Here are finished pictures of the 10 point cage install.
10 Point Roll Cage Install
In my goal to customize my 85 Mustang I have installed a 10 point roll cage from S&W Race Cars & Components. When I received the cage from S&W I was very impressed with the cage material. The pipe was evenly bent and almost looked polished it was so shinny. After installing the cage I am nothing but pleased. The cage install went very smooth and I was most impressed with the cage fit. Although the cage was pre-notched, I did have to make a few adjustments to the pipe ends. Below are some pictures and notes about the install to help aid you in installing your own cage.
I received prices from several places but was shocked that the cost to get it installed was equal to the cost of a welder capable of welding the cage. I enjoy working on the car and would rather do the work myself so I turned to a friend to help setup welding the cage in myself. A very generous Manassas Electric Motor Company Inc. supplied the welder and space to do the install. I owe a very big thanks to Jim Sweigart and Manassas Electric Motor Company Inc. for their time, space and welder.
Here are finished pictures of the 10 point cage install.
More finished pictures of the 10 point cage install.
More shots of the 10 point cage.
Here is a shot of the front mount and bar the wraps around the dash.
Shots of the knee bar and rear shot of cage.
Me welding away and an insdie shot of the cage after painting.
Shots of the cage after painting.
Finish shots of roll bars in engine bay.
Tools required:
Mig Welder w/wire
Side Grinder and or Tube Notcher
Sand paper or paint remover
Tape measure
Steel cut off saw or Hacksaw
Wire brush
Soap Stone or Permanent marker
Putty knife
NHRA Rule Book on Roll Bars and Roll
Cages
View Rule Book
Download Rule Book
This rulebook is dated 3/23/99. Rule book subject to change by NHRA without notice from me! Always consult your local NHRA rule book for specifications.
Installation:
To start you must remove your entire interior. I had already removed my interior prior to doing this cage install.
Next you must remove the tar sound deadening material from the floor pans in 8 places.you can refer to the diagrams at the bottom of this page for the location of the plates.
a.
Remove the material from the front right and left corners next to the kick panels.
b. Remove the material from behind
front seats. (Rear passenger foot area)
c. Remove the seem glue on the
center transmission hump in the rear passengers foot area.
d. Remove
the material from the rear hatch area.
Next you must trial fit the mounting plates to the floor pans. Mark with soap stone or permanent marker.
Sand all area you will be welding around the plates.
Weld the main hoop plates to the rear floor pans against the frame rail. Once you have welded the back half of the plate beat the front part of the plate down to the floor pan and finish welding. The floor area where the plate will sit is not level so you will need to shape the plate. Weld the plate before trying to shape it. It will be much easier. NHRA rulebook calls for 6"x6" plate bolted on top and bottom of floor panel. The kit only came with the top plates. I will not be bolting plates underneath the car because I will be installing the KennyBrown Extreme Sub-System on the car and will be welding the top plates to the sub frames.
Trial fit the main hoop in the car. If height is correct tack in place. I tacked mine straight up and down. You can angle this hoop if you like back or forward. But it should not be in front of or over the drivers head. Consult your NHRA rule book for specifications.
Next weld in the rear plates onto the hatch floor. I used the rear bars to determine the area I would need to install the plates and welded the plates right to the rear frame rails.
Trial fit the rear main bars. These are the bars that run from the main hoop top to the rear hatch frame rail. If correct tack in place. I had to add a little more angle to the pre-cut ends.
Next trial fit the roof hoop. Ensure you will not have any clearance problems and that you can weld all the way around the loop. If correct tack in place. This hoop did not come pre-notched although I feel it should have. This was the only part of the kit I was not happy with.
At this point I took several measurements to ensure that the cage was even and aligned.
Once this was done I trial fit the front main pipes that extend from the roof hoop to the floor pan near the kick panels. I also located the placement of the front floor pan plates at this time. I welded the top, outer side and then the bottom of the plate and shaped the other side to the floor pan. The front pipes come long and will require cutting to each end of the bars. Be very careful at this point to ensure you don't make a mistake and cut the bar two short. I aligned my bar so that they were running as close to the door as possible giving me more room inside. I also cut the pipes so that it hugged my dash very closely. I am still able to remove the dash but it requires me to have the windshield out.
Next I installed the side bars. Theses bars fit nicely and I only had to trim the bottom a little to make them perfect. Consult your NHRA rule box for location of side bars. They should pass the driver at a point midway between the shoulder and elbow.
Next I trial fit the rear seat brace bar that runs between the legs of the main hoop. This is the bar that runs horizontal with the car behind the drivers seat. I mounted mine 1/2 inch below my shoulder height. Consult your NHRA rule book for specifications.
Next I installed the knee bar. This bar does not come notched and will require cutting. I sat in the car and placed the bar where it would not interfere with my legs. This fortunately placed it just under the radio mount in my dash.
And last I installed the main hoop cross angle bars. These bars run from the main hoop seat bar to the transmission hump floor pan. The kit did not come with these plates so I fabricated my own plates. The plates also required shaping to weld completely to the floor pan. Again weld the top of the plate, the rear of the plate and then the bottom of the plate. Shape the front and then weld.
I again took several measurements from many places on the car to ensure that's were I wanted to bars to be. I then did the final welding of the pipes.
Finally I primed all the weld areas of the cage and car.
Mounting plate location and weld points!
This is the front mounting plate diagrams. It shows were to weld and the part that will
need to be shaped to fit the contour of the floor pan.
This diagram shows the 4 mounting plates located in the middle of the car. This also shows
the welding location and the portion of the plate that needs to be shaped to the contour
of the floor pan.
This shows the rear mounting location for the cage plates. No shaping of the plate is
required here.
