Ok boys and girls in MX5 world.
Need some help here, has anybody out there tested the strength of a TR Lane Rollbar?
I.E Has anyone put it on the roof and survived?
I am in the process of sourcing a bar for my MK2 to protect my bonce for an upcoming sprinting & hillclimbing season and a cage is too much as I need to retain the roof, I had a Hard-dog bar in my MK1 which I got from Performance 5, however it was a fortune!!!
i dont know of anybody who has rolled a 5 with a trlane rollbar in i have a gp bar in my mk1 and can tell you it stiffens up the car quite a bit and does not look out of place
when i was getting mine i asked the same question but have still to find anybody that has rolled one (and i dont really want to find anybody)
Every crash is different, so unless you want to fund a series of controlled experimental crashes you won’t really be able to tell which roll bar is best, or even which ones work.
Go for something solid that bolts to something else that’s solid, then drive like you never want to use it.
Quite so Cap’n.
I believe the Lane bars are to MSA spec in tube thickness etc so will be good enough for a gentle roll into the gravel.
I’ve been hunting around casually for one myself and am surprised there aren’t more “proper” rear hoops listed considering how many cars there are competing. The Lanes seem to be the only people doing them in the UK.
I had to get a cage made for BDC 2009 - £100 just for the main hoop bent to shape, with all the brackets and straight bits being either chopped out of my old cage or hand fabricated by me and my welder chap. It only just fits inside my hard top.
I know another guy who had a full cage custom made for his MX5 and it cost nearly as much as I spent on my entire car.
TR Lane seem to be the sensible option.
Yeah Cheers
I might just bite the bullet and order the thing.
Ran the car at a few meets last year without it, not good!
I have to say this is my third MX-5 and getting bits like this seems a real ball ache.
if you are going to order one have a look at ebay they have roll bars with doors bars i think the last one went for £265
Having fitted a TR Lane bar a couple of years ago I can also say that they add a lot of stiffnes to the car, removing much of the scuttle shake as they effectively become a roof (in terms of a monochoque chassis), I don’t know of anyone who has turned a car over and ‘trialled’ one of Tims bars but I throw my car into corners (on the track I hasten to add) with no concern for my safety as I firmly believe that it’ll do what it is designed to do. Out of interest the door bars also remove a lot of flex from the area, my doors had dropped slightly however after fitting the bars I realised it was actually the car sagging slightly!
Capt M sums it up, the bar (whichever you choose) bolts into the car’s chassis (with considerable sized backplates), not just onto the two seatbelt towers or the parcel shelf like a lot of style bars and if you don’t fancy chopping your car about yourself Tim will fit it for you at a very reasonable price.
Re ebay, price up first off the TR Lane website http://www.trlane.co.uk/ becasue I’ve watched bidding wars far exceed the listed price before now!
Hi, if you send me your email address via private message I may have just the right type of cage for you, with diagonal door bars and the rear feet mount inside the boot near the suspension top mounts. Harness can be mounted to the lateral memberAdds to torsional rigidity emmensly. Can still use soft or hard top when fitted. Photos fitted and since removed also available via email.
Not the lightest but, I would say it will take a serious roll-over without too much worries
Regards Dr. Eunos