Roll Cage Chat

I would agree in terms of weight. My external roll cage with rock sliders, winch bumper, winch, steel rear bumper, internal brace bar and 235/75 R16 wheels and tyres increase the weight tremendously, probably equivalent to having the car fully laden with adults at all times.

Then add in the factor of the rolling resistance of the large wheels and the upset gearing and you can certainly see where the reduction in MPG to below 19 miles per gallon along with the running out of puff at 60 mph gets you.

In terms of drag, it is directly proportional to the cross sectional area of the vehicle. Therefore you need to work out how much the cage adds to the cross-sectional area, I would hazard a guess that the percentage increase in cross-sectional area is not that different. I guess I could work out what the surface area of the tubing is compared to the vehicle area, but it feels more like a weight issue to me, especially the way mine flops into the mud compared with a standard vehicle. I must find a friendly weightbridge some day.

Martin