the Customer Acceptance Testing.

Do you have a view of what you are trying to achieve with the car?

Do you need a cage at all?

Unless you set goals you will not have a view of what is required.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:27 am
by GJUK
Pete wrote:CDS.
Trust me.

I have already done the Customer Acceptance Testing.
Whats this? I trust you :D :lol:
Do you have a view of what you are trying to achieve with the car?

Do you need a cage at all?

Unless you set goals you will not have a view of what is required.


Ahhh that age old question. Only yesterday evening my friend was saying the same thing to me. "You must have direction"

I want it to be a fast road car. It might make it on the strip 2-3 times a year. Mostly use on the road (95%). I want a cage to be safe and so I can mount 4 point belts to something solid.
My other car (mk1 escort) has a full cage in it also, for the same reasons.

CDS seem to be the way

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:35 am
by Pete
As most members know (and are very happy to remind me - a LOT of the time)..

I had a 9 second Dodge Dart road car.
400 / 500 Stroker. It ran 139mph terminals.

It had an 8.50 tagged 8 point CDS cage with swing out door bars for ease of access.

I stuck it on the roof at the 'Pod. This was after it barrell-rolled.

The Pod think I hit the guard wall at around 125mph; it then flipped and landed on its roof.

Not ecomomical to repair.

The door bars still functioned and the pins slid in and out as per new after all that.

CDS :thumbright:

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:48 am
by GJUK
Pete wrote:As most members know (and are very happy to remind me - a LOT of the time)..

I had a 9 second Dodge Dart road car.
400 / 500 Stroker. It ran 139mph terminals.

It had an 8.50 tagged 8 point CDS cage with swing out door bars for ease of access.

I stuck it on the roof at the 'Pod. This was after it barrell-rolled.

The Pod think I hit the guard wall at around 125mph; it then flipped and landed on its roof.

Not ecomomical to repair.

The door bars still functioned and the pins slid in and out as per new after all that.

CDS :thumbright:
Ouch mate - any photos?

I think CDS is the way forward here.

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:49 am
by Jon Connolly
For the benefit of GJUK who may not have met Pete in person ... here is a recent photo

:)

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:50 am
by autofetish
As said CDS

My bike is being make from chrome Molly and wow it's pricey


I will be asking Pete to make my cage for charger from stainless when I final get to that stage :shock:

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:57 am
by Pete
Bloody cheek Jon! :P

I have much more hair than that......

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 11:58 am
by TyreFryer
Don't know how true it is but I read on the US forums that chromoly cages work harden when used regularly on the street and develop cracks after a time. :?

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 14 12:00 pm
by Blue
Another vote for CDS, the only reason at your level to use moly instead would be to save weight, and as you've discovered, that comes at a cost. An 8.50 spec. CDS cage is all you'll ever need, if you wanted to go faster than that you'd be building a full tube chassis car instead.