Safety Equipment

[MNW]

This thread is for the discussion of safety equipment. What you have tried and how you liked it.

Also, post here if there are local roll cage builders or safety equipment vendors.

[Ezzie]

Highly recommended roll cage builder for the guys in the Toronto area is O'Brien Motorsports in Brampton, ON. One of the most reputable constructors in the area for those who need CASC or CARS certified cages for motorsport use. He did my 510 cage in mild steel and my GT-R cage in chrome-moly and it truly is a work of art. I crash tested the 510 cage and it stood up very well (I'm still here to write this).

[CanadianGTR]

Though it's a small, usually overlooked safety device; I recommend a neck-brace if you're doing anything that requires a helmet.
Helmets are heavy, and you can easily hurt your neck when your head bobbles around in an impact or an aggressive runoff. I've saved my neck a few times just using a neck brace while karting, so I couldn't imagine how useful it would be in an actual competition environment with high speeds.

I would also recommend having a glass breaker/knife combination affixed by velcro within reach of the driver. This is a pretty general piece of prevention that you can use in a road car or track car. In the event of a rollover, it allows you to cut your harness/seatbelt if it becomes stuck, as well as shatter the glass to get out if the door isn't working.

Also, Ezzie, how's the pricing at O'Brien?

[Ezzie]

Though it's a small, usually overlooked safety device; I recommend a neck-brace if you're doing anything that requires a helmet.

Also, Ezzie, how's the pricing at O'Brien?

I agree with the neck brace. I used one in the last two Targa Newfoundland events I entered and never once had any neck pain. That event is long days and fairly rough roads at times and it really helps to keep your head stabilized and not wobbling around. I swear by it now.

O'Brien's prices are probably in-line with any other serious cage builder (such as Four Star, etc.) but I like Ronnie's quality of workmanship - it is top notch. He is one of the few who really knows his stuff around chrome-moly. He will quote based on what you want (ie. # of points, material, etc.). My 510 steel cage was under $2K, the chrome-moly GT-R cage was in the $4-5K range but I had him do a lot of extras (such as window net, A-pillar bracing, vertical tie-ins to the rear subframe mounting points, front subframe bracing, etc.). At the end of the day, I felt I got excellent "value" and that is more important to me than the cost of the job. There are some pics of the GT-R cage he did somewhere on this site - I'll see if I can find the post (about 18 mos. ago) or you are welcome to come to my new shop and check it out in person.

Edit: Here's the link to the cage pics taken after I got it back from O'Brien's.

Japanese FM Band expanders

[CanadianGTR]

I would love to come check out the new shop, it's in Erin right?
I'm pretty sure Ronnie is the guy Can-Jam uses for their cages, he does really REALLY good work and as you said, value is more important than price.

Thanks!

[Ravenlokk]

Wasn't really sure where to ask but what do you guys recommend roll-cage wise for a daily driven GTR? I mean what material/diameter/#connection points should i be going for- i'll probably get it installed when i pull the motor to have it rebuilt (sometime in the new year). Keeping in mind i don't want to spend more cash than i "need to" since i wont likely be going over 500-600 hp. Also, since it's going to be a daily driver ideally i'd rather not restrict entry/exit too much so a swing arm, or removable bar (that i can put in for competition use) would probably be a good option right?

I plan to do some drag racing, and road racing with it so im not sure if it will be required but i'd rather be on the safe side.

Know of any shops in BC (preferably in the vancouver area- but i can pick up parts from the interior w/ a truck/van if its a good deal (not necessarily cheap, more concerned about quality... but i don't really know how much i should be expecting to spend). Sorry i'm such a clueless noob, thanks for the help in advance

[MNW]

Wasn't really sure where to ask but what do you guys recommend roll-cage wise for a daily driven GTR? I mean what material/diameter/#connection points should i be going for- i'll probably get it installed when i pull the motor to have it rebuilt (sometime in the new year). Keeping in mind i don't want to spend more cash than i "need to" since i wont likely be going over 500-600 hp. Also, since it's going to be a daily driver ideally i'd rather not restrict entry/exit too much so a swing arm, or removable bar (that i can put in for competition use) would probably be a good option right?

I plan to do some drag racing, and road racing with it so im not sure if it will be required but i'd rather be on the safe side.

Know of any shops in BC (preferably in the vancouver area- but i can pick up parts from the interior w/ a truck/van if its a good deal (not necessarily cheap, more concerned about quality... but i don't really know how much i should be expecting to spend). Sorry i'm such a clueless noob, thanks for the help in advance

For drag racing, with that power you are talking about, you will need a cage (and other safety equipment for that matter as well, helmet, etc) and the cage will need to be built to NHRA standards. For road racing, you will also need a cage built to FIA standards (should be more or less identical to the NHRA regs) but for road racing you will need a lot of safety equipment, suit, underwear, boots, gloves, seat, fire system, kill switch, the list goes on. Be ready to spend in the 3-4000 range for most stuff with a cheaper cage. Safety equipment is one place people should not cheap out on though as this is your life we are talking about.

[CanadianGTR]

With regards to the personal safety gear (suit, gloves, etc). I find that the more expensive stuff actually is way more comfortable than the cheap stuff (at least with suits). I've tried on quite a few suits, and the cheap ones you would definitely want the underwear just to give a layer between you and the suit because it's itchy as hell once you introduce some head; however the good suits you can wear naked because they don't itch the same way.

Maybe it's just me, but that's what I've found.

[judasentinel]

Anyone know if we have something like the HANS device that can be bought for less than what people in F1 and Nascar use? That thing is sure enough a life-saver, as the world has seen in F1 crashes in the last 3 years.

Probably the ONLY good thing that F1 could take and use from stupid Nascar, lol.

[CanadianGTR]

They have different STYLES of head restraints but I think HANS is the only one of that style and it's pricey. But worth it.