Product Review: Kirk Racing 4pt Rollbar w/ Pics *56K Beware
#22
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Originally Posted by 350ZNV
Rickdogg has the cf hatch with the lexan and I think I remember him saying that the weight savins was around 65 lbs. Maybe he will chime back in and give the actual number.
#23
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Well, guys, I am 6'4" tall and I have had my Kirk roll bar installed in my car since last August. I needed it (required) for the class of open road racing that I compete in, but my car is still streetable.
I found that I lost about 4 inches of seat travel with the stock seats. Yikes! No way I could drive the car comfortably that way. My solution was to get an aftermarket seat (Corbeau FX-1) and hand-fabricate some seat brackets to get the seat: 1) so that the door would close without hitting the seat shoulder wings; 2) so that the seat would go back far enough; 3) so that I could sit in the seat with a helmet on and not hit my head on the headliner.
It wasn't easy, but it got done. Thankfully, my primary passenger (my wife), is only 5"5" tall and is comfortable with the relatively upright position forced on her by the bar on the passenger side.
I also had issues getting everything to fit, but in the end, the fit was pretty good. I also had to have my mounting plates made larger than normal to conform to the rules of the SSCC (the open road racing sanctioning body), and Kirk was very accomodating. Two thumbs up for Kirk.
I found that I lost about 4 inches of seat travel with the stock seats. Yikes! No way I could drive the car comfortably that way. My solution was to get an aftermarket seat (Corbeau FX-1) and hand-fabricate some seat brackets to get the seat: 1) so that the door would close without hitting the seat shoulder wings; 2) so that the seat would go back far enough; 3) so that I could sit in the seat with a helmet on and not hit my head on the headliner.
It wasn't easy, but it got done. Thankfully, my primary passenger (my wife), is only 5"5" tall and is comfortable with the relatively upright position forced on her by the bar on the passenger side.
I also had issues getting everything to fit, but in the end, the fit was pretty good. I also had to have my mounting plates made larger than normal to conform to the rules of the SSCC (the open road racing sanctioning body), and Kirk was very accomodating. Two thumbs up for Kirk.
Last edited by knight_white99; 07-19-2005 at 07:46 PM.
#24
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Roll bar does look good... I have one major concern though: the harness bar looks low IMO. Maybe its the pics, maybe its the extreme upright of the passenger seat, but the angle on those straps looks to be very close to being too steep. I'm thinking a bar connecting the rear legs, just above those speakers, might have been a better place. Sure, it would have been a little farther back, but the 'angle of attack' of the straps would be more level.
Just my 2 cents
Stacy King
HPDE Coordinator
Triangle Z Club / Tarheel Sports Car Club
www.timetrials.net
Just my 2 cents
Stacy King
HPDE Coordinator
Triangle Z Club / Tarheel Sports Car Club
www.timetrials.net
#25
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Originally Posted by Stack
Roll bar does look good... I have one major concern though: the harness bar looks low IMO. Maybe its the pics, maybe its the extreme upright of the passenger seat, but the angle on those straps looks to be very close to being too steep. I'm thinking a bar connecting the rear legs, just above those speakers, might have been a better place. Sure, it would have been a little farther back, but the 'angle of attack' of the straps would be more level.
Just my 2 cents
Stacy King
HPDE Coordinator
Triangle Z Club / Tarheel Sports Car Club
www.timetrials.net
Just my 2 cents
Stacy King
HPDE Coordinator
Triangle Z Club / Tarheel Sports Car Club
www.timetrials.net
http://www.sparcousa.com/resourceFiles/16.pdf
Bummer. Wonder if there is a way to add another bar or have Kirk redesign to accomodate...
ahm
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Originally Posted by amolaver
There is one picture I'm thinking of in particular that looks like its closer to 45 degrees. I'm not aware of the physics as to why, but here's a link direct from sparco... Down angle of shoulder belts should be 5 degrees or less
http://www.sparcousa.com/resourceFiles/16.pdf
Bummer. Wonder if there is a way to add another bar or have Kirk redesign to accomodate...
ahm
http://www.sparcousa.com/resourceFiles/16.pdf
Bummer. Wonder if there is a way to add another bar or have Kirk redesign to accomodate...
ahm
I'd be very surprised if Kirk did not take this into consideration when making it, but I'd like to know what seats were used when they test fitted this bar before production (and we hope they didn't just throw something together that fit just to put it on the market.)
Stacy
#27
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Stacy's right... Her explanation is almost a direct quote from the pdf link, which happens to be authored (at least copyrighted) by the SFI.
I think what might help clarify this would be if any of you with the bar installed could post a picture with you sitting in the car, harness on. That should help clarify if the bar is actually OK, and the seat's guide holes (and the seat itself) are just too tall, or whether the bar really is too low. Any takers?
ahm
I think what might help clarify this would be if any of you with the bar installed could post a picture with you sitting in the car, harness on. That should help clarify if the bar is actually OK, and the seat's guide holes (and the seat itself) are just too tall, or whether the bar really is too low. Any takers?
ahm
#28
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Originally Posted by amolaver
Stacy's right... Her explanation is almost a direct quote from...
I'M A GUY !!!
amolaver... easy mistake to make - Il'l forgive you this time - but if you ever see me, there will be NO mistake LOL
-Stacy King
Male HPDE Coordinator
Triangle Z Club / Tarheel Sports Car Club
www.timetrials.net
#30
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Originally Posted by amolaver
Doh! Never met a male Stacy before... You should keep that slightly modified sig
Sorry 'bout that...
ahm
Sorry 'bout that...
ahm
Stacy Peralta: Surf/Skate/indie film pioneer
Stacey King: Former Oklahoma(I think) basketball player
Stacey Keach: Actor
Just pickin'
#31
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How the heck did you guys get this thing installed? It is in but I can't push the bar to where the horizontal piece is against the rear speakers. Any suggestions? It is snug against the top as well. Do I just need to force it back?
#32
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^^^There's a bunch of ways to get it in and get it close to where it needs to be, but there is only one way to do it right. I followed the Kirk Racing directions. Take out the seats and center console, move steering wheel all the way down, etc. I remember that the bar that goes along the roof has to start out on the dash crammed up all the way against the windhield. The rest I don't really remember.
#34
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Can someone post a pic of where the bottom legs go? I really am having a hard time sliding this thing in place. It is already in the car, I just can't get it all the way back to where it is supposed to be.
#36
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Hey Matt.
You have to peel back that carpet so it sits flat against the back and the leg will sit definitely flat on the drivers side and slightly raised on the passenger side till you use the bolts to torque it down. Do you have the carpet peeled back yet? If so, we'll troubleshoot from there.
Greg
You have to peel back that carpet so it sits flat against the back and the leg will sit definitely flat on the drivers side and slightly raised on the passenger side till you use the bolts to torque it down. Do you have the carpet peeled back yet? If so, we'll troubleshoot from there.
Greg
#37
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I have not peeled any carpet back....we are talking about the floor of the car correct...not in the hatch area? I knew about the rear but not about the floor where the seats go. So I should remove the carpet behind each seat?
#39
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Updating an old thread here to bring some attention hopefully to this product. I called Kirk this morning and spoke to them who quoted me ~$800 shipped for their 4-point. It seems back a few years ago this bar was priced almost half of the quoted price as of today (May 2020). I did not ask why the price went up but I assume due to demand and supplies being more expensive they increased the price. I am still debating not if but when I am going to purchase this bolt in bar.
#40
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MY350Z.COM
MY350Z.COM
Updating an old thread here to bring some attention hopefully to this product. I called Kirk this morning and spoke to them who quoted me ~$800 shipped for their 4-point. It seems back a few years ago this bar was priced almost half of the quoted price as of today (May 2020). I did not ask why the price went up but I assume due to demand and supplies being more expensive they increased the price. I am still debating not if but when I am going to purchase this bolt in bar.