Roll Bar Padding Feedback

Fellow Racers...

I appreciate everyone's attention to the post regarding the SFI 45.1 roll bar padding. In order to address any questions out there, I have chosen a couple of individuals that post regularly, that I do not know personally, to participate in a "sample test" for the roll bar padding that I have for sale. They should be receiving their samples today, and should be posting any comments, good or bad, some time this week.

If anyone has any questions, comments, etc... please feel free to pm or call.

Thanks for everyone's input!

Robbie
(270) 926-8112

I want samples, about 8 ft. worth.

Harold.....

It sounds like you have already measured your cage. Just a thought when measuring.... be sure to make note of different bar diameters of what you
want to cover. Most of the bars will be 1.5" - 1.75", but you may have a different
size bar that needs to be covered...therefore different size padding.

One size does not fit all, but most of what I stock will fit the most common of
1.5" - 1.75".

Robbie

p.s. they don't make an 8' stick

RKUEGEL wrote:Harold.....

It sounds like you have already measured your cage. Just a thought when measuring.... be sure to make note of different bar diameters of what you
want to cover. Most of the bars will be 1.5" - 1.75", but you may have a different
size bar that needs to be covered...therefore different size padding.

One size does not fit all, but most of what I stock will fit the most common of
1.5" - 1.75".

Robbie

p.s. they don't make an 8' stick

I GOTTA, never mind.

Luckily for you it comes in a smaller section.......3' But for your, well uh...,
"situation" I can cut to 3"

Robbie

I'm interested, but do you have something for the 1" tubes? If you can bring enough to the bash to cover 10-15 ft of 1.625" and around 8 ft of 1", that should be enough.

Thanks,
David Willingham

David.......

I do have the 1" padding, in black and plenty of the 1.625". See you at the Bash.

Thanks!
Robbie

so far it looks A-OK to me. I def will be interested in some smaller size to put on the jr dragster.............

Jon........

The smallest padding I have available, still staying with SFI 45.1, will fit
.875" - 1.125" size bars.

Robbie

Robbie

Are you going to have this with you at the Bash?

I will have padding at the Bash to fit all bars from .875" - 2".
3M PSA tape will also be available for install.

Robbie

Bump

Robbie

I haven't had time to really "play" with (aka "torture" ) the sample yet. But my first impression just jabbing it with a Sharpie pen cap (damn scientific hick-town testing at it's best ) is it does look to be good & dense, but still having a decent amount of memory/spring-back.

More extensive "hick-town" testing to come.....

ha ha same here....I did stick it in a vise and it seemed pretty good. I did install some similar type in both cars in the past and this seems right up there with them. I like the fact it has the SFI molded into it.

does it turn corners well ?

bruno wrote:does it turn corners well ?

Only left truns.

It will snap if you try and make a sharp turn without notching first. I have not tried the other padding I have for the same type of bend..........yet

Hey Guys....

Thanks to David and Jon for their comments Keep 'em coming.

Sticking the cap of a sharpie into anything , well I better restate that....

As I orginally stated, this material is flexible and very user friendly. I think it has
to have a compression factor of .25" to be certified. I don't know the exact details
like pressure applied, etc... that's what SFI is for. But my poin is that it is softer
and easier to use than others I've seen. The padding is flexible but will "snap" if not 70 degrees F. It can heated with a heat gun or your wife's old hair dryer. This will
increase the flexibility to make those bends.

Another manufacturing benefit is the contoured edges. It's not "blocky" and makes
a relatively smooth transition to the bar surface.

I found that if you "notch" it for cross bars, and then try to make a sharp bend at
the notch, it will tear. Most cross bars will not be in the curve anyway, so just
be careful after you notch it not to make sharp bends.

Thanks again for everyone's input.
Robbie

The bends I tried it on where on the jr dragster, a lot sharper than a car would be lol.

Did not try to heat it, again this was an extreme test. I did stick a piece on a piece of tubing and beat the shit out of it with a hammer............the hammer sustained no damage.............

I'd say its a very good product, I will get in touch with you when I'm ready for some of the smaller stuff to do the cage on the jr.

Is this padding a little softer than the stuf that Jaz makes?

This padding while not technically "fire proof" appears to have good flame resistant/retardant properties for a given amount of time. So while it will burn when exposed to a direct flame, it does as expected self extinguish when the flame source is removed (again for a given amount of time). But as with any flame retardant plastic, the longer the padding is exposed to a direct flame, the longer the time frame can increase before it fully self extinguishes.

When exposed to a constant flame source over a very long extended period of time it reached a point where it wouldn't self extinguish (well, not easily anyway) which is expected, it is a plastic after all. But during this extended constant burn it never once tried to melt/drip/flow hot molten plastic which is definitely a plus.



As for bending the padding to follow a given roll cage bend/shape, in my opinion putting the padding directly on the inside of the bend (it's self) might not always really be that important depending on how tight the cage bend in question is. Factoring in the diameter of the average helmet, on a really tight cage bend (like say the side/top inside bend of an inner FC cage bar) just putting the padding on the straight parts of the bar, (& leaving the inside of the bend bare) might be good enough because the padding is thick.

Of course on a much shallower angle cage bend, where the helmet would still come in contact with the inside of the bend even with padding on the straight parts of the bar, the padding would need to be on the bend too.



I found that a simple "squeeze/ratcheting" type cutter for PVC pipe cut a very nice/straight/square/clean cut. It chopped through it like butter in one constant action. It produced a much cleaner cut than using any other cutting tool that required a repetitive cutting/sawing action.

These guys are good

Robbie

steve1071 wrote:Is this padding a little softer than the stuf that Jaz makes?

Steve.....
To the best of my knowledge, same manufacturer.

Robbie