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roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 11:29 pm
by charlie_91
hey i no this has probably been covered but i couldnt find anything..

first of all im thinking of getting the bd roll bar for the na mx5 and was just wondering if this particular bar will eliminate what known as the scuttle shake ?
I want the safety of a roll bar i just want it to be able to get rid of that to..

secondly my softop has been starting to make a bit of groaning when coming around corners and just general driving.. I noticed that it sounds like its moving up and down on the top when im on the highway.. Is there anyway to stop this or help it get better? The latches are quite tight to so im not sure what else i can do.

Any help will be great..

Thanks,
Charlie

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 11:53 pm
by Steampunk
charlie_91 wrote:first of all im thinking of getting the bd roll bar for the na mx5 and was just wondering if this particular bar will eliminate what known as the scuttle shake ?



Helps considerably for the rear-half (obviously), but most of the scuttle-shake is around the A-pillar area. Front upper strut tower brace helps, and apparently those Boss Frog "Frog Arms" do a better job.

There is a roll bar available locally.

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:18 am
by Old Dude
Don't know about the BD bar reducing scuttle shake, but the local mx5 plus bar definately does :)

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:48 am
by charlie_91
yeh im aware of the mx5plus one.. i was just seeing if other people with the bd bar would be able to say if it does and how much by..

any ideas on the softop ?

cheers

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:19 pm
by NMX516
charlie_91 wrote:any ideas on the softop ?

cheers


The bolts both holding the latches on to the roof, and those holding the striker plates, can come loose. You'll need a torx bit to tighten them (avail from Repco). If the latches are too tight then they might be rubbing a bit on the latches. They need to be tight, but maybe 'snug' is a better way of describing it - it shouldn't be difficult to lock the latches in place when putting the roof up.

As for the roll bar - well the mx5Plus one is a much better design than the bd, and attaches to the car a lot better also. As a result, as the others have said, they go a long way to reducing scuttle shake. The only reason I can think of as to why anyone would properly compare both (i.e, design, fitting, attachment points, overall engineering etc) and go with a bd, is price. But then what price is your safety? And there is only a couple of hundred dollars difference at most. You can also reduce scuttle shake by fitting under car braces, and depending on what year your car is, it may not have any, so that would be a good start. There is also the "60mph shimmy" which effects early NA's. The solution to start with is decent wheels and tyres, well balanced. The extra bracing also helps this.

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:33 pm
by Dweezle
The only reason I can think of as to why anyone would properly compare both (i.e, design, fitting, attachment points, overall engineering etc) and go with a bd, is price.


Does the TB bar come with Cams Cert? I want the bar for Supersprints etc, and so, want Cams Certification.

Is anyone running these with Cams Cert, and if so how do you go about getting that?
There are a few points i prefer in the TB bar.

Also the mounting points for the harness are a little odd being so close to the drivers shoulders arn't they?

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:04 pm
by de Bounce
Although I raised this specifically for Victoria, some of the comments may help.
Clicky
MX5 Plus make a CAMS approved Bar which is not listed on their site.

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:27 am
by hks_kansei
Brown Davis bar does clear the soft top, clears the roof hoop by about 10mm at the smallest point.

MX5 Plus rollbar has more clearance as it sits a little bit lower that BD.

Plus fits under a hardtop, BD is hit and miss, mine does, but there are plenty that dont, depends on install and the car.



as for scuttle shake, after my BD Bar I felt bugger all difference, a little stiffer in the rear, but not enough to bother about.

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:20 pm
by Mr Morlock
so is the consensus that the young blokes are fitting roll bars for safety? If safety is an issue the best thing you can do is get a later model MX5. The Dog Lemon Guide for MX5 1989-98 remarks "that early versions of these cars do not meet current frontal impact standards".

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:38 pm
by charlie_91
thanks for ur replies..

Ive made up my mind and have spoken to danny.. Roll bar will go in early may when i get my service :D

Cheers guys

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:59 pm
by hks_kansei
Mr Morlock wrote:so is the consensus that the young blokes are fitting roll bars for safety? If safety is an issue the best thing you can do is get a later model MX5. The Dog Lemon Guide for MX5 1989-98 remarks "that early versions of these cars do not meet current frontal impact standards".



ever think that not everybody can afford a brand new MX5?

a proper rollbar is about $800
an NA6 is about $6000 I think.
that's a $6800 car.

NB is about $15000

NC is about $35000 (used)



also, find me ANY car for under $10,000 that meets Current frontal Impact standards?

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:46 pm
by NMX516
charlie_91 wrote:Ive made up my mind and have spoken to danny.. Roll bar will go in early may when i get my service :D


Good choice mate :wink:

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:56 am
by Guran
Mr Morlock wrote:so is the consensus that the young blokes are fitting roll bars for safety? If safety is an issue the best thing you can do is get a later model MX5. The Dog Lemon Guide for MX5 1989-98 remarks "that early versions of these cars do not meet current frontal impact standards".

No argument that NBs are fundamentally safer cars than NAs, but that's not why people fit rollbars. Rollbars are for rollover protection. I'd even recommend a rollbar to NB owners who are looking at tracking their car. The NC has rollover protection already, or so I understand.

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:45 am
by charlie_91
NMX516 wrote:
charlie_91 wrote:Ive made up my mind and have spoken to danny.. Roll bar will go in early may when i get my service :D


Good choice mate :wink:


cheers :) i was always gonna go back to danny but i just wanted to see what was out there first..

roll bar and soft top..

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:51 pm
by de Bounce
charlie_91 wrote:
NMX516 wrote:
charlie_91 wrote:Ive made up my mind and have spoken to danny.. Roll bar will go in early may when i get my service :D
Good choice mate :wink:
cheers :) i was always gonna go back to danny but i just wanted to see what was out there first..

If it's their CAMS Approved TB Bar, I would be interested in photo's once fitted.