spreader plates and bolt in or weld in?
Turbo Mini Forums

I started to build a cage for the mini based on a six point safety devise cage. Now i made the rear part of it ( in correct tubefor rolcages as was advised on here) with the flanges in the same size of the safety divise. Question is what size are the spreader plates originally or ideally ( length wide and thickness) ? And if i bold it in do i need some on the inside? ( found some contradictions so thought i ask to be sure) the idea is to make the same rear cage than a bar behind tje seats ( also necessary to mount the seat belts on. Then come to the front like a safety devise cage and again one bar from left to right just under the dach rail and then 2 doot bars. Should it be smart to weld some plates to the a frame (window) to? Seen someone here with a brace bar to the tunnel section to. Lots of questions again... but already many thanks for the answers. Grts
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you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018

3mm thick and 2-3 cm larger than the feet on the cage, I weld them on the inside of the car, you don't need a plate both sides.

Ok. Do they have to be seam welded?

you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018

I believe so yes. Are you racing?

About to fit my Safety Devices cage.

How do you folks manage to seam weld the spreader plates inside the bins?

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

God knows its bad enough drilling the first hole...

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

I would like to take it to some trackdays but thats it. Don't want to weld the cage itself so the same size plate goes on the outside then. Does that one needs to be welded to?

you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018

I removed the bins so no problem for me. But seen one who had the bins cut moved the cage in and welded the bin back.

you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018

I bolted the plates in place and then welded the plates, no real reason why just seemed easier to locate the holes if needed to come put

so even when its all bolted up it still needs welds what size bolts do u guys use? i recon i can get m14 in those holes but m12 is more commen to get. hopfully get the new tube bender in somewhere this week ( old one broke somewhere oil all over the place and even spats on the car who still is in ground paint! >.< :( ) so i can start on the front part.

you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018

m10 should be fine. If you use cap head bolts they are usually 12.9 grade. with good quality nylocs
yes they all still need seam welding around the entire plate.
Friend of mine was refused a track day due to a foot missing about 1/2 inch of weld where it over lapped a swage in the floor.

Edited by mini93 on 15th Aug, 2014.

David.

Refusing track day for that was bit harsh, didnt realise they were that strict?

Not 100% sure if it was refused then, or if he turned up at the next event with it still unwelded it woud be refused. It wasnt just an open track day, it was a sprint type day I believe

David.

Oh i see, knew it must of had to been some class as normal track days there aint many rules at all

You can turn up in a boggo standard road car at most track days so a bit of weld wont matter.

Safety devices suggest two methods of installation of their six point cage depending on what you intend to use the car for. For anything other than fia or msa certification they suggest bolting it in with the plates on the outside. For fia or msa certification the plates need to be welded on the inside. Their instructions are a little ambiguous since they talk about captive nuts and box sections which are not relevant to the mini.

Edited by Sprocket on 15th Aug, 2014.

The SD official kit uses 8.8 bolts

I run a supercharger and I don't care the TB is on the wrong side.
VEMS + 12 PSI + Liquid Intercooler = Small Bore FUN!

a yes. mis understood. okey cheers thancks guys for the replys
another thing that can get done on this car... ordered metal to make some brace bars to so after that the only things left are details like... euur the engine, a paintjob, new wire harnes, some clocks in the dash, getting the turbo rebuild, getting some wheels made up ( banded steels) wheelarches and the rest of the never ending list

you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018

http://safetydevices.com/uploads/ckfinder/...ructions(2).pdf

Page 3 section 9.....

hm. yes. desided to fully weld the plates in just to be sure that if i ever get to a track day i wont be trouwn out... ( not for that anyway... crap driving maybe yes) then drill trough and get some plates for the outside ( outsides just tack weld for keeping on its place)

you can do anything if you set your mind to it...
i rather blow it up winning than keep it together losing.

finish date set for project 1... march 2018