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Suzuki Sierra Roll Bar Question?
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:03 pm
by trakeko
Morning all:
I have a 1992 Sierra Wide track soft top. Any ideas on where i can get a
roll bar made for it, or if anyone knows if any of the 4wd supliers make
one designed for my suk?
thanks,
Konrad
(Melbourne, Vic)
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 8:06 pm
by built4thrashing
what area you live will depend where we send you
Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 8:08 pm
by trakeko
hey, i live in st Kilda, Melbourne.
cheers, Konrad.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 4:42 pm
by Gwagensteve
do you want something cosmetic or a genuine roll bar? Sorry of this sounds condescending, but a genuine roll bar is quite hard to do in a sierra.
Brown Davis and Cheezy spring to mind, but have a look on mags such as auto action, and try and find out who is building rally cars. there are a number of small workshops producing some very high quality work for the rally boys.
Be sure you are sitting down when talking price though. These guys do all custom work and you will be starting around $800 and going up from there.
There are some 4WD shops what will offer a "roll bar" but they won't offer much more than psychological protection.
I have built a full cage for a suzuki and it took an amazing amount of time and about 20m of tube at $28/m

But this was a 6 point cage tied into the chassis.
Steve.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 4:56 pm
by smileysmoke
anything is better than nothing i reckon. i am looking at getting one made up for a mate and possibly for mine also.
single main hoop and cross braces, then two supports running to the rear.
what size tube do people normally go for?
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:00 pm
by dank
Another one converted from the Daihatsu Squad! Its about time too! IFS sucks mate! lucky you did both engine mounts and tranny mount last time out hey! its zook time now!
Welcome to the forum mate!
Air lockers! nice one!
The rollbar that came with my zook is just a 4 point alloy job bolted to the body with backing plate on the underside. Not as strong as chassis attached bar but would offer more protection than nothing. 2 bends, 6 welds and its done. See ya soon mate
Dan
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:06 pm
by grimbo
yes something is better than nothing but those alloy 4 post jobs aren't going to do much in a seriously hard rollover. They will either bend or just rip through the thin Sierra sheetmetal unless attached to the chassis.
they will offer some protection in a gentle flop onto the side or roof in some cases. But if you start driving with the belief "I have a rollbar so I can do anything insanely hard because I'm protected by my alloy rollbar" you may be in for a world of hurt if something goes wrong.
If you are really serious about your protection then as Gwagensteve says you need to pay the $$$ to get a proper one that will do the job.
Sorry if that was too negative and non constructive for the sooky la las out there
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:18 pm
by sierrajim
Talk to Cheezy (03) 9762 9032, he's reasonably priced and his cages are very well designed and very strong.
We've put the buggy through absolute hell with some insanely hard rolls and it's only just bent a back stay after an end over end roll onto a rock. Every other tube remains un distorted.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:27 pm
by nicbeer
what do people think about the cargo barrier options.
I have a ex - jaram made cargo barrier in my new WT, ties into the seatbelt mounts and also 4 bolts into the floor. seems strong enough. thou as said before better than nothing but thikning of maybe incorporating a half cage in the back with it. too many rego dramas to go throu for full cage or front half.
Nic
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:33 pm
by smileysmoke
nah i agree grimbo alloy would not be a good option. i would opt for some strong steel tubing but i would rather have strong mount points as you mentioned the floors arent all that strong.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 7:08 pm
by PJ.zook
If you do happen to want a nice alloy rollbar i got one im not using, its 4point and bolts to the rear wheeltub with backing plates as others have mentioned. I think you can have the backseat in with it too.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 7:13 pm
by suzuki boy
PJ.zook wrote:If you do happen to want a nice alloy rollbar i got one im not using, its 4point and bolts to the rear wheeltub with backing plates as others have mentioned. I think you can have the backseat in with it too.
Is this just the one that go's in the back?
If it go's through to the front i might be intersted!

Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:49 pm
by dank
if we're talking a 4 point....where exactly would the bar go through to the chassis?
good post grimbo....i'm aware that my bar isn't up to the standard of a six point or 4 point steel but hopefully i'm careful enough with my driving never to end up in a position where I'll be contemplating a hard roll over! but hey shite happens sometimes so I guess i'll deal with it when it does...or save up my bikkies....
Konrad if your going to get a custom job may as well get it done properly and get a CCDA approved job that you can use in comps if you ever want to head in that direction...
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:00 pm
by PJ.zook
All 4 mounts are into body, and no it doesnt go into front.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 7:40 am
by moose
mine is just a alloy raer 4 point !!
when I rolled it (we all kow the story !!

)
it was the only thing that saved certain seriuos injury !!
screen , doors & taxi hoop were all totalled !!

Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 9:33 am
by Gwagensteve
smileysmoke wrote:anything is better than nothing i reckon.
Sorry to sound like a nazi, but no it's not. If the bar is poorly designed and mounted, you just have a whole lot of stuff in the car you can hit your head on in the event of a roll, or worse, you have a whole bunch of loose tube rattling around.
Steam pipe, HREW, exhaust tube, etc is not for making a roll car out of. 90% of "roll bars" I see in sierras are cosmetic only and will break out of the floor in a hard enough roll where they are likely to have to do anything.
Remember too that any roll hard enough to warrant a roll bar will total the vehicle comprehensively. some members here in vic have made a career of rolling their car (christover??) and have never had a cage. however, if you are travelling fast enough or dropping far enough to get the car up onto it's roof, you do need a cage
BUT:at that stage you also need supportive seats, harnesses and helmets becuase the roof caving in is only one problem, a far bigger problem is that you move out of position in the car and strike the interior.
Hitting the interior of the car in a rollover almost certinaly killed a suzuki club member in a road rollover many years ago. He was in a car with a roll bar but was knocked unconcious when he hit the pillar or something and drowned when the car landed in a river.
Please think about the total safety of the car and what you are doing when planning modifications like this.
I am not a fan of alloy roll bars, they are now not legal for motorsport. Alloy tends to suffer fatigue and is more difficult to weld properly.
Before buying some cheap pipe and firing up the welder, spend lots of time checking out actual roll bars in competition cars. you will quickly see the difference between a $200 bar and a functional roll bar.
PS yes, sierra 4 point bars are VERY hard to tie into the chassis. Doing so it A) difficult to make legal and B) reduces a great deal of interior room.
Steve.
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:05 am
by raqmup
grimbo wrote:yes something is better than nothing but those alloy 4 post jobs aren't going to do much in a seriously hard rollover. They will either bend or just rip through the thin Sierra sheetmetal unless attached to the chassis.
they will offer some protection in a gentle flop onto the side or roof in some cases. But if you start driving with the belief "I have a rollbar so I can do anything insanely hard because I'm protected by my alloy rollbar" you may be in for a world of hurt if something goes wrong.
I agree with Greame.
Here is an example of why a good roll cage can come in handy... And a good insurance policy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwmNmQP- ... ed&search=
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:11 am
by want33s
YEAH and don't be a dickhead and IGNORE the spotter giving directions.
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:32 am
by raqmup
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:34 am
by raqmup
want33s wrote:YEAH and don't be a dickhead and IGNORE the spotter giving directions.
x2
Icing on the cake woulda been the clip around the head followed by "I told you so" when the spotter got down there!

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:05 am
by grimbo
want33s wrote:
YEAH and don't be a dickhead and IGNORE the spotter giving directions.
not as simple as that. That climb is really steep and there is heaps of traction. From where that Jeep is and where the spotter is the driver would be hard pressed to even see where they are pointing. The rock in Moab is like sandpaper and the tyres have so much traction that just a small amount of sidewall contact can throw you off your line very quickly
rollbars
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:11 am
by want33s
grimbo wrote:
not as simple as that. That climb is really steep and there is heaps of traction. From where that Jeep is and where the spotter is the driver would be hard pressed to even see where they are pointing. The rock in Moab is like sandpaper and the tyres have so much traction that just a small amount of sidewall contact can throw you off your line very quickly
Watch it again. Left hand drive remember. The driver can see the spotter just fine until he goes up the wall. I agree with the traction part.
Besides.... shouldn't you stop if you can't see the spotter when driving such dangerous track.
Re: rollbars
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:12 am
by grimbo
want33s wrote:grimbo wrote:
not as simple as that. That climb is really steep and there is heaps of traction. From where that Jeep is and where the spotter is the driver would be hard pressed to even see where they are pointing. The rock in Moab is like sandpaper and the tyres have so much traction that just a small amount of sidewall contact can throw you off your line very quickly
Watch it again. Left hand drive remember. The driver can see the spotter just fine until he goes up the wall. I agree with the traction part.
Besides.... shouldn't you stop if you can't see the spotter when driving such dangerous track.
I have driven and spotted up that track, trust me it isn't as simple as you say.
Re: rollbars
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:16 am
by want33s
grimbo wrote:
I have driven and spotted up that track, trust me it isn't as simple as you say.
You lucky man. I want to go to Moab one day. I never said 'simple', you did. I remember saying 'dangerous'.
Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:22 am
by waxhead..
yes something is better than nothing but those alloy 4 post jobs aren't going to do much in a seriously hard rollover. They will either bend or just rip through the thin Sierra sheetmetal unless attached to the chassis.
Here is my bro on his lid, this unplated alum 4 poster, saved hime from injury, lucky he was wearing a helmet in a comp scenario as his head did hit the dirt wearing only a factory seat belt.
Haven't read the whole thread, but you can decide whether a basic roll bar is worthwhile or not...
Spamwell on this forum also did a 270 degree rollover on the street in his with a 4-poster bolted to the op of the quarters and came out on top aswell...

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 9:12 am
by trakeko
THANKS GUYS FOR A GREAT RESPONCE. I FINALLY GOT A PIC OF MY ZUKE TOO:
VERY BASIC AT THE MOMENT BUT WILL BE A BEAST SOON... :-)