Exige/Elise Track Safety

[rackhenry]

I currently own a 2006 Exige and it is even a more wonderful a track car then I had expected. While I have been on an extended hiatus from driving my two recent track events are pulling me back to Track/TT and perhaps W to W. While researching the forums on track focused Lotus, I have come across a few areas of concern that I was hoping the more experienced track focused drivers could comment on.

• Are you guys worried about the egress from the car in the event of a rollover ( door and helmet issue)

• Does being 6.2 with very long legs make the car any less safe as say opposed to a shorter driver in a shunt?

• What about roll cages, seems that egress/ingress would be even harder then it is already, and who makes a good one?

• Finally, is the car as fragile as I have come to read, e.g. if one were to go off and roll into grass or gravel, does that typically damage the frame?

Granted, it is hard to make assumptions, but generalities would be welcome. I expect the front clam to be damaged and can live with that. It’s the total loss of a car because I went off at 40 MPH into the sand/grass dirt that really concerns me.


Thanks

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These are tough little cars so don't worry too much.

In a roll over I can guarantee the roof will detach- it's not structural and the fixings won't take much chassis flex. This is actually not a bad thing really.

There are loads of instances where an elise/exige has rolled and the occupants fine. Unlike most cars you sit much lower in the car so it's more akin to a bath tub than a normal car.

That being said, the chassis is very prone to damage. It's strong but if you hit it 'just so' then it can be a write off as chassis's can not be repaired only replaced and they are about 12kgbp just to by.

[LordZ]

I've been off plenty of times in the grass and dirt. Sometimes in excess of 80mph... The car handles just fine. Other than broken splitters and more grass in the car than you can shake a stick at, I've had no damage thus far.

I am always careful at tracks though, if there is mud or wet ground I just dial it back. If you get into a slide in a Lotus and it gets away from you more than likely you are going off backwards. Last thing I want is to be sliding sideways into wet ground or uneven ground fast enough to cause a flip.

[rackhenry]

Thanks for the feedback, are any of you guys running cages? If so any recomendations? Or do I try local fabrication, that could be a bit scary I would think.. not because of bad cage, but because of the mounting being steel to Aluminum.

[apk919]

Originally Posted by rackhenry

Thanks for the feedback, are any of you guys running cages? If so any recomendations? Or do I try local fabrication, that could be a bit scary I would think.. not because of bad cage, but because of the mounting being steel to Aluminum.

Check this thread: Roll cages available

[Zinhead]

Originally Posted by rackhenry

I currently own a 2006 Exige and it is even a more wonderful a track car then I had expected. While I have been on an extended hiatus from driving my two recent track events are pulling me back to Track/TT and perhaps W to W. While researching the forums on track focused Lotus, I have come across a few areas of concern that I was hoping the more experienced track focused drivers could comment on.

• Are you guys worried about the egress from the car in the event of a rollover ( door and helmet issue)

• Does being 6.2 with very long legs make the car any less safe as say opposed to a shorter driver in a shunt?

• What about roll cages, seems that egress/ingress would be even harder then it is already, and who makes a good one?

• Finally, is the car as fragile as I have come to read, e.g. if one were to go off and roll into grass or gravel, does that typically damage the frame?

Granted, it is hard to make assumptions, but generalities would be welcome. I expect the front clam to be damaged and can live with that. It’s the total loss of a car because I went off at 40 MPH into the sand/grass dirt that really concerns me.

Yes, the lack of egress is worrysome. On the other hand, an Exige is much less likely to rollover than most other street cars due to the lower center of gravity.

If you are tall, your knees are much closer to the aluminum frame. It is big reason why I changed to six point belts from four point belts.

I would not get a roll cage if the car is going to be street driven. Any additional level of safety on the track will be lost by street driving. The Lotus rollbar should be more than adequate to protect you in case of a rollover.

I would not worry much about frame damage but I would worry about clam damage. That said, I have seen numerous Lotus go off road at track events only say one case of damage due to a guardrail.

[rackhenry]

Being 6,2 and driving the Exige on the street in SoCal with all the SUV's on the road, as well as the lack of any place to safely press the limits of the car, I am getting to the point of considering trailering it. It, for me, gets a bit unnerving being able to describe in detail what most SUV owners use for shocks..

Seems for now though, the six point harness and Hans is probably the best and most reasonable option to increase safety.

[fishguy]

Originally Posted by rackhenry

Seems for now though, the six point harness and Hans is probably the best and most reasonable option to increase safety.

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The windscreen can support the weight of ge car - every roll over I've seen pictures of the windscreen frame and rollbar were damaged but survived intact.

[rackhenry]

Ok, again thanks for all the input!! So going to install a point Harness in the car. Goal would be to modify stock seat for ASM straps and then figure out how to mount the harness. My car came with a Sector111 Harness bar, however read they may not be ok? Can anyone elaborate?


Also, saw lots of posts on how to mount the harness which included some mods ( plates underneath car?). is that the only way to do it? Best way, instruction thread?

Is the mount kit for the 6 Point from S111 a good option/safest option is really question?

[LordZ]

I don't think the stock seats are made for hans though are they? Everyone I've seen that run those use after market seats. Fishguy would probably know best though since he's our resident safety expert.

[rackhenry]

I thought the stock Exige seats would work? Also, based on what I read going to go with the HANS competitor ( don't remember name now), seems easier to get in and out of car with... Hard enough for me anyway being 6.2.

[LordZ]

I thought the top of the seat pushed the helmet too far forward. Not 100% on that though...

[luxige]

Originally Posted by rackhenry

My car came with a Sector111 Harness bar, however read they may not be ok? Can anyone elaborate?

Is the mount kit for the 6 Point from S111 a good option/safest option is really question?

If the bar is the older S111 '4tress' bar, the issue was that its mounting position can be higher than ideal for shorter drivers (it is the same position as the OEM bar). Sounds like you are plenty tall enough, but obviously you must check out the shoulder strap angles yourself after you procure your neck device. Good guidance is on the Schroth and Sabelt websites.

I like the S11 sys6pack, because in addition to providing good harness hardpoints, it improves the seat rail mounting. (You drill out the threads and through-bolt the rails, much better IMO than relying on the stock threaded aluminum points). I measured the spreader plates that came with my Sabelt harnesses, and the sys6pack provides comparable surface area. The kit was developed with input from Schroth. I'll be installing it.

[fishguy]

Originally Posted by LordZ

I thought the top of the seat pushed the helmet too far forward. Not 100% on that though...

from what i have educated myself on so far, this does not mean that the seat is not HANS compatible as i understand it, and from my own experience mounting a HANS compatible seat in one of my racecars.
when i first installed the sparco circuit pro in my 944 the angle that the seat was mounted in was too upright, as in not reclined enough( it is a fixed back that cannot adjust).
this made the seat push my helmet forward on my head.
the solution to mounting it properly for the HANS to work correctly was to tip the seat farther back in its mounting points. i raised the front mounting point, and lowered the back mounting point.

be careful, a small adjustment made a big difference in my distance to the steering wheel.
it now works fantastic.

a HANS compatible seat will allow free movement of the shoulder harnesses when they are routed through the shoulder slots on the seat which the exige seats looks like it will allow for.
unless there is some funky angle on the stock exige seat up near the head, where that upper portion of the seat is bent forward, i would think the issue is more with the way the stock seat is mounted, and the lack of being able to tip the seat back in the mount supplied from the factory.

I have not looked at one of the seats in a while, so I am going from memory, but I assume it mounts like the elise seat which will not allow for tipping the seat forward or back( is this correct?).

as far as the sector 111 6 point mount for the substrap, it looks like its on the strongest part of the floor available, BUT it does seem to ignore the guildline for the correct angle to mount the substraps to the floor of the car.
seems like its a compromise, since i wouldnt want to mount it to the flimsy aluminum floor.
if you are of the mindset of cutting up your seat to achieve the end result, you probobly dont care all that much about getting that angle correct anyway( just my assumption, so I could very well be wrong).

if it were me who was in the car, i would want the proper racing seat, with the belts mounted at the proper angles, with substantially strong floor structure at the mounting points.

the cars i have chosen as my race cars make this easy, which is part of the factor in the choice of campaigning them.

how do the factory cars for track only, that come with 6 point harness from lotus address this? one would think that they have this issue solved, so that would be my first stop in figuring out how to approach this.

it seems the car is a bit of a catch 22 in this reguard with the street version of the elise/exige.

one thing that i keep reading about is how people are not able to get into the elise/exige with the HANS on. even in my cars with larger spaces, i find it much easier to get into the car w/o my helmet on, or my hans, and then while seated, place the HANS on my shoulders, then loosly strap the harness on me. then i put on my helmet while i can still move in the seat since i am not snug yet( i usually need to lean forward a bit at the waist, and hunch my back a bit).
then attach the HANS to the helmet. THEN, i yank down my harness as tight as i can make it. wiggle around, deeply exhale, and crank down the harness again as tight as it can go.
I can exit the car with the helmet/HANS on with out much effort, but dont know how the lotus is on this issue.

and for the record, i am not the "safety expert here", many people know what is the right approach.
for me, i plan on racing a long time, and value my good health.
I dont skimp with safety issues, so i can improve my odds of racing another day after I crash. i could care less about my car, as long as i walk away from it, it served its purpose.

hope that helps.

[apk919]

Originally Posted by fishguy

one thing that i keep reading about is how people are not able to get into the elise/exige with the HANS on. even in my cars with larger spaces, i find it much easier to get into the car w/o my helmet on, or my hans, and then while seated, place the HANS on my shoulders, then loosly strap the harness on me. then i put on my helmet while i can still move in the seat since i am not snug yet( i usually need to lean forward a bit at the waist, and hunch my back a bit).
then attach the HANS to the helmet. THEN, i yank down my harness as tight as i can make it. wiggle around, deeply exhale, and crank down the harness again as tight as it can go.
I can exit the car with the helmet/HANS on with out much effort, but dont know how the lotus is on this issue.

I can relate my experience on this point. I can either put on my helmet and HANS outside the car and get in, then strap in; or I can leave the helmet and HANS on the passenger seat, get in strap in (loosely), then put on the helmet and HANS and finish snugging the belts.

It's the same for egress... I can either take the helmet and HANS off in the car, or exit the car with both on. I'm 6' 2" and wear a large (7 3/8- 7 1/2) helmet.

[rackhenry]

Thanks all for all the great info!!!