Kirk Racing Roll bar installed....ARRRRRR i'm so mad!!!!!!
 

So today i decided to install my roll bar, fit it in the car and fubbled with it for about an 2 hours just to get all the mounting points close enough to body (Doing it by my self). After all that, i had to notch the plastic around the strut tower AND notch both of the strut bar covers. Finally drilled all the holes, thought i was done......NOPE, F%@#ing hatch support hits the rear bar that goes to the jack access, so the hatch will not close evenly. it closes but one side is up, im really pissed now!!

First the bar comes pretty much scratched all over, doesnt fit nearly as good as i thought, didnt know i had to cut all the plastic so it will clear the bars. And now the lift support hits the bar. Overall i got a $490 piece of scrap metal, i am so disappointed.

So any of you that was in the GB, check the clearances b4 you drill. I centerd the bar by measuring from the door jam on both sides. guess i should have closed the hatch, didnt know it was that close or that could have been a clearance issue.

any pointers for fixing this problem, i REALLY dont want to drill more holes than i have to, as of now i just disconnected the lift support.

OVERALL JUNK!! im so mad!!!!!!

Now i prolly just have to bite the bullet and reposition the bar and get it welded in. my as well put bigger plates on so i can get it certified when i add the 2 side bars.

I had the exact same experience....although I was not in the gb. I think their jig is messed up. We had to cut the passenger side rear brace by the plate to remove an inch of tubing then reweld it back. This lowers it enough to allow the struts to close. We also used an angle gauge and found the angles of the 2 ends sticking out on the top of the main hoop to be off a few degrees from each other. To get the rear supports to fit, we had to heave on it a bit to angle them out towards the outside...of course, this now loads the chassis when bolted on, torquing it. Not good.

But given the price, I can't expect perfection; however, based on ppl's previous experience, I had higher hopes.

very interesting, anyone else there with this problem?? someone should let them know.

yeah, i had higher hopes too, to bad those hopes fell off, got trampled on, kicked around, stepped on......

thanx for the heads up! sux for you though! hope you get if fixed soon and working properly.

anyone else in the GB, had any fitment issues?

HAI-TEK7,

What configuration did you order (sunroof, non-sunroof, keep the rear bins, etc)?

I haven't put mine in yet, but it didn't appear dead7 had a problem with his install (at least none that he commented on):

https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...&postcount=168

kept the bins, no sunroof, harness bar and diagonal bar.

Unfortunately, mine won't be an "apples to apples" comparison since I have a sunroof. You might also PM "zullo". He has a Kirk bar without a sunroof.

do you the the 4pt kirk. i didn't have problems with it except that piece of shit was all scratched up. called kirk and they said they can't do shit b/c it was the shipping company's fault. i told them they need to package it better. if there is not wrap to protect the paint offcourse it would get scratched up. i was disappointed too. kevn oh, i have a sunroof. i just tried to make sure everything closed before i bolted it in.

This sucks. I had high hopes too for the kirk bar, and was planning on getting one myself. BUt now knowing these many fitment issues, i'm hesitant.

Mahjik, are you still trying to source the maker of the M2 roll bar? If you did, i'm sure many people would appreciate it. I know i would. Those seemed like much better bars than the Kirk. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

That was rynberg, not me. ;)

I purchased one of the Kirk 4pt bars... I too think the M2 bars are better, however, IMO I don't think the differences justify the price difference for what I do with my car.

Oh yeah, damn, sorry about that. I guess i'll go talk to rynberg then. :D

And yeah, a price jump from 350 to around 1000 is just too big of a difference. I'll probably end up getting a kirk bar. I was merely interested only because of all the fitment issues i've been hearing with the kirk bar. I just dont really wanna cut up my interior.

Mahjik, when you start to install your bar, would you mind taking some pictures? I'd like to see exactly where these fitment issues are. No biggie if ya can't, but it'd help. Thanks man.

well after looking at this mess, i think i might be able to clear the lift support of i cut an inch off the passenger rear bar where it bolt to the main hoop and move it "closer" to the front.
I'll post back when i get it done, dont have the sawzaw on hand right now.

No problem, will do. I should be sticking it in there by next weekend (not this weekend) as I'll be taking some time off work to get some stuff done.

In the mean time, Crispy has a little write up on his site:
http://reganrotaryracing.tripod.com/kirkroll.htm

I've heard the quality of the Kirk bar has gone down over the past few years. I would have loved to get a Chromoly M2 bar when they made them. I hope someone finds the source for the M2 bars.

I got the Autopower bar a few years back in the GB, are they not available anymore?

If it helps, I have a Kirk bar successfully installed in my car, and it only meant cutting into the hatch cover and taking off the triangular strut tower covers (I think?).

I can take a stupid-good amount of photos to and fro, how it's set up, if anyone here needs help (Not sure if its the same cage/bar, unless they only make one?)

LMK.

I've installed two of these, one in my car and one in a friend's, and have learned a lot. I hate to tell you this but you have it aligned wrong. It will fit without hitting the support, but it must be exact. You have it slightly twisted (clockwise or counterclockwise) as viewed from the top of the car. I got mine right the first time, luckily, but missed in my friend's car. Rather than re-drill it, we took a 16# sledge to one of the supports.

Also, never jack the car up with the jack on the backing plate. The floorboard will deform enough to push the bar against the headliner, making an awful squeeking when driving. Sledge to the rescue again.

Kirk really isn't in the business of show-cars. They make racing cages and price them accordingly. I got some scratches as well but expected them. They're just spray painted anyway. It's a well known fact that the plastic trim pieces have to be cut.

My cage:

^^^^

very well said.

If you don't want it I'll take it :)

I have the kirk racing roll bar in my car, I aligned it by eye and test fit the hatch and what not then marked the holes and re-tested, then drilled. Everything turned out perfect. I have no sunroof, the diagonal and harness bars are installed.

Adax, that was damn clean install...nicely done.

How much do they weigh? and what was the reasoning behind the purchase for those buying them? extra rigidity for the track, show? Just wondering what the buyers intended for their car's when they bought it.
Tim

For me, roll over protection for the track (especially when using a harness).

i might have got it cocked alittle crooked, but after fumbleing with it, the position i left it was the closest that i can get the 4 mounting points close enough to chasis, with out too much load on it.
but hey, i cooled down now..so im gonna have to live with drilling more holes, or use a sledge or notch the bar alittle to clear the lift support.

If it wasnt for the clearance issue, its a nice roll bar.

I was the fabricactor for M2 for 4 years.My company made the jig and the roll bars for M2.I just pulled the jig out of storage last week to start making them again. I was going to wait til they were finished to post . I'm making 10 for now 5 street bars 5 race bars all will be chromemoly. I dont have vendor status yet so post a new thread when I do . It will be at least 3 to 4 weeks before I'm ready to start selling them. Hope this helps Larry@The Race Shop :bigthumb:

Sweet. What would the approximate price be w/o the M2 markup?