Are Roll bars worth it??

[boredbloke]

Hey All,

I've just got a cheap set of roll bars off of ebay,

I heard they were worth getting and they only cost me a score.

Question is are they worth putting on?????? what difference will i actually see?

They were more of an impulse buy than anything.

I aint got a clue how to fit them either so if you wana shed any light that would be good!!

[m.d.]

if you have standard suspension they will make the handling less spongy but like many of us if you have uprated the springs and shocks the front one will hinder the handling not help it, the back one is ok tho as it just stiffens the rear beam up, (anyone have one i can have of them)

[Stuart]

even with crappy std suspension i saw a downgrade in handling ability of my nova after fitting a front ARB

[Ste_Nova]

i fitted a rear one... it has increased the understeer?...but the car feels more stable

[DrivingSpanner]

ARB's transfer load, in this case weight across the car causing the car to 'dig in' more, however they can also have the opposite effect.

simply a stiffer front ARB will increase understeer, partly because it will reduce traction and cause the inside wheel to spinn as more weight is tranfered to the outside wheel. Softer will reduce understeer.
Rear ARB - stiffer = more oversteer, softer less oversteer/ more understeer.
Its all a compromise, like everything in life Trial and error im affraid!

[Ste L]

i haven't got a rear on my sri, its sat in the garage, can't be arsed re-fitting it, and i can't notice any difference with out it :?

[DrivingSpanner]

you will only feel any real difference if you are driving fast anyway inless it is completely wrong eitherway.

[Stuart]

look in the FAQ's bit at the top for the link to the arb debate.

pretty much all the tarmac rallying nova boys DONT use any arb as the ones available for the nova are gash.


a front arb would help, but it needs its mounting somewhere else, and to something with a bit of structural integrety :)

[DrivingSpanner]

what you really want is an adjustable ARB. the standard nova ones are either on or off, nowhere inbetween. I completely agree with cambridge on this one there mounting points are not great on a nova. If you really wanted an adjustable ARB I could make you one... but thats another story.

[Stuart]

ive already considered an adjustable one and i think i know where to mount it etc, and my tie bars are perfect for it too :) oh the joys of bespoke stuff

[DrivingSpanner]

:o I want to fabricate them!!!! dont steel my ideas cambridge!!! or am i stealing yours?!?!? I do quite a bit of fabrication at work so i can TIG them and make them beutiful!

Very beutiful... makes me look like an ungly turd!!!

[Stuart]

ill work em out, you can tig em as my mig welding leaves a lot to be desired.