Style bar VS Roll bar

[fecat]

just want to have people's opinion on Style bar VS Roll bar. their pros and cons, types, cost, styles out there so that I can make a informed decision.

I really like the twin hoop design in polish alloy. please share your thoughts.

[Mr Morlock]

this might depend on whether you already have taken a position. There is a lot of info on this subject including the US Miata site. My observation, from what I have read ,is that a style bar is purely aesthetic and non functional. Roll bars are the subject of different opinions. For the track driver esp for a strictly track car they make sense. But the road is a different environment with risks more from being hit rather than rolling. The danger of your head being thrown against a roll bar is not to be dismissed. In real life crash situations the MX5 is rated above average for safety and these reports are available on the internet ( Monash studies is one). So if safety is a concern in general then there seems some good evidence that the car is better than many. The roll bar debate is I believe the classic "gut " versus "head ' debate with many just believing that all those bent pipes must be safe. I doubt any aftermarket manufacturer can give you any crash test data and anecdotal evidence should be treated with caution.

[sliq]

style bars = bling. arguably, they may present some reinforcement when the car flips. the racing beat type II bar i think would actually stay upright if it flips since it is bolted to the chassis. i haven't seen photos of a car with a racing beat type ii style bar flipped, where it has "mouse trapped" people, i.e. smacking them on the head, collapsing on them.

roll bars = not as good looking but it is undoubtedly roll protection, if in case your car flips.

both provide mid-chassis rigidity. the roll bar, obviously more.

[grump]

I have a stainless style bar, but when I start to do some track work i'll put in a roll bar. the twin loop bar from MX5Plus is a good looking bar and if it was chromed or powdercoated silver it would have as much bling as a style bar. I understand the mousetrap theory and think that it could be a problem if you roll over, but as the wise mr Morlock says, " there are more risks of being hit than rolling"

[Fatty]

yes, in normal day to day driving you are far more likely to be hit from behind than roll. i track my car often so i decided to install a rollbar, but for a daily driver i think you are better off without it. but thats just my opinion and this topic can be a bit of a COW.

i think the stylebars also increase the danger of head injuries, but don't offer any of the benefits of a rollbar, so are to be best avoided alltogether in my opinion.

[marcusus]

I always wonder about the mouse trap theory. All the style bars I've seen can't actually clear the top of the (factory) seats, so at the very most you'll get a whack from the bar on your head, not the complete mouse trap treatment. Not that it's gonna be pleasant getting that whack on the head, nor the actual roll.

[Nocturnal]

When it comes to the mousetrap idea I'm on a different page, I always intend to put a set of bucket seats into my NA6 along with a roll bar that includes a cross beam. So I'm not sure there'd be enough force to bend the cross beam to moustrap me in a roll situation.

[grump]

yep ,got to get rid of that bench seat ,a cross brace probably won't help in a mousetrap situation. you need fore and aft bracing as well.

[Nocturnal]

yep ,got to get rid of that bench seat ,a cross brace probably won't help in a mousetrap situation. you need fore and aft bracing as well.

Oh I don't just mean an up and over roll bar, I mean one with the supporting cross beam and the two diagonal supporting beams running towards the rear of the car.

Ala.

[Fatty]

yeah, thats called a rollbar. the mousetrap scenario we're talking about is usually only a concern with a stylebar.



hence this whole topic "style bar VS roll bar"

[sliq]

the costs of roll bars are generally steeper than style bars. i think the cost is associated with man labour, manufacturing the roll bars, welding the ends together..

australia has a very limited scope of roll bars compared to the US.. don't just limit roll bars to the ones you find in our shores.

[bigdog]

I have first hand experience of being hit from behind (hard),. I have a full BD roll bar that definitely helped keep the car together and relatively straight, and protect the two passengers (only bruising and whiplash injuries). Whilst not impossible, it would be hard to get into a position to hit your head on the bar, and I suspect you would suffer other injuries anyway if you were being thrown around to that extent. When I look at truck trays that sit around my head height I am always thankful for my roll bar - have a look at the back of your car and ask the question "what would happen if I was hit from behind by a truck"? The tray of the truck in my case ended about 1cm away from the rear stays.

I have since put foam padding on the bar (ugly) both for the added safety and also to avoid police attention - the polished alloy seems to attract them. I would not drive a sports car without a roll bar (don't forget these things corner much faster than the average saloon, and thus are more likely to be involved in a roll over incident).

Many of the style bars would give some protection in a roll over, but not as much as a proper bar, and rear end protection comes from the stays.

[Red Dragon]

We all drive cars that can handle twisties well.
How many MX5's have you seen roll on the road or the track?
There may have been the odd instance but not often, style bars will help stiffen your car up, look good and give some proctetion if you did happen to roll your MX5.
You mainly need a full roll bar for racing requirements (Cams)

[Szemen]

I personally thing Roll bars look so much better There is one driver around the riverwood/mortdale area, seen it a few times, looks da bomb!

[Fatty]

I personally think Roll bars look so much better

agreed. i'm not a fan of the style bar look, but to each his own.