'72 Roll Cage Build

[steffan]

Seems like i've been working on this thing forever..... getting closer. i wanted the safety but didn't want something as restrictive as most family cages and also didn't want to give up the rear bench seats. played around quite a bit, many hours sitting in the garage just looking at things and came up with this as a good compromise. using 1.75 DOM i was able to mock it up with 1-1/4 PVC which is almost exactly the same outside diameter. I was fortunate to do this because several attempts that i was sure would fit, didn't.

 

[steffan]

first design iteration using cardboard tubing - waste of time but it was before i realized the PVC was a close match

 

[Jetlander]

Very impressed! Looks like it’ll do the job and then some. What are your plans for crossmembers between hoops?

EDIT: I see now. Very cool.

 

[steffan]

graduating to PVC - trying to figure out the notches for the attachment points was a struggle for me. my initial thought was to have individual hoops from A to B and then B to C. Tucked up high and tight to give some head room

 

[steffan]

it's taken me weeks to get this far between fighting with the cardboard, learning how to bend the PVC and then figuring out the notches.... so after all that struggling, i put the cap on the roof and it wouldn't clear no matter what. just wasn't enough clearence for the B-pillar bend. plan B: run the horizontal continuous from A to C with brackets at B-pillar

 

[steffan]

Has anyone priced steel lately???? I purchased these tubes what, 12 years ago? I think they are worth 6 times the amount now - probably the best investment i've made.... that being said, there was some serious stress when it came to doing up the actual tube! measured everything about 100 times, double, triple checked all the angles, closed my eyes and jumped in. somehow i managed to pull it off.... now i just have to do it again on the other side

 

[steffan]

having battled out the corner notches in PVC first i had a reference to go by when going to steel. it wasn't exact but pretty close and with some short sections of scrap i was able to get it dialed in. from there i wrapped it in a few layers of masking tape so i could transfer the pattern to the final product. hopefully, i can get the other side made up this weekend. from there, gussets and weld it up.

 

[steffan]

Driving on - got the second horizontal done and test fitted

 

[steffan]

how it looks on the inside. from here, i need to clean all the tubes, weld it up and fab the gussets. a little cleaning and get this thing painted and put back together

 

[Shooter1972]

Looking great! How did you bend the pipe?

 

[DangerNoodle]

Planning on any triangulation for the upper halo?

 

[steffan]

i used a pro-tool bender with a 6" radius die. it works pretty good once you figure out the pipe stretch etc.
there will be some gussets on the upper halo to the main hoops but as of now, no major cross braces. it's a compromise cage: i didn't really want to put one in but after seeing how they fold up when rolled i wanted something extra but didn't want the restrictions and headaches of a serious cage. i figure it's easy enough to add in later

 

[steffan]

continuing the progress: got all the tubes sanded for welding - should have done the hoops BEFORE i installed them....

 

[steffan]

final check of all the fit up and tacking it in

 

[steffan]

welded up... not unhappy with the welds: not instagram worthy but i've done a lot worse. next, fab up some gussets. trying to decide what color to make the cage - i've heard black, silver and body color

 

[Seth S]

What is the intended purpose of the cage? Like what situation do you hope it to protect you from?

 

[Godfather90]

I was waiting for someone else to speak up.

That cage is going to flop around like a wet noodle.

It looks very dangerous!

Great job on the prep work and fabrication, but that is not going to increase the safety of the truck in a rollover type situation.

Mike

 

[steffan]

I've got a few more gussets to put in but it will never be a competition style cage. I figure it will be a good mounting point for seatbelts and provide a lot more crush protection than the average production vehicle.... certainly better than the factory bar. it's all about compromises

 

[steffan]

have the gussets made up and tacked in.

 

[steffan]

some follow up on progress. still trying to decide what color to paint the cage