Product Review: Kirk Racing 4pt Rollbar w/ Pics *56K Beware
07-11-2005, 06:11 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: University of Delaware
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Product Review: Kirk Racing 4pt Rollbar w/ Pics *56K Beware
By popular request here is my experience as well as pictures:
Kirk Racing Bolt-in 4pt Roll Bar (Straight Leg)
I had my roll bar rushed for an event so the paint job you see in the pictures is just an at home spray job rather than a factory powder coat. The bar itself took 5 hours to install following the exact directions. The bar is kind of hard to put in at first but the recommendation from Kirk helps out a lot.
I originally had an Avalon Harness bar installed in my car… though I was very pleased with their service, I was extremely disappointed with a major aspect in the bar. I realized while uninstalling the bar that the supplied hardware did not thread properly and ended up ruining my stock seat belt mounts. I later had to rethread these with a tap which took a couple hours. Until Avalon provides proper hardware, which I know to date they do not, I would not recommend this bar.
Back to the Kirk Roll bar, it fit pretty decently after first placing it in. Three out of the four mounting locations sat flush but the rear right fender mount needed the bolts to be torque’d a few inches in order for it to seat properly… 3 guys pushing it down was not enough.
Once installed, the bar does not limit trunk space or your site out of the rear view. I am only 5’6” and my seat is all the way back… I am a perfect fit for the bar but I wonder how anyone above 5’10” would fit. As for the diagonal brace… due to the fact it sits so far forward, passenger leg room is EXTREMELY tight. The seat must be upright and pretty far forward at all times. The seat is certainly still useable but all comfort is lost. I daily drive my Z with the roll bar and I don’t feel it has had any negative affect on me at all if anyone is considering this. It is only a few bucks more then most harness bars and provides a TON more safety in the event of a rollover. Hope the pics give you an idea. My Z has been in the garage for weeks due to a cracked Y-pipe so the interior is pretty dirty! And by the way, the people who run Kirk Racing are a pleasure to deal with, very friendly!
PM me if you have any further questions about the bar.
-Greg
Kirk Racing Bolt-in 4pt Roll Bar (Straight Leg)
I had my roll bar rushed for an event so the paint job you see in the pictures is just an at home spray job rather than a factory powder coat. The bar itself took 5 hours to install following the exact directions. The bar is kind of hard to put in at first but the recommendation from Kirk helps out a lot.
I originally had an Avalon Harness bar installed in my car… though I was very pleased with their service, I was extremely disappointed with a major aspect in the bar. I realized while uninstalling the bar that the supplied hardware did not thread properly and ended up ruining my stock seat belt mounts. I later had to rethread these with a tap which took a couple hours. Until Avalon provides proper hardware, which I know to date they do not, I would not recommend this bar.
Back to the Kirk Roll bar, it fit pretty decently after first placing it in. Three out of the four mounting locations sat flush but the rear right fender mount needed the bolts to be torque’d a few inches in order for it to seat properly… 3 guys pushing it down was not enough.
Once installed, the bar does not limit trunk space or your site out of the rear view. I am only 5’6” and my seat is all the way back… I am a perfect fit for the bar but I wonder how anyone above 5’10” would fit. As for the diagonal brace… due to the fact it sits so far forward, passenger leg room is EXTREMELY tight. The seat must be upright and pretty far forward at all times. The seat is certainly still useable but all comfort is lost. I daily drive my Z with the roll bar and I don’t feel it has had any negative affect on me at all if anyone is considering this. It is only a few bucks more then most harness bars and provides a TON more safety in the event of a rollover. Hope the pics give you an idea. My Z has been in the garage for weeks due to a cracked Y-pipe so the interior is pretty dirty! And by the way, the people who run Kirk Racing are a pleasure to deal with, very friendly!
PM me if you have any further questions about the bar.
-Greg
Last edited by gregfeder; 07-11-2005 at 06:28 PM.
07-12-2005, 04:45 AM
#2
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 546
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
looks great!! Now I am 6ft tall and I wonder how I would fit in this, but I do drive pretty close to the steering wheel so I have a feeling I'd be ok.. I guess I'll have to sit down in a car with this rollbar and see how it feels before I decide.
07-12-2005, 12:17 PM
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: University of Delaware
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I no longer have the directions, but the most helpful aspect of them was how to initially get the bar into the car. There is only one way to get it in, and the directions walk you through the process. Call Kirk right before you install and have them read that step over the phone. Otherwise you'll be kicking yourself trying to figure it out... i tried to go directionless as well.
07-12-2005, 12:21 PM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: University of Delaware
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I like the harnesses a lot, only complaint... they need harness pads badly. Unless you have a race suit with collar, your neck will get roughed up.
Trending Topics
07-14-2005, 01:44 PM
#9
Registered User
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: SC
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm sitting here asking myself, why in the heck do you have road bars in your Z basing it against your mods. The only solution I could come up with is that you wanted to be extra safe in your vechile. Honestly before I click on your mod. list after seeing you had roll bars I was thinking. This dude must have some serious rwhp like close to 600hp run close to, if not lower than 10sec quarter mile time. "Whoa" what a big disappointment.
07-14-2005, 02:16 PM
#10
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by southern_info
I'm sitting here asking myself, why in the heck do you have road bars in your Z basing it against your mods. The only solution I could come up with is that you wanted to be extra safe in your vechile. Honestly before I click on your mod. list after seeing you had roll bars I was thinking. This dude must have some serious rwhp like close to 600hp run close to, if not lower than 10sec quarter mile time. "Whoa" what a big disappointment.
i don't want to speak for gregfeder, but more than likely, he runs DE's and wanted real harnesses (never mind the safety in the event of a roll). 287 crank horsepower is more than enough to get yourself in trouble on a 'real' racetrack. ask the MAYBE 150hp focus i saw get wadded at VIR last year. btw gregfeder - bar looks good, and seats are delectable
i'm thinking about either some of the cobra's or getting a set of the kirkey road race shells and having custom covers made to make it a little nicer (like covering the seat backs). have one in my specmiata, and it blows away the sparco evo2 i had before - more comfortable, and way more supportive. the raw aluminum back would look a little unfinished in the z though...ahm
07-15-2005, 04:06 AM
#13
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: University of Delaware
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
southern info- sorry for the dissapointment but I dont just use my z for the street. I do track events as often as I can during the summer and needed the safety after witnessing a bunch of accidents. Harness bars just dont cut it price wise or safety wise in the event of a roll over.
amolaver- the bar goes for $350 plus around $100 shipping. The setup you are going for sounds awesome, I'm too short for my seats so my head hits the rear plastic where the harness slide through. 287 crank is certainly more than enough power to flip your car on the car and after 2 years, I figured it was time to finally invest in a rollbar. As for the carbon hatch, it cut around 55lbs still utilizing stock glass. Now that I have the rollbar in there to offset the weight stripping, I would like to invest in some lexan.
Rickdogg-youre always one step ahead of my next mod but then again, its always nice to be welcomed to a new family... this time around its the kirk family!
amolaver- the bar goes for $350 plus around $100 shipping. The setup you are going for sounds awesome, I'm too short for my seats so my head hits the rear plastic where the harness slide through. 287 crank is certainly more than enough power to flip your car on the car and after 2 years, I figured it was time to finally invest in a rollbar. As for the carbon hatch, it cut around 55lbs still utilizing stock glass. Now that I have the rollbar in there to offset the weight stripping, I would like to invest in some lexan.
Rickdogg-youre always one step ahead of my next mod but then again, its always nice to be welcomed to a new family... this time around its the kirk family!
07-15-2005, 09:28 AM
#14
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
please post if you follow through on the lexan. any other observations about the hatch? has it changed the stiffness of the car at all (that you can tell)? how was the fit/finish in general?
07-18-2005, 08:40 AM
#17
Back on topic ---> I just installed my Kirk roll bar with the straight legs last weekend. I did it completely by myself and it wasn't too hard. I just have one problem. There is one bolt on each of the rear legs that I can not tighten. You have to tighten them with a wrench on one both sides to keep everything from spinning and I cannot get a wrench of any sort around these two bolts. Any suggestions?
07-19-2005, 02:48 AM
#19
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
if you can take some pictures, i'm sure someone can suggest something. not having installed the bar, i don't know what obstructions you're dealing with. any chance you can use some lock washers to help out?
ahm
ahm
07-19-2005, 04:15 AM
#20
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: University of Delaware
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
350NV- I used an open ended wrench on the top and a socket wrench underneath the car. I had two people so I am sure this helped out a ton.
jun14scr- sold my harness bar on ebay a couple months ago
jun14scr- sold my harness bar on ebay a couple months ago