DIY: Cusco 6pt Rollcage Installation
01-21-2007, 02:23 PM
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DIY: Cusco 6pt Rollcage Installation
I've seen a lot of talk and a lot of threads about this particular rollcage, but no one had yet to post a DIY of what is actually involved... so I figured I'd do it.
I'm gonna try to be as detailed as possible, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
First things first, the rollcage comes with everything you need to install, straight out of the box. All the bars, all the bolts, washers, nuts, and even comes with touch up paint. It does have instructions, but being from Japan, they're all in Japanese and only have a few pictures. Before you get started, you also need to know that installing the rollcage with the harness bar will cause you to lose all access to the 'secret compartment' of the glovebox. Take everything you need out of it now.
Simple common sense will get you through this install, so don't worry about it too much. my first install, from start to finish took about five hours. That included a trip to the parts store to get thread locking compound and about a 45 minute break to eat a couple hamburgers.
What you're gonna need:
First off, start by removing both seats. They come out pretty easily with just four bolts. The driver's seat has a wire connector for the seatbelt sensor, so disconnect that carefully so as not to damage the connector. Also, the wires aren't that long, so be careful not to damage the paint on your doorsill while trying to remove it. Once you've got the seats out, position your convertible top like this:
next you're going to want to pop the trunk, and remove the spare tire and tools. You cannot replace the spare tire once you've installed the roll cage... I've heard Cusco makes a bracket that can extend the spare's mounting point, which would allow you to re-install the spare tire without the trunk cover trim... but I opted to just go ahead and leave mine out. I've got towing insurance anyway.
Once you've got that out, you're also going to need to remove the plastic tray from under the top. Just the middle part, the sides don't need to come out. Here's a view of mine with the tray removed from above the center console.
The thought occured to me to reinstall this peice, although it would require dremeling out a space large enough in each side of the tray to accomodate the steel tubing... Instead, I opted to just leave it out. It doesn't do a whole lot except make it look cleaner... plus it just vibrated a lot with my subwoofer turned up... now there's no vibration and the only time you'd notice is if you were looking through my rear window with the top up... which of course, I dont care about.
The first part of the cage to install is the center hoop and harness bar. The center hoop comes as one solid peice... so take the harness bar, position it correctly and tighten it down using the large allen keyed bolts provided in the kit. It's not going anywhere, so you can fully tighten it right now. Put the top down completely and test fit the center hoop into the car. Try to position the center hoop as far back as you can, pressed up against the inner trim as much as possible.
The red circles in this photo indicate where the S2000 has hooks placed in the trim. I can't really think of a purpose for these hooks as to why Honda installed them... but there are four of them, and two need to be removed in order to properly install the center hoop. The two in question are the ones on the outer sides of the car. The two inner ones closest to the console can stay.
Start drilling! A lot of people chose to cut holes in the carpet... I didn't, as I wanted it to be a little more show quality... (it's not a big deal for the center hoop, and especially not the rear points... but you can't reinstall the floor mats on the front points... and I thought cutting up the carpet woulda been ugly as shit) so I just drilled through the carpet. Keep in mind that EVERY BOLT YOU INSTALL SHOULD BE FITTED WITH THREAD LOCKING COMPOUND AND SILICONE SEALANT. This will reduce the chances of water entering the cabin, as well as rust... and should prevent any bolts from loosening or backing out due to suspension stress.
The kit comes with a metal plate to affix to the underside of each point, so six plates total for this cage. Each one is precision machined to install perfectly to the S2000's undersurface, following all ridges and manufacturing lines. The underside of the center hoop install will look like this:
Next you're going to want to install the front points. Do the driver's side first, as it is the most important. I say it's the most important, because you have controls to consider while installing, and the passenger side doesn't. Start by locking the bar in place to the center hoop by installing the large allen keyed bolt. Do not tighten it down. Test fit the bar so you're not in the way of your headlamp switch, turn signal lever, or engine start button. The bar significantly gets in the way of your radio controls... but my aftermarket headunit took away all functionality of those controls anyway... so I don't use them as it is. Make DAMN SURE that the bar isn't in the way of your light switch or turn signal lever... Having it installed makes them harder to access, but you'll get used to it, and it's really still not all that hard. DO NOT DRILL HOLES FOR THIS YET.
Next install the passenger side bar in the same fashion as the driver side. Slide the bolt in the center hoop to keep the bar in place. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of this side... but it's the same shit only you're not messing with placement on controls. There is another issue with this side, but I'll get to that in a minute. AGAIN, DO NOT DRILL HOLES FOR THIS YET.
Now you're going to install the front upper roll bar. To do this, you will need to remove your sunvisors. I know it sucks... but how often did you really use those things anyway? So lose 'em. They come out simply with one screw. I re-installed the screw after they were out... just because you'll still be able to see the hole. At least with the screw in there, it doesn't look like shit.
Now install the front upper roll bar. It's arched so you can still access the interior dome lights. Get it in there and install the large allen keyed bolts... do not tighten them yet.
Once that's in, go back to the driver's side and drill the holes for the install. Again, be ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that the bar will not interfere with the lights/turn signal controls or your engine start button. Get the bolts in, don't tighten them down yet, and then go to the passenger side. When installing the passenger side... it's a little tight. Needless to say, it's going to press into your dashboard a little, and **** it up... if you ever take it out, you're gonna have a nice little indention where the bar used to be. The S2000 I took the cage out of had the same problem. If you install it as far over as possible, it's going to do the same to your door, right where it meets the dash. They're small and unnoticeable with the cage installed... but if you take it out, you're gonna notice. Here's the best I could do of getting a shot of what I'm talking about.
and the indent it's made in the passenger door over the past few weeks:
Now that you've drilled the holes and tightened down the mounting plates for the front four points, it's time to do the last two! If you've tightened down any of the large allen keyed bolts holding the cage together, you shouldn't have, and should undo them now. I guess it's not that big of a deal, but it's probably best to keep tension off the cage as much as possible 'til the install is complete.
The final two rear points are the hardest to install. I started with the passenger side first, as it is the easier of the two.
Jack the car up, place jack stands, and take off the rear wheel. Mount the bar into the center hoop the same way as the previous ones, sliding the allen keyed bolt into place. Test fit the bar properly so it sits flush with the mounting surface. This bar will have to be drilled in two separate parts, as it's a virtual impossibility to get the back holes drilled in from the top with the bar installed. Once it's flush, drill the holes for the two outer bolts, this picture shows them installed.
Now from the bottom, you're going to have to drill upwards, because there is just no room to get the drill in from the top.... I mounted the plate, and used it as the reference so I knew exactly where to drill the holes. You can see that this plate is manufactured perfectly to fit around that hydraulic line. The other side is exactly the same.
Now do the final point... it works the same way. Get the two outer holes from the top, install the plate, and the two inside holes from the bottom. This one is a little trickier, as you've got the fuel fill lines in the way... so try to be a little more careful. That is wiring for my amplifier right there, ignore that.
Now tighten everything down and you're all finished!! put the seats back in, and you're good to go. Once it's done, it'll look like this:
Impressions after install, two week daily driven:
The chassis is much, much more rigid. As little body roll as there was in the S2000 to begin with, there's a lot less now.... even on the stock suspension. As for comfortability... with the harness bar installed, your seats lose about an inch or two of reclinability. Your posture is going to be better though, as it forces you to sit up straight. This, I've found, is probably better for driving. I've yet to buy racing harnesses, but probably will at some point. No sense in having the harness bar if you dont have harnesses. Getting in and out of the car is a little more of a pain in the ass as there isn't much room... but you'll get used to that too.
As stated during the install, you will lose your 'secret compartment' and your sunvisors... as little space as there is in the car to begin with, it sucks losing such a good amount of space in the glovebox... but probably like most S2000 owners, I didn't keep much in there but the registration and shit... which I've since relocated to the standard glovebox.
Other than that, the bar kinda presses into your left leg as you're driving around... especially during right turns. It's not really a big deal, but can be uncomfortable sometimes.
Yes, the top does still fit over the rollcage. However, the passenger side latch will scrape against the cage (it did it on both S2000s this cage was installed in). Not a big deal, as you don't lose any functionality, it's just gonna rub the paint off the cage.
Hooray for Cusco! I've gotten so many compliments on the cage it's not even funny... it definitely makes it stand apart from the other S2000s out there.
I'm gonna try to be as detailed as possible, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
First things first, the rollcage comes with everything you need to install, straight out of the box. All the bars, all the bolts, washers, nuts, and even comes with touch up paint. It does have instructions, but being from Japan, they're all in Japanese and only have a few pictures. Before you get started, you also need to know that installing the rollcage with the harness bar will cause you to lose all access to the 'secret compartment' of the glovebox. Take everything you need out of it now.
Simple common sense will get you through this install, so don't worry about it too much. my first install, from start to finish took about five hours. That included a trip to the parts store to get thread locking compound and about a 45 minute break to eat a couple hamburgers.
What you're gonna need:
- Basic hand tools
- a drill and a few 3/4" metal drill bits
- thread locking compound
- silicone sealant
- jack and jack stands
- patience
First off, start by removing both seats. They come out pretty easily with just four bolts. The driver's seat has a wire connector for the seatbelt sensor, so disconnect that carefully so as not to damage the connector. Also, the wires aren't that long, so be careful not to damage the paint on your doorsill while trying to remove it. Once you've got the seats out, position your convertible top like this:
next you're going to want to pop the trunk, and remove the spare tire and tools. You cannot replace the spare tire once you've installed the roll cage... I've heard Cusco makes a bracket that can extend the spare's mounting point, which would allow you to re-install the spare tire without the trunk cover trim... but I opted to just go ahead and leave mine out. I've got towing insurance anyway.
Once you've got that out, you're also going to need to remove the plastic tray from under the top. Just the middle part, the sides don't need to come out. Here's a view of mine with the tray removed from above the center console.
The thought occured to me to reinstall this peice, although it would require dremeling out a space large enough in each side of the tray to accomodate the steel tubing... Instead, I opted to just leave it out. It doesn't do a whole lot except make it look cleaner... plus it just vibrated a lot with my subwoofer turned up... now there's no vibration and the only time you'd notice is if you were looking through my rear window with the top up... which of course, I dont care about.
The first part of the cage to install is the center hoop and harness bar. The center hoop comes as one solid peice... so take the harness bar, position it correctly and tighten it down using the large allen keyed bolts provided in the kit. It's not going anywhere, so you can fully tighten it right now. Put the top down completely and test fit the center hoop into the car. Try to position the center hoop as far back as you can, pressed up against the inner trim as much as possible.
The red circles in this photo indicate where the S2000 has hooks placed in the trim. I can't really think of a purpose for these hooks as to why Honda installed them... but there are four of them, and two need to be removed in order to properly install the center hoop. The two in question are the ones on the outer sides of the car. The two inner ones closest to the console can stay.
Start drilling! A lot of people chose to cut holes in the carpet... I didn't, as I wanted it to be a little more show quality... (it's not a big deal for the center hoop, and especially not the rear points... but you can't reinstall the floor mats on the front points... and I thought cutting up the carpet woulda been ugly as shit) so I just drilled through the carpet. Keep in mind that EVERY BOLT YOU INSTALL SHOULD BE FITTED WITH THREAD LOCKING COMPOUND AND SILICONE SEALANT. This will reduce the chances of water entering the cabin, as well as rust... and should prevent any bolts from loosening or backing out due to suspension stress.
The kit comes with a metal plate to affix to the underside of each point, so six plates total for this cage. Each one is precision machined to install perfectly to the S2000's undersurface, following all ridges and manufacturing lines. The underside of the center hoop install will look like this:
Next you're going to want to install the front points. Do the driver's side first, as it is the most important. I say it's the most important, because you have controls to consider while installing, and the passenger side doesn't. Start by locking the bar in place to the center hoop by installing the large allen keyed bolt. Do not tighten it down. Test fit the bar so you're not in the way of your headlamp switch, turn signal lever, or engine start button. The bar significantly gets in the way of your radio controls... but my aftermarket headunit took away all functionality of those controls anyway... so I don't use them as it is. Make DAMN SURE that the bar isn't in the way of your light switch or turn signal lever... Having it installed makes them harder to access, but you'll get used to it, and it's really still not all that hard. DO NOT DRILL HOLES FOR THIS YET.
Next install the passenger side bar in the same fashion as the driver side. Slide the bolt in the center hoop to keep the bar in place. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of this side... but it's the same shit only you're not messing with placement on controls. There is another issue with this side, but I'll get to that in a minute. AGAIN, DO NOT DRILL HOLES FOR THIS YET.
Now you're going to install the front upper roll bar. To do this, you will need to remove your sunvisors. I know it sucks... but how often did you really use those things anyway? So lose 'em. They come out simply with one screw. I re-installed the screw after they were out... just because you'll still be able to see the hole. At least with the screw in there, it doesn't look like shit.
Now install the front upper roll bar. It's arched so you can still access the interior dome lights. Get it in there and install the large allen keyed bolts... do not tighten them yet.
Once that's in, go back to the driver's side and drill the holes for the install. Again, be ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that the bar will not interfere with the lights/turn signal controls or your engine start button. Get the bolts in, don't tighten them down yet, and then go to the passenger side. When installing the passenger side... it's a little tight. Needless to say, it's going to press into your dashboard a little, and **** it up... if you ever take it out, you're gonna have a nice little indention where the bar used to be. The S2000 I took the cage out of had the same problem. If you install it as far over as possible, it's going to do the same to your door, right where it meets the dash. They're small and unnoticeable with the cage installed... but if you take it out, you're gonna notice. Here's the best I could do of getting a shot of what I'm talking about.
and the indent it's made in the passenger door over the past few weeks:
Now that you've drilled the holes and tightened down the mounting plates for the front four points, it's time to do the last two! If you've tightened down any of the large allen keyed bolts holding the cage together, you shouldn't have, and should undo them now. I guess it's not that big of a deal, but it's probably best to keep tension off the cage as much as possible 'til the install is complete.
The final two rear points are the hardest to install. I started with the passenger side first, as it is the easier of the two.
Jack the car up, place jack stands, and take off the rear wheel. Mount the bar into the center hoop the same way as the previous ones, sliding the allen keyed bolt into place. Test fit the bar properly so it sits flush with the mounting surface. This bar will have to be drilled in two separate parts, as it's a virtual impossibility to get the back holes drilled in from the top with the bar installed. Once it's flush, drill the holes for the two outer bolts, this picture shows them installed.
Now from the bottom, you're going to have to drill upwards, because there is just no room to get the drill in from the top.... I mounted the plate, and used it as the reference so I knew exactly where to drill the holes. You can see that this plate is manufactured perfectly to fit around that hydraulic line. The other side is exactly the same.
Now do the final point... it works the same way. Get the two outer holes from the top, install the plate, and the two inside holes from the bottom. This one is a little trickier, as you've got the fuel fill lines in the way... so try to be a little more careful. That is wiring for my amplifier right there, ignore that.
Now tighten everything down and you're all finished!! put the seats back in, and you're good to go. Once it's done, it'll look like this:
Impressions after install, two week daily driven:
The chassis is much, much more rigid. As little body roll as there was in the S2000 to begin with, there's a lot less now.... even on the stock suspension. As for comfortability... with the harness bar installed, your seats lose about an inch or two of reclinability. Your posture is going to be better though, as it forces you to sit up straight. This, I've found, is probably better for driving. I've yet to buy racing harnesses, but probably will at some point. No sense in having the harness bar if you dont have harnesses. Getting in and out of the car is a little more of a pain in the ass as there isn't much room... but you'll get used to that too.
As stated during the install, you will lose your 'secret compartment' and your sunvisors... as little space as there is in the car to begin with, it sucks losing such a good amount of space in the glovebox... but probably like most S2000 owners, I didn't keep much in there but the registration and shit... which I've since relocated to the standard glovebox.
Other than that, the bar kinda presses into your left leg as you're driving around... especially during right turns. It's not really a big deal, but can be uncomfortable sometimes.
Yes, the top does still fit over the rollcage. However, the passenger side latch will scrape against the cage (it did it on both S2000s this cage was installed in). Not a big deal, as you don't lose any functionality, it's just gonna rub the paint off the cage.
Hooray for Cusco! I've gotten so many compliments on the cage it's not even funny... it definitely makes it stand apart from the other S2000s out there.
01-21-2007, 02:40 PM
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Do you track the car? It seems like you have lost a lot of functionality and it would be a waste if not. Of course if you like the cage that much I guess that would certainly be a mater of opinion. Good write up anyway! 
How hard was it to remove the rear tray?
How hard was it to remove the rear tray?
01-21-2007, 06:34 PM
#4
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Nice, thorough write-up, but there are some significant safety concerns about using this cage in a street-driven car. In the event of a side-impact, your cranium and tibia/fibula can be crushed/snapped by the cage tubing. I would not ride in this car without a helmet.
Also, please do not install multi-point harnesses in your car without also installing a race seat, and routing the webbing and securing the mounting points properly. There is a very helpful FAQ in the Racing & Competition Forum. Please check it out.
Also, please do not install multi-point harnesses in your car without also installing a race seat, and routing the webbing and securing the mounting points properly. There is a very helpful FAQ in the Racing & Competition Forum. Please check it out.
01-21-2007, 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by CoralDoc,Jan 21 2007, 07:34 PM
Nice, thorough write-up, but there are some significant safety concerns about using this cage in a street-driven car. In the event of a side-impact, your cranium and tibia/fibula can be crushed/snapped by the cage tubing. I would not ride in this car without a helmet.
I do plan on doing some autocrossing in 2007, which was a major factor in my installing the cage... and I do already have an approved helmet... although I've heard mixed things about this particular cage about passing an SCCA inspection, so I guess I'll fing out when I get there. First one in Atlanta isn't until March I think... so I dunno.
01-21-2007, 07:01 PM
#6
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I don't think you are aware how much your body moves in an impact, not to mention the bar moving and hitting you.
CoralDoc was looking out for your skull, unlike Cusco.
CoralDoc was looking out for your skull, unlike Cusco.
01-21-2007, 07:33 PM
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well... whatever. I'm not all that worried about it. If it doesn't pass the tech inspection when I go out for my first autocross... then I'll end up taking it out. But for now... I'm enjoying it.
I posted the DIY so you all could see what's involved in the installation of it... not to get flamed for having it. So come on now...
I posted the DIY so you all could see what's involved in the installation of it... not to get flamed for having it. So come on now...
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01-21-2007, 08:28 PM
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I don't think anyone is trying to flame you. Rather they are just looking out fo you. I had never even thought of that aspect of it myself. I am sure it will pass an auto-x tech, but you should be concerned about your safety. I was in a collision at about 25MPH. Even wearing my seatbelt, my head hit the roof support or windshield trim leaving me with a huge knot and almost a consussion even at that speed. It is a serious thing to consider, but, it's your melon man.
01-22-2007, 03:52 AM
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Originally Posted by blackout,Jan 22 2007, 02:11 AM
from what i hear SCCA requires a welded cage no?
.Some bolt-in cages meet SCCA standards in Showroom Stock and Spec Miata. In other classes, welded-in cages are required. There is a pretty complete set of guidelines on their website that you can download here.
Take a look at the GCR (General Construction Rules) for information on roll structure requirements (starting on page 88) for different car classes. Also note that the SCCA doesn't design roll structures, the tech inspectors simply confirm that the structures are made to the appropriate standards. These standards are by no means the only way to build a safe structure, but there are several aspects of the Cusco design that are unsafe. Notably, undersized tubing for the weight of the car with an excessive number of bends, small mounting plate surface area, the front down bars located so close to your legs, the side bars that intrude farther than necessary into the cabin near your head, and the small included angle for the rear supports of the main hoop.
For Solo II racing (autocross) there is no roll structure requirement at all (axcept for some of the heavily modified classes). The fastest Stock, Street Prepared, and Street Modified cars don't have them in order to minimize weight.
You can download SCCA Solo II rules here.
It is completely my intention to emphasize safety considerations and not to "dis" this thorough and informative write-up. In my opinion, a multi-point cage does not belong in a street-driven car as the increase in chassis rigidity and possible improved safety in the event of a roll-over is not worth the increased injury risk in the majority of accident types. I make these posts to encourage people considering the installation of roll cages to have a more complete understanding of such a decision.
As Slows2k and sireousrex posted, your body will move a lot more than you think in even minor accidents at slow speeds, and even if you are wearing a multi-point harness.