Hi all,
Just in the process of removing all non essential items from the car, starting with the simply unbolting items such as the rear bins, wind deflector etc, after removing the trim from above the rear bins I notice that there is a bar going accross the rear which holds the brackets for the rear bins, rear parcel shelf, wind deflector and the bracket to hold down the soft top when its down. My question is simple, am I able to remove this bar from the car or is it best to leave it in? Currently in the process of trying to find out how to remove the rear parcel shelf but it seems to just be held in the back with some plastic poppers - its amazing how much space is back there!
I'm, sure someone on here removed all the stuff and put the bar back as it gives strength
also if you have standard seatbelts think they connect to it ???
Quote from: "ilovejapcrap"I'm, sure someone on here removed all the stuff and put the bar back as it gives strength
also if you have standard seatbelts think they connect to it ???
The standard seatbelts seem to connect brackets on each side but aren't connected to the rear bar - I do agree though I would still keep the bar until I had a roll hoop of some sort, just working out what I can and can't remove.
That bar has a number of important functions:
It holds the roof hinge brackets, and the only way to remove the soft top but keep that bar is to angle grind a number of the hinge points off. Mad but true.
IT holds the shoulder mount point for the standard 3 point seat belts.
I have removed that bar, but replaced it for seat belts. IMO it also looks to be important structurally, as it mounts to a plate each end. I'd be wary of the side impact protection/chassis integrity without it. Could be wrong, but since I wanted to lose the roof and keep the stock seat belts it was the only sensible way to do it.
It's easy enough to bolt it out so you can see what gives and whether you want to keep it. Personally, I'd only get rid of it if I was putting in a solidly fitted half cage in it's place, to mount harnesses or something from.
Here is that space with the parcel shelf/soft top removed but the bar replaced:
(http://i.imgur.com/X1itPrm.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/YPF8ZWl.jpg)
With the bar removed as well:
(http://i.imgur.com/iAZfOv7.jpg)
Thanks for posting those up, really handy to see what its like without a roof in the way, once I took the rear bins out its amazing how much space it frees up back there for luggage etc - I won't be removing the bar as it gives structure, wonder if its ok to use as a harness bar considering its attached to the same brackets as the OEM seatbelts?
Will also need to look into where I need to grind to remove the soft top frame etc, should be able to remove the fabric without much of an issue, it is quite odd that the frame is integral to the brackets though.
Quote from: "m1tch"Thanks for posting those up, really handy to see what its like without a roof in the way, once I took the rear bins out its amazing how much space it frees up back there for luggage etc - I won't be removing the bar as it gives structure, wonder if its ok to use as a harness bar considering its attached to the same brackets as the OEM seatbelts?
Personally I wouldn't: The Bar itself rests onto a pin and then bolts in with a couple of bolts through a plate. However the loading point of the seatbelt is close to that plate, and vectored downwards to the inertia reel. It also sweeps backward sin a bend. My concerns with mounting a harness to or over it would be that the loading would be in the wrong plane and could wrench the bar free or rotate it, or else the loading is too central, i.e. too far away from the side mount points which could cause the bar to bend.
Ultimately, if you're fitting harnesses, you need to get it don by someone who is following MSA rules and will do it properly. HArnesses can be fatal in their own right if not correctly fitted.
Quote from: "m1tch"Will also need to look into where I need to grind to remove the soft top frame etc, should be able to remove the fabric without much of an issue, it is quite odd that the frame is integral to the brackets though.
Honestly, the whole soft top removal process is incredibly difficult for what it is, when you're retaining that bar. I ended up cutting much of the cloth off with a stanley knife (it was ruined anyway). Then there are the 2 main hinge pivot points, left and right, which need grinding though. And then there are a couple of arms higher up that act to fold the top as you put it up and down and they're riveted together and also need cutting off.
Once you've got the whole soft top assembly out of the car you'll see where yo need to cut to remove the soft top. I didn't have time to document it when I was doing mine.
Thanks for that advice, will be leaving it in until I get a roll hoop sorted, might initially look to simply remove the fabric and leave the frame until the cage goes in (which can then have seatbelt mounts added), might take it off temporarily to see how heavy it is though but will be keeping it on for the time being.
The roof material, mechanism and rear glass without the seat belt bar save you 20Kg.
Quote from: "JoeCool"The roof material, mechanism and rear glass without the seat belt bar save you 20Kg.
Good to know - will weigh the hard top and see what that comes to, thinking that the latches are probably a fair bit of weight as well.
If anyone is interested the bar weighs a tiny bit over 2kg but I am going to retain mine until a later date.