Family Roll-cage help (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Feb 5, 2006
Threads
11
Messages
32
Location
Southern NH
I am looking to buy the parts to weld onto my roll bar to make it a family roll cage. I saw the packages offered by the usual suspects (SOR, Etc...) and I want to know if one of those is a better kit than the others.
Thanks,
Brian
:bounce2:
Yo, It's a '78 FJ40 located in NH.
 
Last edited:
Welcome.


What year truck are you working with?


Are you talking about adding pieces to a post-09/73 40 series roll bar? If so, you would be better served by simply replacing that piece of tin foil with something of some substance...especially if you are going to have kids back there...



A little more info...



Good luck!


-Steve
 
Yeah, if you plan on adding a front hoop and spreaders as well you might as well go ahead and add a new B pillar to the mix for peace of mind.

Have you checked out Metal tech?

Poser have you ever, or known some one who has, rolled one on a stock bar or a cage built off of one? Got any pics of it? I hear what you're sayin about the material but just wondered if you've come across any hard evidence or pics that you could share of unfortunate rollovers with significant cage failure. I've been concerned about mine since you mentioned that a whiles back. Thanks.
 
go metal tech ( or equvalent ) strength, not the factory if you are going to hall kids or risk your life. mark makes a great product! heres mine :D
IM0007761.JPG
 
Lone Gunman,

That looks good.Is it painted silver? And did Mark change the rear uprights by putting that little bend forward into the design? Seems like those used to be straight.

Hawkdriver, I don't know if Poser mentioned that to you but I know that I did, something like months ago. You've been working with steel enough now that you should see the weakness of the OEM tube easily. It's the bolted joints and the fact that the tube is .072" as opposed to HREW's .105" (as I recall) and DOM's .120". There's no support for the joints nor for the 'structure' itself to the frame.
 
Anyone have any experience adding to a Con-Fer roll bar? PO added a front hoop and I was thinking about eventually adding some family protection in the back for the little ones. Or would this just be a waste of time and money?
 
phishtaco said:
Anyone have any experience adding to a Con-Fer roll bar? PO added a front hoop and I was thinking about eventually adding some family protection in the back for the little ones. Or would this just be a waste of time and money?

Is it the Con-Fer that looks like the OEM bar but has the tube ends connected on the tub rear fenders by a piece of angle iron? If so it's made of good tubing and should work as a basis for whatever you want to do. I've seen quite a few trucks with a C pillar added in back with connectiong tubes to the B pillar going right over the shorter original part of a roll cage. If you weld and have a notcher you can weld in just about anything you can dream up.
 
honk said:
Is it the Con-Fer that looks like the OEM bar but has the tube ends connected on the tub rear fenders by a piece of angle iron? If so it's made of good tubing and should work as a basis for whatever you want to do. I've seen quite a few trucks with a C pillar added in back with connectiong tubes to the B pillar going right over the shorter original part of a roll cage. If you weld and have a notcher you can weld in just about anything you can dream up.


Yep that sounds like my con-fer....Thanks!
 
HawkDriver said:
Poser have you ever, or known some one who has, rolled one on a stock bar or a cage built off of one? Got any pics of it? I hear what you're sayin about the material but just wondered if you've come across any hard evidence or pics that you could share of unfortunate rollovers with significant cage failure. I've been concerned about mine since you mentioned that a whiles back. Thanks.
This was a factory bar with a front cage added to it.
ICBM_03_031_small1.jpg
ICBM_03_029_small2.jpg
 
hey Honk, no its not silver thats a pic of it right after i finished all the welding. its now painted hammerrite semi gloss black. and i think they used to be straight ? the bends were there when i got it from mark and i like it and think it looks better then if they were straight. this is what it looks like now sorry not the best pic but you get the idea.
IMG_0510a.JPG
 
HawkDriver said:
Yeah, if you plan on adding a front hoop and spreaders as well you might as well go ahead and add a new B pillar to the mix for peace of mind.

Have you checked out Metal tech?

Poser have you ever, or known some one who has, rolled one on a stock bar or a cage built off of one? Got any pics of it? I hear what you're sayin about the material but just wondered if you've come across any hard evidence or pics that you could share of unfortunate rollovers with significant cage failure. I've been concerned about mine since you mentioned that a whiles back. Thanks.

Hawk-

I got to think that the factory roll bar was designed for "A" roll. I would hope it would absorb enough energy (though it will be worthless afterwards) to allow the passengers to live.

I think that anyone who really wheels their rig should invest in a good cage. And it looks like MetalTech has a "factory" looking setup with thicker more structural tubing on their list of products.

Rezarf <><
 
Yeah, I think one should invest...

I'm pretty stoked that my JD2 bender showed up today :D . Pretty stoked to start building the new cage when the weather warms up so I can take the top off. In the mean time I'll just be working on sliders and bumpers.

I was planning to sell the cage that I already have but I'm thinking that I might just take it to the junk yard and see how many shashed cars they can stack on top of it before it collapses to get some idear. ;)

:beer:
 
Best bet from what I have seen after attending many West Coast events is the cages built by Dave Gore of 4+. These are sold only through Man-A-Fre. There are not a "kit" which is only as stout as the person who notches and welds all the joints. The cage is an exclusive safety item and I would not put my life in the hands of most welders. Too many chances for weld failure, even after installation. Dave Gore is the premier designer/builder of Cruiser accessories and cages in the States. The Man-A-Fre web site has limited info on these cages but drop a nickel and call 'em up and buy the best! I have no affiliation with MAF, just a customer who is very finicky about quality and design.
 
lcpdx said:
The cage is an exclusive safety item and I would not put my life in the hands of most welders.

Very true, but fortunately with some vested time and money you could trust even your own welds :eek: . Just imagine the possiblities :D . But you're right, some folks should just leave it to the pros. ;)
 
Lone gunman,

Who's family bikini top are you running? It looks to fit the metal tech cage perfectly and I need one.

Honk, in regards to the c pillar they have always been bent as Mark is trying to create as much room as possible while also be able to install the hard top.


Alf
 

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