Bumper/Crash bars MOT/legal requirement??

[Rgm racer]

behind the front and rear bumpers are steel bars i believe to be called crash bars, can anyone tell me for sure if either/both of these are a legal/mot requirement?

Are they both purely added impact safety in case of an impact or do they offer any structural/stiffness to the chassis?

 

[CupraRmark]

They are road legal recently read a thread on another forum about a car failing for this !! But how many testers will spot this is another thing..


Why would you remove it though

 

[big rich]

behind the front and rear bumpers are steel bars i believe to be called crash bars, can anyone tell me for sure if either/both of these are a legal/mot requirement?

Are they both purely added impact safety in case of an impact or do they offer any structural strength/stiffness to the chassis?

There for both impact and are structural. why do you ask though?.. surely your not thinking of doing away with it?

 

[Muttley]

Tie the engine bearers together to provide stiffness at the front, tie the rear wings together at the back to stabilise the rear end, and most importantly provide crash protection, stiffening the extremities and channelling forces into the crumple zones. You would have to be mad to run without them.

 

[CupraRmark]

They are road legal recently read a thread on another forum about a car failing for this !! But how many testers will spot this is another thing

The thread I was reading with the failed mot was a DIY Fmic had been fitted and they had badly removed the front bars leaving the car very unstable and more to the point very dangerous if it ran into another car....

 

[Rgm racer]

The thread I was reading with the failed mot was a DIY Fmic had been fitted and they had badly removed the front bars leaving the car very unstable and more to the point very dangerous if it ran into another car....

Yeah expect there was more to it than just removing crash bars as from what i've been able to find out so far it looks as though they aren't actually a legal or mot requirement?

Seems main reason for them is too avoid damage to car body in low speed impacts.

Haven't had close look at front one yet but doesn't look obvious that rear would have structural/stiffening effect as it is purely bolted to sheet metal in lower part of boot? It would however spread any impact across bigger area which i guess would be same and even more beneficial on the front bar?

 

[M20FES]

For safety reasons there needed but I doubt many mot testers will even notice if there present

 

[Ronin225]

I may have a go at fabricating a lightweight single piece one like backdraft made

 

[addavis89]

I wouldn't remove them, I work in a bodyshop and seen some of the slam panels after an accident. It acts as a crumple zone and protects the engine and radiators in a crash (in theory). Remove that and you crumple zone changes to your engine bay.

 

[ibizacupra]

behind the front and rear bumpers are steel bars i believe to be called crash bars, can anyone tell me for sure if either/both of these are a legal/mot requirement?

Are they both purely added impact safety in case of an impact or do they offer any structural/stiffness to the chassis?

not an mot component

 

[addavis89]

Think insurance company might frown upon removal if you do happen to have an accident.

 

[Brettyboy]

The bumper is just a skin its the crash bar that does the work in an accident

 

[vroomtshh]

I wouldn;t worry about it for an accident, but I assume its a track car, and it ties the front two chassis legs together. Without it, the front end will be fairly slack.

Mine has about 50mm swaged holes in it to save a bit of weight

 

[Rgm racer]

I wouldn;t worry about it for an accident, but I assume its a track car, and it ties the front two chassis legs together. Without it, the front end will be fairly slack.

Mine has about 50mm swaged holes in it to save a bit of weight

Yes track car, correct.

I haven't had a look at the front one at all yet but if it is tying the two main chassis legs together as you say then yes i can see that it would affect the stiffness and i would consider it a structural part of the chassis so therefore lightening it a little probably absolute most to do if anything. I had also thought that in event of a front impact it would add some extra strength to front getting crumpled and coming towards driver.
The rear on other hand doesn't look to be attached to anything structural from what i can see and just seems to be bolted to sheet metal below boot lid so shouldn't affect stiffness of car from what i can tell?? Also my thinking is in the event of rear ending that this potential impact area is further away from the driver and so again thinking at least lighten or even remove this one?

 

[Rgm racer]

not an mot component

Thanks for confirming.

Out of interest what's your thoughts on the affect of the front or rear bar respectively on chassis structural strength/stiffness if any and general idea of removing or lightening either respectively for road legal but 95% track car??

 

[Rgm racer]

I may have a go at fabricating a lightweight single piece one like backdraft made

Any images of what they made?