Help needed critiquing this roll cage (1 Viewer)

[BeerM3]

Hey all,

New FJ40 owner, new to the forum, etc. etc. I recently purchased a '76 FJ40 and will soon be in the process of fixing it to be a daily driver with offroad potential in a few years. But out of the gate I'm having trouble deciding what to do with the roll cage. It's unlike any I've found marketed or online, and the welds seem too good to be from an amateur, but I know nothing about it.

First order of business after mechanical and electrical issues get sorted out will be replacing the front seats and adding a rear fold/tumble for hauling kids. The last part of that sentence got me thinking that plunking down for a family style roll cage is going to be a top priority. And naturally Metal Tech just happens to be having a labor day sale.

Sorry I don't have better pictures yet but best I can tell the current one, that doesn't line up with the wheel well factory holes and was only bolted down in 3-4 of the 32 spots, is a pretty well done slightly ill-fitting custom job? It's possible I could add a rear hoop and leave the OEM style rear turn-downs as they are, but the whole thing just doesn't feel like it fits. I thought it might be from a Jeep but that style doesn't seem to fit with the rolled tubes at the back. So i guess the question is: Keep it, Scrap it & Replace, or Retrofit?

And yes...PO put the bezel on upside down (among other things) Opinions welcome & thank you!

passenger side

• BeerM3
• Sep 1, 2017

driver side

• BeerM3
• Sep 1, 2017

front

• BeerM3
• Sep 1, 2017

The sun is misleading, but the cage has the OEM style rear turn down tubes

side

• BeerM3
• Sep 1, 2017

 

[brian]

Throw it away.
Its a home made.
Welding isnt that hard of a thing.

 

[reddingcruiser]

Not a fan. For me it's a style thing. And I prefer 'family' roll cages.

 

[lcwizard]

Aesthetically and technically, it could be improved on, but if your only choice was rolling with it or without, I'd rather have it.

 

[Burbot]

Trust the family's lives to it?nuff said

 

[BeerM3]

Trust the family's lives to it?nuff said

True. Sometimes you have to type it out loud to verify that voice in your head was right all along.

Well....here's to the first (of many) expenditure!

 

[74HogGuy]

MT all the way. And yes...this expenditure is painful, but one of the main reasons is that little one in the picture and his little brother. Brakes and this are the two areas I didn't shortcut.

 

[Burbot]

You home fab that?

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

You home fab that?

Looks like a MT cage.

J

 

[thebigredrocker]

Did they add a tie-in under the floorboards on the A pillar?

 

[lcwizard]

I even go a little farther. I feel vulnerable without door bars of some kind...but I've been in a few roll overs with topless 40s

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

I even go a little farther. I feel vulnerable without door bars of some kind...but I've been in a few roll overs with topless 40s

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Looks nice Dave! I like the door bars and agree. Sweet custom seat frame TOO!

J

 

[lcwizard]

Looks nice Dave! I like the door bars and agree. Sweet custom seat frame TOO!

J

Yeah, I prefer drawing up a whole plate with the holes pre-positioned. It avoids using a really nice seat as a jig to place
the mounting tabs. No one appreciates the occasional weld spatter pin hole that gets under the weld blanket. More material but less labor.
It evens out

 

[Burbot]

When as a passenger I get that stupid feeling I should extend my arm to stop a roll over. I sure appreciate a good cage.

 

[73fj40lc]

MT family cage is the way to go hands down. If the family cage doesn't fit your taste then look on their website for their other cages.

 

[too tall]

I wouldn't necessarily call that junk. Take some more pics, it is hard to see all of the bracing etc. Why do you guys automatically tell the guy to rip it out and replace it with a metal tech cage. I have built a few cages that are not metal tech and have saved my life many times. Have any of you actually rolled your 40 series? I have rolled very hard a few times and my cages although not built by metal tech ( made of DOM) held up just fine. I would consider the material it is made of and the design itself. Just because somebody made it and it not metal tech does not mean it won't save your family's lives.

 

[BeerM3]

I wouldn't necessarily call that junk. Take some more pics, it is hard to see all of the bracing etc. Why do you guys automatically tell the guy to rip it out and replace it with a metal tech cage. I have built a few cages that are not metal tech and have saved my life many times. Have any of you actually rolled your 40 series? I have rolled very hard a few times and my cages although not built by metal tech ( made of DOM) held up just fine. I would consider the material it is made of and the design itself. Just because somebody made it and it not metal tech does not mean it won't save your family's lives.

I agree - it's not poorly constructed. The bracing over the front seats along with the cross bars at the dash and behind the front seats make it that much more stiff. What concerns me, as the owner, is

1. Proximity of the bent leg next to the clutch. If you got a shoelace or foot stuck it might be a problem. Might.
2. I didn't source it or build it. It seems to be stout, but I won't be able to verify the tube thickness unless i hack into it.
3. The cross bar behind the front seats makes it that much more difficult to crawl in and out, along with maybe interfering with a center console. There's also some mystery tubes next to the wheel well that something was bolted to, but not the cheap junker seat that came with it.
4. The lack of overhead protection for the rear seat - this is really the biggie. I know it's not really different than the OEM, but OEM was designed with jump seats in mind.

I'll get some better pictures this weekend, but I think I've made up my mind. I really appreciate everyone's input!

 

[lcwizard]

This is what a cage should look like after a pretty good roll. 40ish MPH on the street. No damage to the cage other than paint.
San't say the same for the sheet metal. The windshield frame was molded around the front hoop. The right side had even more sheet metal damage. Pretty sure it will buff out

 

[BeerM3]

This is what a cage should look like after a pretty good roll. 40ish MPH on the street. No damage to the cage other than paint.
San't say the same for the sheet metal. The windshield frame was molded around the front hoop. The right side had even more sheet metal damage. Pretty sure it will buff out

View attachment 1530028

View attachment 1530029

Whoa.

 

[bikersmurf]

The front hoop sits too far back from the windshield and will obstruct more view. It also has few angled braces. I'd want to rework or replace it.

Metaltech has their tubing cuctom made to their specs... I've heard their kits are less expensive than buying the material retail. If I had money to spare I'd be buying one of their cages.