Let's talk safety - Roll Cages

What is a roll cage?

It is a specially designed, engineered, and constructed cage-like metal frame built into the vehicle’s cabin with one very critical goal - to keep the driver safe should they be involved in an accident; particularly a crash that involves the shiny side down.

They can either be bolted or welded into the car’s frame. Bolting it in makes installation a lot cheaper and easier. However, welding the roll cage in makes it much more robust as it becomes part of the car’s structure permanently.

These bars will also serve the daily purpose of stiffening the entire vehicle up and creating less body roll and twist; a big plus for drag racers planting the tyres to the ground. Each bar added to a roll cage adds another dimension of structural support and rigidity to the chassis.

When examining the roll cage structure, you’ll find that some sections arrange the welded steel tubing in triangular shapes. Triangles and other geometric shapes are known for providing any structure with additional rigidity.

Depending on the quality of the roll cage and the intensity of the crash, the roll cage will continue to provide intrusion protection even though the vehicle rolls multiple times.

Roll cages also make racecars much lighter. As they are installed in the interior of the vehicle, any unnecessary items in the interior must be removed to accommodate the roll cage.

You will find that the roll cage structure will be arranged in triangular shapes. This welded type of structure adds additional rigidity.

The rigid cage prevents the chassis from flexing too much, and the suspension can do a much better job of keeping the car’s wheels on the ground. When the race car takes a corner, the chassis will flex and affect the vehicle’s alignment. A rigid roll cage minimises this significantly.

Our Shores NZ team is in the business of driver safety. We have been doing this for over 18 years. So if you are looking at putting in a cage, keep in mind you are not buying tyres, so don’t go price shopping as the difference between a good cage and a cheap cage is the safety of the driver.

Consider how you’ll use the vehicle, both now and several years down the road. Weigh the cost versus weight debate, and decide what meets your needs.

Again, the primary goal here should be keeping you safe regardless of your driving habits, and remember, you can never be too safe.

For a no-obligation quote on your next roll cage build, contact the team at Shores NZ.

For more information about log books and safety cage homologation, head over to Motorsport NZ.