Dash Bar Required??

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72DMag

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Years ago at the local track you'd go to the local car wash and get your cage certified. Older gentleman use to do it and for my buddies car he said, "Since his dart did not have the stock dash a dash bar was required".

If someone leaves there stock dash in place is a dash bar not required when installing a roll cage?? I could not find any reference to this in the nhra rulebook. (If it's there and I missed it my apologies but I checked the general section)

Thanks
 
I would put the dash bar in regardless, it may save you from broken legs/knees or possibly loosing your legs. The stouter the cage, the better chance you have of walking away from an accident. JMHO
 
The car does have the stock firewall but define stock floor? The car is back halfed so the main part of the floor is original.
 
If nothing else, check with the sanctioning body (IHRA, NHRA) divisional rep or tech inspector, they will tell you. Sometimes the rule books are ambiguous & open to interpretation by the local tech inspector. But as mentioned in my other post, if it were mine I would install for peace of mind. Ask me why. LOL
 
Ok. I will be the first one to ask why?
Demonracer said:
If nothing else, check with the sanctioning body (IHRA, NHRA) divisional rep or tech inspector, they will tell you. Sometimes the rule books are ambiguous & open to interpretation by the local tech inspector. But as mentioned in my other post, if it were mine I would install for peace of mind. Ask me why. LOL
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72DMag said:
The car does have the stock firewall but define stock floor? The car is back halfed so the main part of the floor is original.
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Your allowed a 12”x12” access hole for the trans in the floor before a dash bar is required.
Mods to the chassis would require a sill bar.
 
I rolled a car many years ago & messed my knees up, I'm still paying for it.
 
I bought an ex super gasser, and was told i had to add a dash bar and a sill bar, so i did. The car had the stock dash, but not the stock floor or firewall.
I dont know how it passed tech before.
I would just add the bars.
 
33IMP said:
I would just add the bars.
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Plain and simple good advice.
Demonracer gave a good example.
It’s chump change in the big picture, even more so incase of a wreck.
A stiffer body will work better than not.
 
Always ERR on the side of caution & safety. Some of us have lived longer than we should, despite being dumbasses when we were younger.
 
They say that God looks out for fools & children, I had both of those categories covered. But I'm older & a bit wiser now, plus I figured out I don't heal as fast as I used to.
 
@Demonracer You've convinced me to add the dash bar! Glad your accident wasn't worse!

In regards to the dash bar does it have to be connected to the 2 a pillar bars coming down from the roof halo? or can it be in front of those bars and hidden in the dash like this. This picture he does have it attached to the 2 post bars. But I have the 2 post bars in front of my dash. I'd like to hid the dash bar just for looks if possible. Can I hide and weld the dash bar to the sides of the car using 1/8 inch plates?

In other words does the dash bar need connected to the cage or can it just be added?


5591141-crossbarhiddenunderdash.jpg
 
My bar is attached to the front down bars for rigidity & my door bars are appx 25" from the floor in the back & tie into the front down bars just above the lower horizontal cross bar that runs from the front bars to the hoop. I hope this helps.
 
My street/strip car (E Body) has the stock dash, factory firewall and floors. I still added a knee bar that ties into the kick panels of the body. NHRA tech officials have said they prefer it this way over just one bar bent from the main hoop or halo bar down to the floor. It always passes a 25.5 cert (7.50 E.T. in 1/4).

100_1483.jpg


100_1482.jpg


IMG_54301.jpg
 
72DMag said:
@Demonracer You've convinced me to add the dash bar! Glad your accident wasn't worse!

In regards to the dash bar does it have to be connected to the 2 a pillar bars coming down from the roof halo? or can it be in front of those bars and hidden in the dash like this. This picture he does have it attached to the 2 post bars. But I have the 2 post bars in front of my dash. I'd like to hid the dash bar just for looks if possible. Can I hide and weld the dash bar to the sides of the car using 1/8 inch plates?

In other words does the dash bar need connected to the cage or can it just be added?


View attachment 1715673613
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Mine is hidden like that behind the dash. When I had my cage done I insisted that the pillar bars come down through the dash. More room inside the car and just looks right to me. Because we did it that way, we were able to put the dash bar behind the dash and it welded to the steering column and brake pedal assembly to reinforce that structure as well. My fabricator told me that it is safer for the drivers knees to have it behind the dash as well.
I hate the look of a cage in front of the dash.
 
would drilling holes thru the panel and plating them at each end add an additional amount of strength? (them being the dash bar)
 
@6PKRTSE I see that you used the 1 1/2 inch bar instead of doing those triangle gussets. Sounds like in the rulebook section 21 page 24 either is acceptable but it does not mention the saddle gussets.

Are the bars stronger than using gussets? Are saddle gussets not allowed here? Thanks
 
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