Roll bar or cage for a Westfield

[Rich_No80]

This is my first post - hope I'm not in the wrong forum.

I have recently passed my ARDS and bought an old sprint/hillclimb Westfield. I'm planning to go circuit racing with the Northern Saloons & Sports Car Championship. I took the car to be scrutineered and one of the many items I need to get the car trackworthy is a roll cage or roll bar with "petty strut" (?)

Can anyone advise on where to get one from. Westfield themselves do an RAC rollbar and an optional strut for £220+VAT and £48+VAT respectively but I don't know if it meets the Blue Book requirement aor whether it represents good value for money. I live ion the north east so if I can't find a local supplier I'd rather have one shipped to me for fitting myself by a 3rd party.

Thanks in advance !

Rich

[johnw]

Hi Rich_No80
You might try the following. http://www.wscrda.co.uk/
I think that his is the site for the Westfield championship series, so should be a wealth of knowledge.

[Sheila M]

My advice would be to buy the full roll cage - it offers you more protection in the event of an accident. If in doubt Section Q of the Blue Book has several drawings of roll cages. If that doesn't help you at all, try referring to Section EE of the Blue Book (a comprehensive list of Scrutineers), ring your nearest Scrut and ask what they recommend.

Hope this helps.

[graeme]

Rich,
I believe you need a Petty strut (named after NASCAR racer Richard Petty) for racing. This is the bar that braces (triangules) the roll hoop to further forward in the cockpit (basically stops your roll bar collapsing if you land on it). As John said, its probably worth talking to the Westfield racers - their cars WILL meet FIA regs. As I remember, their standard rollover protection is a rollbar with a Petty strut. The Petty strut is very easy to fit (at least on a Caterham) - it just bolts to the bar and the passenger cockpit side. When i had a rollbar (rather than a cage), i used to bolt it in and out between every race so I could carry passengers (actually give my girlfriend a lift to work...)
Graeme

[johnw]

Originally posted by graeme
Rich,When i had a rollbar (rather than a cage), i used to bolt it in and out between every race so I could carry passengers (actually give my girlfriend a lift to work...)
Graeme

The age of chivalry is not dead

[kickstart]

Rich No80, get a full cage it is a great deal safer in the event that you do have a major shunt - having seen a serious accident with a Caterham, the cage held up really well and helped prevent a serious injury being turned into a potentially catastrophic one.
Have fun

[Rich_No80]

Thanks everyone.

It really does seem that the full cage is the way to go even if there is a weight penalty.

I've emailed Caged, and Westfield for prices - anyone any other recommendations for one on a tight budget.

Thanks again.

Rich

[graeme]

Actually, there not much/any weight penalty. My cage supposedily weight 500 grammes more than my bar and Petty strut. Thinner walled tubing can be used in the cage, I believe, as the loads are spread more.

Safety Devices and Rollcentre are others manufacturers that spring to mind, but its probably easiest to get Westfield's standard one as it WILL fit.

A roll bar and Petty strut do give very good protection; its just that a cage gives a little more. (A few years ago we were using "hoops" rather than full roll bars. And IIRC the Westie race series only use 'bars and struts; never seen a cage in the series). And if you use the car on the road a lot, a 'bar is more user friendly than a cage.

Something I missed in your initial post was that you may not have an FIA approved 'bar. Caterham standardly sell their cars with little more than a piece of bent tubing for a rollbar - seems complete false economy when so many cars are used on track. I guess Westfield probably do this as well. You'll need an FIA approved 'bar for racing. Perhaps worth a call to the factory?

[Rich_No80]

Oh dear.

Got a few quotes back - sounds like £800 is the starting cost for full cages.

Westfield RAC bar and petty strut it is then.

Thanks for your help folks.

Rich

[graeme]

Eek - I'm sure the Caterham one was only (!) about £400!