Rollbars

[Northern Lad]

Please bear with me if this has been covered before but this is my first post even though I first joined this group 16 years ago.

My question revolves around rollbars and their eligibility with regards to track days with the club. I have read and inwardly digested the advice on what can and can't be used on our organised events but don't, as yet, know how I can make my car comply. My rollbar is bolted to a 1998 car and as such is the more vertical type without a diagonal brace. Is there a direct replacement for mine that just involves undoing bolts, dropping a new one on and bolting back up again or is this just wishful thinking? My aim is to have a go at Blyton novices this year so I need to get my finger out, stop procrastinating and get spannering!

Thank you in anticipation.

Steve

 

[Wrightpayne]

The FIA bar does bolt in, however, there are two thin head bolts that go in from underneath, above the rear shocks which mean they need removing. It has been known for FIA bars to be fitted without these and no one would know ;-). That said no big deal removing the shocks.

You will also need a new boot cover as the holes for the diagonal need to be bigger for the FIA bar.

[Jonathan Kay]

As above + check the archives for hints on appropriate sockets for those bolts.

Please let me know if you'd like an Assembly Guide.

Jonathan

PS: Delayed welcome. :-)

[Wrightpayne]

Steve,

I have a tall FIA bar you can borrow, just to bolt in for the event if that helps. Its for a imperial dedion chassis so should fit.

I'm in Leicester.

 

Ian

[Northern Lad]

Thanks Jonathan

Excuse my ignorance, and I know I'm going to seem daft for asking, but what's the assembly guide for?....and thanks for the welcome.

[Northern Lad]

I've looked at FIA bars on fleabay and the mounts look different on the main tubes....did they change after a certain year or am I looking at the wrong kit?

[Jonathan Kay]

... what's the assembly guide for?

It's a factory document that comes with the Seven to help with the build. It changes every so often. For this job it will tell you things like bolt sizes, torque settings, and order of assembly. It also contains a wiring diagram.

If you'd like a copy please send me a Private Message with details of your Seven and your email address.

Jonathan

[Matthew Willoughby]

Does your car have a live axle or de dion rear end? Roll bars on live axle cars are just fitted with bolts from the top and are really easy to fit. It is a bit more involved for a de dion car as explained in post #2.

[Mcalvert]

This LF article may help explain what is needed.  It relates to the De Dion fitting which at Matthew says is the trickier of the two as it takes the bolts from below. http://lowflying.lotus7.club/2016/2016_04_09_Rollbars.pdf

 

 

[brianjhall31]

The article Michael linked to covers the removal and installation of a FIA (Track Day approved) Rollbar very well.  I would just add that you should check that the socket you will use to tighten the slim headed bolts inserted from below (the space above the suspension unit) does not have too much "rounding" on its entry face i.e. where the socket and bolt mate together.  If its too rounded, and you are not able to achieve a straight line between the axis of the socket and bolt, you risk damaging the hex corners when trying to torque up (this also makes disassembly difficult!) Torque as per article.

A quick check beforehand saves a lot of pain later!  If the socket face is too rounded just buy a cheap one and grind to obtain a sharp edge.

Torque setting for upper and lower Suspension unit mounting bolts is 54 NM

[Northern Lad]

Thanks chaps....I'm overwhelmed with the advice and offer of a loan rollbar. My car is de dion with a well worked 1700 xflow....being old, I'm old school....!!

[Shortshift]

The article is very clear and helpful, as Brian mentions.  In my experience it takes maybe around an hour to remove the old bar and work out how to fix one side of the new one when you tackle the job for the first time.  And then only ten minutes further to complete the work.  And then when a friend then asks you to give a hand with his installation you can do the whole exercise, from scratch, in less than 30 minutes!

It's one of those things where, after you've done it once, it's a doddle.

James

[Wrightpayne]

Something to note is that when you are sat in the car with a helmet on you should be 2" / 50mm below an imaginary line between the top of the FIA bar and the highest point at the front of the engine.

This is to ensure your swede is protected should the worse happen.

[Shortshift]

Thanks Ian - a good reminder of an important point.  To be 100% accurate, the Club's requirement is that the helmet should be below the line but the Club goes further by recommending that the helmet is at least 2"/50mm below that line.

The wording from the Club's TSRR document in the 'Mandatory Minimum Safety Measures' section is as follows:

"Where a rollover bar is fitted, the top of any helmet being worn must lie below the sloping line that extends from the top of the rollover bar main hoop to an appropriate structural member at the front of the vehicle"

and, within the 'Recommended Further Safety Measures' section it reads as follows:

"Where a rollover bar is fitted, the top of any helmet being worn should lie 50mm or more below the sloping line that extends from the top of the rollover bar main hoop to an appropriate structural member at the front of the vehicle"

James

[Q Catcher]

If you have a half-hood (e.g. from Soft Bits for Sevens), I think you'll need a different one for the FIA roll bar.  Or to put it another way, if you haven't got a half hood and want to buy one, you'll need to specify which roll bar you're using.