Body mounted roll cage (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nukegoat
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- #42
Phew. Good to know. I'll just seal them up and see how they are. I avoid wet weather in general and I keep it parked in the garage now.
What kind of bead lock wheels are those on your rig?So I'm of the mind that a frame mounted cage is preferable for strength, but I think it comes with some compromises when you have a compliant-mounted body on the vehicle. I'm not quite ready to have some broletariet truggy so I decided to stick with a cage that's mounted to the body. Arguably since the seats are mounted to the body, even if the frame detached from the body, you'd at least stay in the little body capsule should worse come to worse.
People have lots of opinions on that, but they also have opinions on exo vs interior cage. I wanted this thing to protect the lives of the occupants, not necessarily protect the vehicle body. I think most exo cages look like hell too. At the same time, I couldn't figure out how to get a cage in the driver's area that wasn't in the way of my head. So, after seeing enough destroyed rolled 80s and seeing @joez hybrid cage, I decided to adopt and adapt.
Inevitable controversy. Or maybe not, whatever.
To start with, I needed a place to mount the A pillar. The front door mounts are quite stout, and when built as a system (read: a large monolithic structure connected to all 8 mounting locations), the shear strength is really high. Even with 2" .120 wall tube, I'm convinced that a REALLY bad roll would still crush the A pillar first.
So I bent up a tube.
Then removed my interior and made it look like I had been in an accident:
Started experimenting with plates that could be rosetted to the floor for sheer strength, but across a very large span to distribute the load. Additionally I bent minor profiles into a lot of them to add I-value.
Started jabbing tubes through the roof and down into sandwich plates that capture parts of the body with multiple bolts near large seamed areas:
- Thread starter
- #44
Atx chamber pro II
Guessing that your windshield is not too happy, being exposed to the welding sparks... might want to mask off your glass if it's not too late.
- Thread starter
- #46
It's too late
Don’t bother with the d-pillar......having deleted and cut completely thru it I can attest it’s a nightmare inside.
For floor mounting points—I’d try to get in and around the b-pillar as much as possible...especially running board areas. This area is where all of the folded layers are that run up into the b-pillar. The floors are fairly weak compared to running board and pillar channel points that connect into underbody crossmembers.
There’s also the area where the running boards intersect into the rear fender arch where Toyota did quite a few folded layers where wheel arch/running board and rear crossmembers intersect iirc.....if you decide to throw a 45deg support from your b pillar cage down to floor. (Its basically where the frame swoops up over the rear axle)
For floor mounting points—I’d try to get in and around the b-pillar as much as possible...especially running board areas. This area is where all of the folded layers are that run up into the b-pillar. The floors are fairly weak compared to running board and pillar channel points that connect into underbody crossmembers.
There’s also the area where the running boards intersect into the rear fender arch where Toyota did quite a few folded layers where wheel arch/running board and rear crossmembers intersect iirc.....if you decide to throw a 45deg support from your b pillar cage down to floor. (Its basically where the frame swoops up over the rear axle)
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hoser
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2fpower
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I agree with @bugsnbikes D pillar is a mess of metal. Here is best pic I could find of what the look like and where I ran my tube.
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- #51
I will try to grab some pics for you, mr radius arms
Did this ever make it out of the garage??? 1st pic looks like the exo cage is is higher than the garage door opening!!
Or did u just break out the sawzall and turn the garage into a carport?
Or did u just break out the sawzall and turn the garage into a carport?
Gracias, senor headgasket.
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- #54
OK so here you go. This was before I put the plywood / L-track on top. But you can see the mechanism (sorta) - it's just 3 small sections of 1.75" .120 wall DOM over a 1.5" OD tube for the hinge - then the structure is welded onto that. The clamps are destacos on both sides. It cinches down the pitbull nice and tight to the floor.
Sorta finished ish product. Both rear seats still fit, or just one (with the fridge) and I use those ridgid cases from home depot to hold my crap
- Thread starter
- #55
Did this ever make it out of the garage??? 1st pic looks like the exo cage is is higher than the garage door opening!!
Or did u just break out the sawzall and turn the garage into a carport?
I wish I had a taller garage. No, I wired up a rear suckdown winch for the explicit purpose of sneaking out. Ghetto but it works.
I wish I had a taller garage. No, I wired up a rear suckdown winch for the explicit purpose of sneaking out. Ghetto but it works.
that is truely hideous. good work man
THe neighbors may pitch in to get you a taller garage if you promise to keep it inside im thinkin. *for property values of course.*
and that rear platform is paving the way for rear coilovers....and a floor raising.
and that rear platform is paving the way for rear coilovers....and a floor raising.
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WTF is going on with that front bar? Or lack of bar?
Damn, that's neat!
OK so here you go. This was before I put the plywood / L-track on top. But you can see the mechanism (sorta) - it's just 3 small sections of 1.75" .120 wall DOM over a 1.5" OD tube for the hinge - then the structure is welded onto that. The clamps are destacos on both sides. It cinches down the pitbull nice and tight to the floor.
Sorta finished ish product. Both rear seats still fit, or just one (with the fridge) and I use those ridgid cases from home depot to hold my crap
Super slick, and scarily similar to my plan. I'm glad I asked you, I hadn't seen anyone else hinge their platform. When I mocked mine up without a hinge, I found that sliding a 40 in and out on carpet was rather difficult with the platform in the way. I like the latches, looks easier than the ratchet strap I had planned to use.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
