Builds 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap) (9 Viewers)

[aztoyman]

I think I got'r. Sorry for the long winded rants but I'm struggling a bit. I suck at math but I "assumed" that my bend angles should add up to 90 degrees on each side.

The top is horizontal and the bottom legs are straight up. The top protractor clearly measured at 75 degrees. The lower one was reading between 16 and 17 degrees. Again I "assumed ' it SHOULD be 15 degrees. I thought maybe the PVC was flexing in the 110 degree plus temps in my garage. I bent it to 15 knowing I can bend it more but I can't unbend it.

It was just under an inch too wide at the bottom to go in the cab. The 25 degrees of rotation must be the reason the angles don't have to add up to 90 degrees. I'm guessing.

I'll fine tune the bends and trim the extra length from the ends when I get back from Wisconsin.

 

[aztoyman]

I had a period of analysis paralysis over the 2nd 15 degree bend with the 25 degrees of rotation.

On the first bend I rotated the tube down and did the bend. Perfect.

I'm working from the center out. Not from one end to the other so I wasn't sure which way to rotate on the 2nd bend. After the first bend I pulled the tube, flipped it over and it was back in the bender looking exactly like the first try. I thought I needed to rotate it UP to get a mirror image of the other side. It didn't look right either way I positioned it. So not wanting to ruin a 10 foot piece of tube I stopped, got online and started watching videos. The ones I found all worked from one end to the other with Bend-Tech recipes. I finally just went with my gut and looking at it both ways again in the bender. I was right and needed to rotate 25 degrees the opposite way.

I know a lot more now for the next piece I have to bend.

 

[aztoyman]

Just a quick update. I survived moving my daughter back from Wisconsin. Of course there's moving IN stuff going on that she'll need help with, but I found a window of opportunity to finish my main hoop today.

I did end up doing the lower bends at 17 degrees vs the 15 degrees I had when I left. That brought the distance between the two sides in to where they should be. The total length calculation was spot on. I added 2 inches to be safe and ended up cutting off an inch from each end. The hoop went in exactly where it needs to be. I'm liking these tools. Sorry, no pics.

I was originally going to do like most Toyota cages and run the A-pillar up and back to the main hoop. It's going to be really difficult to weld over the top so I'm going to mock up a halo bar for the roof and see how that looks and fits. I would be able to tip the rear hoop forward to have better weld access. The A-pillar would then be a single bar up to the halo and I think easier to weld. IDK if I'm using all the correct terms for the bars but you guys get the idea.

I have to move my ECM. I'm going to try like @gnob suggested and go horizontal under the glove box. I should be able to use the mounting bracket I just fab'd up. Hopefully I have enough slack in my wires.

I have a "stand in" dash in place so I can see exactly where and how much to cut for the A-pillar tubes. That way I can hopefully do a neat job trimming on the dark blue dash piece going back in.

That's the plan.

 

[aztoyman]

Life is REALLY getting in the way of this build. I had a tough time mocking up my halo hoop mainly because of gravity. The Rogue Fab Mag Rings that hold the tubes in place work great for vertical stuff but they are not strong enough to hold my mock-up assembly to the roof. I ended up rigging ratchet straps to keep it from falling on my head and duct tape to keep it in the EXACT position I needed it. I'm basically tucking it up where the headliner USED to be.

Today I finally got a chance to bend it up. Like the main hoop, I bent 1 degree short so I could fine tune the fit. I got lucky and the halo hoop is exactly the height from the floor to match up with the main hoop while it was in the bender. I also bought these tube contour gauges to mark the notches I'll need to cut.

This time I took some pics at least.

 

[Broski]

Nice work !

 

[bkg]

Awesome work

 

[aztoyman]

After bending up the halo bar and fitting it up, I didn't like it. At the A-pillar junction it would be a curve joining to a curve at an angle. The whole purpose of me doing it this way was so I could tack it to the main hoop and tilt it forward to be able to weld it near the roof. Now I see why the cage kits are built the way they are. Kinda sucks because that is just shy of 8 feet of DOM. I'll use it somewhere.

So today I found some time to figure out plan B. I was originally hoping to put the A-pillar close to being on top of the body mount. You can see the X marking the location on the floor plate. Directly on top of the body mount puts it in the way of the electrical stuff in the kick panel and too far under the dash to come straight up. I'm sure it would bother my left foot too.

So I'm going to make new extended floor plates (red area) and put the tube where I can come straight up, it's in line with the door opening and also inline with the location for the "floor tube"? The tube connecting the bottom of the A-pillar and C-pillar. Yellow dot is on the floor seam that tube is aligned with. ****EDIT; I found out this tube is called the sill bar or rocker bar.****

Yes I have to cut my dash but I never liked the swoopy bends around the dash. My A/C vents are shot and my dash pad is too so I'll have to address those later.

The A-pillar comes up right next to the factory cross brace so I might be able to tie the two together.

 

[aztoyman]

If I can't get my big welder in to weld this I can use my little Miller flux core machine.......I think. No headliner in to burn up at least.

 

[aztoyman]

Looks like I don't HAVE to move my ECM. I might see if there's enough slack in the harness for a higher location though.

 

[aztoyman]

I finally got my two A-pillars bent up and fit up. Man what a challenge this cage is for me. I did manage to build a matching mirror image pair. I used spacers and bungee cords to hold them in position. Some magnets and whatever else I had laying around. So far it's fitting up very well. I didn't even need to ratchet strap anything in place.

 

[aztoyman]

Today I worked on this tube. (Front Crossover) Took me a while to get the copes accurately cut for a good weld joint.

 

[Broski]

I finally got my two A-pillars bent up and fit up. Man what a challenge this cage is for me. I did manage to build a matching mirror image pair. I used spacers and bungee cords to hold them in position. Some magnets and whatever else I had laying around. So far it's fitting up very well. I didn't even need to ratchet strap anything in place.

View attachment 3956413

Looks fantastic!

 

[aztoyman]

I ended up using my tube jig to cut various angles in some scrap pieces of PVC tube. I used them on the very ends of the protractors until I got a perfect fit. I mark the tubes in relation to the protractors and the copes on the ends to ensure I bend and cope the tube properly.

Lots of magnets and a bungee to keep it in place. Was harder than it looks. I'm hoping to bend it up tomorrow.

 

[aztoyman]

Thanks Broski. I've read enough race organization rules for roll cage construction that my brain hurts. I was "loosely" based on SCORE rules and I read the latest they put out and it's all changed. Even my bend radius is not acceptable for SCORE now. Glad I'm not going to be racing.

I am following the typical do's and dont's of all the rule books I've looked at. Doing my best to fit a safe cage in my particular truck.

Make sure to speak up if something looks unsat.

 

[bkg]

I finally got my two A-pillars bent up and fit up. Man what a challenge this cage is for me. I did manage to build a matching mirror image pair. I used spacers and bungee cords to hold them in position. Some magnets and whatever else I had laying around. So far it's fitting up very well. I didn't even need to ratchet strap anything in place.

View attachment 3956413

nice an tight... well done.

 

[aztoyman]

I got the front crossover bar bent up and coped. Got it where I want it and tacked it in. It looks like the bends are smashed. They are not. It's just poor lighting, shadows and the bends were marked up with a sharpie.

 

[aztoyman]

I installed my seat so I could see how much room I have from my head to an X brace. Not much. I can hold my fist in that space but that is with the 1 1/4" PVC and it's only 1/4" off the roof skin. I need to have some sort of headliner or insulation. I might end up using only one roof diagonal and two gussets as per several race cage specs. The diagonal will go over my wife's head but she is 5"6" and I'm 6' 3" tall so she has more room than I do.

An X brace in the main hoop doesn't fit as specified because of the battery box /fuel tank hump in the floor on the passenger side. There's a couple alternate acceptable options and I'll probably go with a single diagonal brace again (like the roof) and that requires a horizontal brace which I need anyway because of a bend in the vertical parts of the tube.

By the way, I cut the tacks on the front crossover bar in this pic and repositioned the bar. Stuff often moves on you when you're working by yourself.

 

[aztoyman]

I don't think I can weld the very tops of the joints so I'm thinking my only options are cutting the roof or cutting the cage so I can separate the front and rear and have full access to welding it up. Tube connectors are a no no but joining it back together with sleeves made of 1 1/2" x .120 wall DOM is a better option. If I can weld the tops , I won't cut it.

The back stays are another thing I have to figure out. They will HAVE to go through the rear window. I have a cherry rear slider and it's going to stay that way. I have a beat up rear slider I may be able to modify for the tubes to pass through but I'm leaning toward cutting a piece of Lexan and just slot it for the tubes and install it with the stock window gasket.

I'll have sill bars but I won't be installing the door bars until I get the seats I want. I still have 4Runner buckets at this time.

 

[aztoyman]

I spent a ridiculous amount of time making tight fitting copes on my mock-up tubes for the roof lateral brace. I tried my tube notcher but there are 3 angles and a curve to deal with.

I'm still wondering how the heck I'm going to weld this in the tight spots.

 

[Broski]

I spent a ridiculous amount of time making tight fitting copes on my mock-up tubes for the roof lateral brace. I tried my tube notcher but there are 3 angles and a curve to deal with.

I'm still wondering how the heck I'm going to weld this in the tight spots.

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What I’ve seen before is you cut holes in the floor to let the role bar drop down for welding.