2014 Polaris RZR XP 1000
SxS / UTV Links |
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Moab, UT (10/10/2013) - After 2 minutes behind the wheel of the new 2014 Polaris RZR XP 1000 SxS, we knew that this machine was a racing champion in the making. The powerful engine, capable suspension, strong chassis, correct wheelbase and proper weight balance are the combination that we have been longing for in a SxS /UTV. Right out of the box we knew that we could make this machine a force to be reckoned with in not only one but many different types of off road racing.
With the speed the Polaris RZR XP1000 is capable of maintaining over ridiculously challenging terrain, we knew that a simple bolt on cage would not deliver the level of safety that was required. After we pulled the body off, we decided that there are so many things that Polaris did right with their new chassis that we only needed to address the mandated safety requirements of the different off-road racing organizations.
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We got a chance to test the stock 2014 Polaris RZR XP 1000 on the Best in the Desert Blue Water track in Parker, Arizona |
Since we plan on racing this the Polaris RZR XP 1000 through the open desert with Score, HDRA, and Best In The Desert as well as running in the WORCS short course series and The King of the Hammers rock racing, a well-engineered lightweight cage needs to be priority number one.
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We chose to use the same 1.75" tubing size that matches the stock roll cage |
We started by matching the 1.75 tube size that Polaris uses stock with the same diameter of Chrome Moly tubing. According to the SCORE and Best In The Desert rules, UTVs can use the smaller 1.50 inch diameter tubing with .095 wall thickness, but since we plan to really put this RZR to the test we think that a little extra weight in the cage is a small price to pay for some extra safety.
We cut out the bolt together joints of the stock cage and built some plug welded internal sleeves that we grafted to the 1.75 inch 4130 mandrel bent Chrome Moly that forms the roof of the cage. From there we built spreader bars to triangulate the cage and tie it to the stock chassis.
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Spreader bars were added to the custom rollcage for increased strength & was designed with durability & safety in mind
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Paying special attention to the design of the cage so as not to have any non-gusseted dead end tube runs and by eliminating the open nodes it insures that any force applied to the race car in the event of a roll over or collision will be evenly distributed throughout the entire chassis. This correct design will significantly decrease the chance of a structural failure.
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As you can see, the custom rollcage is much beefer than the stock rollcage & it meets and / or exceeds several racing series specifications for safety regulations |
Now that the main part of the cage is complete we will add suspension seats and 5 point restraints. To keep the center of gravity low we elected to build a custom fuel cell that will be located under the seats. With the seats in place we can establish the design of the fuel cell and lay out the cockpit.
