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SgtSamy Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2010 Posts: 734 Location: Miami, Florida
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:52 am Post subject: Is a rollcage absolutely necessary these days? |
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My Thing is on the road again after some major work on the brake. After driving it for sometime, I really think that a rollcage for this type of vehicule is necessary.
People are so distracted behind the wheels these days! It's pretty incredible. I saw guy looking for something on Youtube on his cell phone while he was driving! Plenty of people texting!
I wanted to keep my Thing original but I'm really thinking about putting a rollcage even if I drive my vehicule only the weekend.
I also remember a member here that was driving offroad with his kid, he crashed and the rollcage saved his life and the lifes of his kids. _________________ At the moment owner of:
1968 Mex Beetle |
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NOVA Airhead Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2005 Posts: 5221 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 2:21 am Post subject: |
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I would say the roll cage is more useful if you are off-roading as its more likely you would have a roll-over there than on the highway.
Besides roll-over protection I wanted the roll cage so I would have an anchor point for a three point seat belt. _________________ Ghia Owner Emeritus |
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Deckard Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2012 Posts: 296 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:31 am Post subject: |
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Statistically, most car accidents are rear impact or side collisions. The stock low-back seats offer zero protection against whiplash, so one way to offer some protection to your front passenger is to switch seats to the late bug/superbeetle high-back chairs.
For side collisions you are out of luck; there is no protection whatsoever other than a few millimmiters of steel. Modern cars have cross braces and low-density styrofoam that act as crumples zone.
When I drive my Thing I act as if I was driving a motorcyle; I approach every 4-way intersection carefully (I always have my foot on the brake pedal), and never assume The Other Driver saw the stop sign. I also added blind-spot rearview mirrors (the fisheye stick-on type), and in 20+ years of driving I have been able to avoid accidents.
Oh, and I don't drive on Friday or Saturday nights, early commute in bad weather, or anytime after a big sporting event. |
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DougD Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2011 Posts: 334 Location: Auburn, WA
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Is a rollcage absolutely necessary these days? |
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SgtSamy wrote: |
I wanted to keep my Thing original but I'm really thinking about putting a rollcage even if I drive my vehicule only the weekend.
I also remember a member here that was driving offroad with his kid, he crashed and the rollcage saved his life and the lifes of his kids. |
Yes, that was me and my kids. Without the roll bar, I probably wouldn't be here typing this reply and my kids wouldn't be now getting ready for school.
VW sold a roll bar for the Thing. There are mount points for the factory roll bar (though not all); putting a roll bar on your car does not prevent it from being original. if you hunt around, you may even be able to find an original roll bar. _________________ VW-181 shirts and stickers.
http://ian.epperson.com/vw |
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Semper_Dad Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 3506 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Roll bar, original or custom, is a no harm, no foul addition to any 181. Not sure if it would help a lot in a side or front collision but it would definately keep the sky (or road) from falling on you in the event of a roll over. _________________ Walküre Restoration Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=737492 |
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mcmscott Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2010 Posts: 4848 Location: sanger ca
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:49 am Post subject: |
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When I built my cage I added side bars |
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ICTrains Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2011 Posts: 95 Location: South Alabama
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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mcmscott wrote: |
When I built my cage I added side bars |
I've kicked around the idea of building a "roll cage" for mine when I am done. One of the ideas I had was to add a couple of cross members in front and/or behind the front seats just above the pan, spanning between the rockers and the pan tunnel. Has this ever been done? Or is it really not feasible? _________________ JohnD
'73 Thing
'16 Wrangler JKU
My Rebuild Project
Thing Rebuild Threads
"If you take something apart and put it back together enough times, eventually you'll have two." |
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Semper_Dad Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 3506 Location: Indiana
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50261
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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My brother was in a head on last week in his Jeep Liberty, he ended up rolling over 1 1/2 times. Two days later my niece rear ended a car that was stopped in the middle of the road just over the crest of a hill. She rolled two complete times. I have had many many friends over the years that have rolled vehicles, not just SUV's but Saubs, Volvos, and such as well, most of them while driving on paved roads. |
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Hooking Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2011 Posts: 57 Location: Florida
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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I vote no for the roll cage , do not like the look ( unless your going off road then I vote YES ). bottom line is its not a safe vehicle , drive it like everybody is trying to kill you and you'll be fine . |
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ICTrains Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2011 Posts: 95 Location: South Alabama
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:32 am Post subject: |
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Semper_Dad wrote: |
Is this what you are talking about? More of a "oh geschissen" bar. |
No, I was actually thinking of tubing, the same diameter as the roll cage, just a fraction of an inch above the pan running perpendicular to the pan tunnel between the tunnel and the rockers. I figured that this would provide some (however marginal) protection from a side collision.
I agree with the "drive like you're on a motorcycle" defensive driving suggestions, but I'd like to do what I can to keep my family safe in the event that something happens anyway. Because, we all know that $hit happens. I'm even planning to put some sort of head rest on the rear seats. Haven't worked out the details on that yet, but I've an extra set of seatbacks to play with. _________________ JohnD
'73 Thing
'16 Wrangler JKU
My Rebuild Project
Thing Rebuild Threads
"If you take something apart and put it back together enough times, eventually you'll have two." |
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dells68 Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2008 Posts: 217 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:16 am Post subject: |
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I've seen people run bars like you're talking about to mount their seats. When I made my cage, I originally intended to do that as well. Only issue I see is that you need to make sure the front most bar doesn't interfere with the shifter or e brake. Search the forum for cage pics with seat mounts and see what that turns up. |
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Mal evolent Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2009 Posts: 2912 Location: San Antonio, Nuevo Mexico
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50261
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:50 am Post subject: |
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One thing about roll gauges is that they themselves are all to often lethal. Mine has a bar that sits almost directly above my head, it could do the old noggin some serious damage just going over a bad bump. Want to put a bend in it and move it back about 6" and raise it tight to the top. |
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ICTrains Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2011 Posts: 95 Location: South Alabama
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:00 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for that thread link; those are some pretty serious cages. I've got a long way to go on my project before I get to fabricating a roll cage, but I like to think ahead. I've got the same issue as others here have mentioned before; I have a hard top that I'd like the roll cage to fit under. This could prove to be dangerous as well because of how low it will have to be in the passenger compartment. _________________ JohnD
'73 Thing
'16 Wrangler JKU
My Rebuild Project
Thing Rebuild Threads
"If you take something apart and put it back together enough times, eventually you'll have two." |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:02 am Post subject: |
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While very intertaining, I do not think it is all that applicable to this thread on a roll cage for a street driven Thing.
Off all the hundreds of thousands of miles I have driven VW's, in the last 30+ years, the only time I have been hit in a VW was in a VW parts supplier's parking lot, and my VW was parked. I have credited the VW for being nimble and able to get out of the way and avoid an accident.
No one is immune to being in an accident, but I will take my chances without a roll cage, except for my fiberglass buggy. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:07 am Post subject: |
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ICTrains wrote: |
Thanks for that thread link; those are some pretty serious cages. I've got a long way to go on my project before I get to fabricating a roll cage, but I like to think ahead. I've got the same issue as others here have mentioned before; I have a hard top that I'd like the roll cage to fit under. This could prove to be dangerous as well because of how low it will have to be in the passenger compartment. |
The Thing Shop's "Show Bar" (not guaranteed to hold in a rollover, but it a hell of a lot better than nothing) will fit under the factory hard top. My roll bar just fits under the soft top and will likely fit the factory top. Note that if you look at the bolts on the door post and look at the factory roll bar, you'll see how the roll bar mounts there with an L bracket to avoid taking the space for the factory hard top mount. _________________ VW-181 shirts and stickers.
http://ian.epperson.com/vw |
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guppysoup Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2003 Posts: 387 Location: Jalisco, Mexico
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:31 am Post subject: |
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I wouldn´t feel safe driving around here without a roll bar and three point seat belts. _________________ 1973 Thing/Safari
1985 Bug/Vocho wanna be class 11
2014 Amarok TDI 4x4 |
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SgtSamy Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2010 Posts: 734 Location: Miami, Florida
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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Hooking wrote: |
I vote no for the roll cage , do not like the look ( unless your going off road then I vote YES ). bottom line is its not a safe vehicle , drive it like everybody is trying to kill you and you'll be fine . |
I disagree with you. We are now living in a era where people are constantly distracted on the road. Defensive driving is not enough anymore. _________________ At the moment owner of:
1968 Mex Beetle |
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