This kit will allow you to install your roll bar downtube without drilling through the joint and inserting an exposed bolt. It makes for a very clean look. Jump to drawings.  Jump to instructions.                                       
                                                                                                                                                 

One kit required for each roll bar, dual roll bar cars require two kits.......... Price $79.00 each

Here you see that a threaded disc has been inserted into the stub portion of the hoop and two holes have been drilled through the shoulder. Into these holes, oversize dowel pins are driven, this holds the disc in place. Accomplished welders may wish to tack this in place instead. The downtube itself has had the wedge-lock inserted and tightened at the coupling nut. A section of threaded rod is then inserted. The length of rod gives a little "wiggle room" should things be a little off center. The downtube is place on chassis post and then the hoop is placed. The downtube is then screwed upward into the stub disc. Below the two parts have been joined.





The resulting joint is extremely strong and gives no visual clues as to how the attachment is made. The remaining bolts supplied by FFR are then used to attach the lower portion of the tube to the chassis below the body line. Since the kit requires no welding, it is safe to use on painted, powder coated or chromed roll bar sets. It is demountable at all times and reinstallation of bars is no problem. The wedge-lock is designed to grip tighter as the force to remove it increases. Tested to 20 tons of pressure without moving. A simple and strong solution to the Frankenstein through bolts. If nothing else, your Roadster is certainly worth this small upgrade. Good luck with your build! Don

This is the drawing for the roll bar kit, a full size copy with dimensions comes with each order.

Blind Roll Bar Attachment Kit Installation Instructions – (a full copy comes with the kits)

Please read all and understand the drawings before jumping in.

Determine which end of your roll bar down tube (third leg) mates up with the male section of the upper section the best.

The inside of this end needs to be cleaned to a depth of about 8-9”. Remove chips, flakes of paint, oil, dirt, etc. This end also needs to have the inside filed or ground to remove the burr that is probably present from being cut. A bit of a chamfer here is helpful.

Loosen the coupling nut on the wedge lock a few turns and slip the assembly into the tube so that the face of the wedge lock is about 6” from the end of the tube. Finger tighten with a socket on the end of an extension until the affair is seated and you can check the measurements. If you need to reposition the lock; back off on the coupling nut a few turns and drive down with a sharp rap or two.

(For perfectionists only) For extra holding power make sure that the welded seam inside the tube is ground down in the area of the lock. Radial scratches made using some Emery cloth on a stick inside the tube and around the perimeter of the lock are good as well. The slightest amount of grease between the sliding surfaces of the wedge-lock is a no brainer. Before tightening the nut, you can achieve an extra measure of holding power by wicking in some Loctite Retaining Fluid around the perimeter of the wedge lock, if you don’t have any of this, don’t worry about it.

Tighten the nut to about 30-35 ft. lbs. You may want to use a strap wrench to hold the tube. Now take the supplied threaded rod and screw into the end of the coupling nut, there should be about 1/8” to ¼” of stud sticking out past the end of the tube. Finger tight is fine here, we don’t want to foul up the threads on the end of the stud with pliers or vise-grips.

The assembly of the threaded disc insert is next. There are two methods that can be used. If you are an accomplished welder, all that is needed is to place the threaded disc into the tube so that 1/8” of the inside of the tube is exposed. A few tacks around this inside edge are all that is needed. Be careful of your heat not to discolor a chromed roll bar.

The other method is to simply place the disc in the same position and drill a ¼” hole through each side into the disc to a depth of 9/16”. Cutout and use the supplied template for easy hole marking. The supplied pins are .001 oversize only, so try to be steady with the drill. If the fit is a little loose that is okay as long as your hole is not too deep. The object here is to have the pins as flush as possible. Drive the pins in chamfered end first.

Once you are satisfied with the installation of the kit, test fit the down tube on the roll bar. It is a good idea to coat the mating members with a little grease. The part should screw together fairly easily. The threaded stud length is meant to give some “wiggle room” if things are a little off center.

Next step is to check the down tube mounting post on the chassis. It should be free of paint or powder coat. If it is not you will find that when the down tube is screwed into position the paint may gall and freeze up your turning.

After the down tube mount is clean, slip the open end of the down tube in place; position the roll bar hoop in place. Bring the down tube up into position, align the stud, and simply screw upward until tight. A strap wrench may be used for the final tightening. Builders with chrome or powder coat may want to be careful not to over-do it. It may be possible to apply too much force and chip or flake your edges.

The finishing touch is to drill and install the lower mounting bolts as supplied and instructed by FFR.

The wedge lock is designed to be primarily a cosmetic replacement for the through bolt. It is up to each person to determine the suitability of their installation for their specific purposes. The wedge lock is designed to grip tighter as the pressure to remove it increases. I’ve tried to press the assembly out with a twenty-ton press and it held just fine. If you are truly concerned, we may want to swap out the threaded stud with a much harder (and costly) part. Naturally, no cars were flipped upside down and slid backward at speed to test whether or not the joint holds as you pass over a tree stump. At this point I would think you have other problems as well. Let’s hope none of us ever find ourselves in that situation.

Good luck, hope you are happy with the good looking results.                                         

                              Price .......... $79.00 each kit, dual bar cars require two.  

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All the best, Don

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