Well if you go that route you have to take all sorts of steps to make sure the safety devices actually WORK. If installed improperly then they can kill you. 5 point harnesses must be mounted in a certain fashion. You need a seat that's built to fit your body as well. You also need a full cage, because to properly install a 5 point harness, they are mounted to the roll bars. If you ever have been inside or have looked inside a Nascar stock car you can see how they do it all.
A helmet can actually do more damage than good, too. If you are in an accident, the added weight increases the force at which your head is moved about in the crash. That's why you need things like the HANS device to keep the helmet from adding to the force that wants to pull your head off of your spine.
I could go on and on and on, but safety is a science. And a very expensive one at that.
Does anybody know if the MM roll bar has to be TIG welded, or is MIG okay?
Cjones, how long did it take you to get used to having the bar run down the side of the door? How much of a pain is it? I'm not a huge person, (5'11", 190 lbs), but the inside is already a little tight for me. I'm thinking of getting some aftermarket seats too, and just do the whole job, right, the first time.
Does anybody know if the MM roll bar has to be TIG welded, or is MIG okay?
Cjones, how long did it take you to get used to having the bar run down the side of the door? How much of a pain is it? I'm not a huge person, (5'11", 190 lbs), but the inside is already a little tight for me. I'm thinking of getting some aftermarket seats too, and just do the whole job, right, the first time.
as far as i know MIG is fine. just don't grind down the welds.
i just had mine installed and i'm still waiting for the door bars to come back from the powdercoater. i've been in cars with doorbars in them and it's not bad. you find that you'll start using the bar as a arm rest.
I'd practice a little more defensive driving. A quick glance in either direction before you enter the intersection will (generally speaking) allow you to perceive any threats...for example, whenever I'm in Detroit (not the suburbs-LOL), I'm constantly scanning for "red-light-runners." It's common practice in the city, so hesitating for a moment before mashing the go pedal once the light turns green can save you a headache or two
Of course, if you hit the track often, then a cage/roll bar could be a great investment. It just depends on how safe you feel I guess...
I do practice defensive driving, especially living in Chicago. But, when some jacka$$ just decides to run a red light or do something stupid like change lanes without looking, that is when people get hurt. BTW thanks for all the info cjones. I'm sure the padded bars are more comfortable than the plastic arm rests we have now, LOL.