Roll Cages Revived-Help NC guys

[2nd-Day-Revived]

Ok, here's what I have learned so far from searching (some of which has come to my own conclusions).

-MUST be welded to the frame

-Better to have crossmember and hoops by seats

-2" DOM Pipe (not tubing)

-Can be made with mounts for seats

That said I am planning to have the X on the back end for the spare mount.Gonna take the roof off up to the rear of the driver seat and go for the rag top. Heres my questions:

-Any certain brand of pipe to get? What about material specs?
-What wall thickness?
-How much pipe should I plan on getting?

Thats all that comes to mind. Is there anyone out there with actual dimensions of a cage like this in a WT?

And as always, is there anything else I should know?

For the NC folks, any good suppliers to look at? Anyone wanna have a WOT in November (See Events forum please...)

Thanks in advance, yall are an awesome group of people!

[rockjeep44]

LOL, Brandon you kill me man. If you go into a steel store and ask for DOM pipe they will laugh you out of there in a hurry, so with that I begin...

1) I wouldn't weld to the frame, thats just too rigid. I would bolt the cage to the floor using sandwich plates, then weld a "foot" from the bottom plate and attatch it to the frame via tabs and a bushing. This allows for independent flex of body and frame as well as allows for removal if so desired.

2) There are two types of tubing I'd consider using (you don't want to use pipe trust me) HREW or DOM. DOM is more expensive but stronger, however if you don't plan on competing which I'm sure you don't use HREW. It's way cheaper and very strong. Just look at my cage, it's HREW. Also, 2in or 1.75in OD and .120 wall thickness is the norm

3) Definitely mount your seats to the cage

[dnixon]

Brandon you know it would be cheaper for you to just buy Andrew's cage.. he lives right there by you and he even said he would travel some for delivery.. HOW CAN YOU LOSE...

Bender- $260
Dies- $250 a piece (probably need 2 at least)
Tube- Not cheap
Time- LOTS OF DESIGNING AND SET UP
Welder- You get what you pay for- $500-700 at least

OR

Andrews's cage- $900 straight up...

You don't really have any experince doing this sort of fabbing... or really fabbing at all from what I remember.. You would be MUCH better off just buying his... Not trying to be Andrew's pimp or anything but the time the money saved would be worth it to just shell out 900 up front... This is just my $.02

[2nd-Day-Revived]

Slo-wag, I hear ya man. I like Andrews cage a lot. That said...

Andrew, thanks for the tips. Check your PM's

EDIT-and for the record I was wanting to learn how to fab some stuff,but not really the best idea with a rollcage, safety first and all.

[ September 12, 2003, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: 2nd-Day-Revived ]

[Jeeptruck]

Originally posted by 2nd-Day-Revived:
I was wanting to learn how to fab some stuff,but not really the best idea with a rollcage, safety first and all.I 2nd Slo-Wag, buy Andrews. What type welder due you have? Magnets? Angle finders? Clamps? Cut off tools? Grinders? Chop Saw? Tubing Notcher? Bender w/ dies? Tools add up in a hurry, trust me. I have all that and would most likely buy Andrews cage if I were in the market.

[2nd-Day-Revived]

I am trying...thanks for the advice yall...

[Poley]

oh hell go for it...It's always good to learn-sometimes the hard way ......but it is a lesson...good luck

[David Allen Racing]

I agree with Andrew on not welding it straight to the frame. Mine is welded to plates and then to the body mount crossmembers. That way my body and cage flex together. 2" is overkill and harder to find someone who can bend it properly. Never use a muffler bender, have everything mandral bent. It gives a cleaner and stronger bend. Mines all 1.5" .120 wall chromoly and is plenty strong enough. Chromoly is probably overkill also, but I get killer deals on it. You should use just regular mild steel tubing. As for a source for it you might try the shop next to me, it's called the Chassis Shop and they have the lowest prices in the U.S. on tubing. They'll also ship it right to your door. They also have all kinds of things for fab work, tabs, mounts, and all kinds of neat stuff to play with. Check them out at http://www.chassisshop.com Also take your jeep to a race car fab shop and ask them about doing a cage for you. Stick with them as they go over everything and use their knowledge as how to lay out the cage. Let them quote you a price and then compair it to the time and effort it will take for you to do it.

Dave