Roll Cages

[tuck]

I know it has been covered before, but now that we have this fancy new off-road tech section I think it would be good to have a comprehensive thread about roll cages.

Pictures are always great for ideas. What metals to use. Pipe vs. Tube. Different kinds of tube (HREW, DOM, Chromoly). Cage designs, hoops and halos, where to put supports, gussets etc. How hard is it to put a cage into an FSJ with the roof still attached? How do you tie into the frame?

[FYR WOOD]

Well...I'll throw my $0.02 in first I guess. My cage is pretty simple, with most of the emphasis on the driver and passenger compartment. Its made of 2" .120 wall DOM tubing, bent in a manual bender. The design was started with the main hoop that sits right behind the B pillar, which is basically two 90 degree bends, making a rectangle. Off of the hoop, there are the front hoops, that run perpendicular to the main hoop and connect to the floor. Those two bars are connected with spreaders, one at the dash, and one at the top of the windshield. My pictures arent the greatest, and the fact that I have black padding doesnt help with visibility in the pics. But over the driver and passenger compartment, connecting the main hoop and the spreader over the windshield are diagonal spreaders. The main hoop has what I call a "buckle bar" in it to prevent it from buckling in a rollover. The back is just two bars that are just as wide as the frame rails that run down into the bed, with an X built into them. At each point where the cage hits the floor, there are 6"x4" 3/16" plates above and below the floor, bolted together to sandwich the body. If you look closely, I built the rock sliders with the purpose of tying the cage into the frame. The sliders are welded to the frame and have risers that connect to the cage plates underneath the body. Simple, but proving to be very strong. And its painted white.

The hardest part of the whole process was fitting all the tube together inside the truck. I think after much chin-scratching that I am going to add some bars that connect the main hoop to the front bars that hit the floor, right at the floor, just to give it a little more strength. I might also add a bar that is parallel to the floor inside the main hoop about halfway up, for harness attachment.

Hope this helps

Dial-up viewers beware of the second pic, its a little big, but gives a view while the truck was being bobbed.

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/1984-1992-GrandWagoneers/Scott Felter1.jpg

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/1984-1992-GrandWagoneers/Scott Felter2.jpg

Scott

[FYR WOOD]

lets try those pics one more time...

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/1984-1992-GrandWagoneers/ScottFelter1.jpg

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/1984-1992-GrandWagoneers/ScottFelter2.jpg

[rockjeep44]

Thats a great looking Jeep. I noticed that you are from VA, any chance you are going to make the Invasion in Tellico Memorial Day weekend? Also, you got any more pics?
-Andrew

[Sycho15]

When using metal plates to mount the 'cage to the body, you should use different sized plates on top than on bottom. Otherwise they can cut the sheetmetal apart while flexing. Usually it's easier to make the bottom plates larger by about a 1/2" all around.

[robselina]

use different sized plates on top than on bottom. Otherwise they can cut the sheetmetal apart while flexing Huh, wouldn't have thought of that one, have to keep that in mind!

[FYR WOOD]

Sycho15, thats what I did with the plates. The bottoms are a little bigger on each side. The fronts I wasnt worried about, because I knew that I was gonna have the sliders there to hold everything in place.

Andrew, I am planning on being at the Invasion. I'll post some more pics later on.

Scott

[scotty]

fyr wood,that is a great lookin rig. that is the same basic principal i used. i attached the main bars of my cage to my nerf bar mounts,and made the rear section as wide as my frame rails. instead of using sandwixh plates,i just cut holes in my floor. my only criticism is that your slider are not going to provide any side protection,unless the pics are decieving about how far they stick out. i made mine out of 4x4(i think) rubing,and i can rub them on trees without touching the body.i use them alot to get around the tight trails here-ill put a bar on a tree,cut the wheel and apply the trhottle and i can pivot right around it.if id put the bars on 3 years ago,i prolly wouldnt have had to cut off the body and remake it like i just did ;)

part of my cage started lfe as a roll bar for a step side ford. it was cool when i couldnt cut or weld and it bolted in real nice. ive tied it to the frame and built the rest of the cage around it. it turned out well,but if i were to do it again,id prolly ditch it and custom make the whole thing.

i used plain old welded seam tubing from the local scrap yard. not to insinuate that DOM is not better, but my cage was super cheap to build and ive had it on its side once.seams to be holding up fine.im not worried at all about gentle rollovers.

there are pics scattered around on my website that shopw the cage if you want to click the "night crawlers" link below and look around.

i do plan on triangluating some more places,and also im in the process of extending it out thru the firewall to the front corners of the frame.

[FYR WOOD]

scotty, the sliders stick out from the rocker panels about an inch. I had originally planned on more, like you said, but with the way the frame widens right under the B pillar, and with math and well...ya know...thats what I got. I'm relatively pleased with them, and I have gotten into a few spots where I did exactly what you said about wrapping it around a tree. Rear quarter panels arent as forgiving as 1/4" sliders(note right rear quarter in first pic). Thanks for the compliments though fellas.

Scott

[blt2krl]

I'm going to use 1 3/4" with quarter wall Thickness. Mine is going to be EXO Cage though. Hey FRYWOOD that is a nice rig. If you want a more protective slider take a look at these. They have saved my butt numerous times since I put them on...
http://steepndeep.dats.com/images/gallery/MISC/slider6.jpg

[ May 09, 2003, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: blt2krl ]