HJ47 Troopy seating & cage project

[82cruiser]

Started on the seating and cage project for the troopy over the holiday break. Gotta love holiday cruiser time.

The truck came with Celica seats that were swapped for late model 40 seats which need to be reupholstered. Found a nice set of '78 style 40 seats for the rear which were stripped, painted, and reupholstered using Cruiser Solutions seat upholstery material. Still need to work on the back metal panels as they are pretty hammered. Debating on the jump seat size and placement. I'm leaning toward the longer style but they take up the entire wheel well which could be used for storage. The cage may dictate which seats fit best.

The center hoop in the pics will hold three point oem belts for the rear buckets and the jump seats will have lap belts. Still need to fab wheel well plates that run the length of the wells for support and will raise the cage and out board side of the seats. The three hoops will be tied together with 1.75" round tube.

Parts needed:
- 3 point 40 belts
- jump seat lap belts
- late model 40 metal seat back panels
- troopy bed mounted storage compartment door

Getting close to actually having passengers!

Any suggestions/ideas are welcome.

 

[82cruiser]

more...

 

[82cruiser]

more . . .

 

[mondo45]

the seats look great. how did you make those brackets that attach the seats to the floor?

 

[fogblanket]

where are the other roll bars?
looking good can't wait to see it

 

[82cruiser]

the seats look great. how did you make those brackets that attach the seats to the floor?

Thanks mondo45. The brackets are reproduction units from Cruiser Solutions.

where are the other roll bars?

In the garage .

 

[peepers]

please keep the dead sticker on the rear door.

 

[40Flipper]

nice! Might swing by tomorrow or Tuesday if you're around. Looks good!!!

 

[82cruiser]

please keep the dead sticker on the rear door.

Self-applied 14 years ago on the ambi doors of the 40. Aiko aiko!

nice! Might swing by tomorrow or Tuesday if you're around. Looks good!!!

Should be in the garage in the afternoons. Email or call so I don't miss you.

 

[Leaping Deer]

Looks good Randy!

 

[cruiser ken]

I think I like the older style, long jump seats, better.

 

[PScottBx]

I think I like the older style, long jump seats, better.

I understand as I do too.. However, this gives two more folks the option to face forward which is safer and more comfortable.

Very nice work bud. I have the EXACT same plans in the works (mostly in my mind).

I have one question.. can you snap a pic from where you attached the roll bar from underneath??? There is really nothing there except fender as opposed to where it attaches on my 40 which has the fender well support. So... I ordered some from a store in TX and plan to mount them there. Also was thinking of going to the frame in the middle hoop and to the supports in the other two.

...any thoughts??

Thanks and good luck. Keep posting.


Scott

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

So there will be 3 hoops, one in the standard, 'b-pillar' location, one as shown over the back of the middle row, and a third in the 'way-back'? Or is the first hoop a windshield hoop and the one shown the third? If this is the case, will you could run a standard cruiser-style brace back and down to the wheel well in the way-back, but you'll need to move the jumpseats in order to clear...if not, how are you going to brace them to the deck e.g. keep them all from folding forward/backward?

 

[82cruiser]

I think I like the older style, long jump seats, better.

I’m with you guys on the longer jump seats.

Very nice work bud. I have the EXACT same plans in the works (mostly in my mind).

Thanks! Fun project. Getting more complicated as it goes. :-/

I have one question.. can you snap a pic from where you attached the roll bar from underneath??? There is really nothing there except fender as opposed to where it attaches on my 40 which has the fender well support. So... I ordered some from a store in TX and plan to mount them there. Also was thinking of going to the frame in the middle hoop and to the supports in the other two.

I like what you are suggesting and thanks for the pics of the CCOT supports. I do want at least one tube frame support and the middle hoop location looks like it will work. The front and rear hoops could be supported by the CCOT fender supports. No pics of the underside as yet but will shoot some.

The mounting plates that the hoops and seats are sitting on are tapped so the cage and seat do not mount directly to the tub. There are larger untapped holes in the plates which will be bolted through the tub and onto supports to the frame.

So there will be 3 hoops, one in the standard, 'b-pillar' location, one as shown over the back of the middle row, and a third in the 'way-back'?

[FONT=&quot]Yes

[/FONT]

Or is the first hoop a windshield hoop and the one shown the third?

No windshield hoop as yet and I may add one down the road.

… will you could run a standard cruiser-style brace back and down to the wheel well in the way-back, but you'll need to move the jumpseats in order to clear...if not, how are you going to brace them to the deck e.g. keep them all from folding forward/backward?

Here’s where things are getting interesting. I’m not sure but, I do not think you can remove an oem roll cage while it’s all bolted together. The footings of the hoops extend under the lip of the tub preventing it from being lifted straight up and out. With the roof on, I cannot tip the hoops sideways to see if the outside edge of the footings will clear the lip of the tub. Does anyone know if this is possible?
If the hoops will not lift out then welding the three main hoops together with stringers is out of the question. I’ll have to figure out a way to bolt them on. I could try to fabricate the oem clamp style in the same way that the short side hoops clamp to the main hoop. Another option would be to find some nifty coupling devise that would enable the stringers to be bolted on. I have seen some weld-on couplers but cannot seem to locate them. Anyone know of any good sources for structurally sound tubing clamps or coupling?
Thinking about running two parallel, 1.75” round stringers, 5” apart, from the front hoop to the middle and then to the back hoop. Also considering stringers connecting the hoops about 6” to 8” off the wheel well floor, front hoop to middle and then middle to back hoop. This would also provide a good mounting location for an arm rest for the bucket seats and a mounting location for the rear benches.
The upper-outer curve of the main hoops would be a logical location for running stringers, but they would be too close to passenger heads and could be dangerous. Trying to design this so it’s structurally sound yet not a head-banging instrument of death is challenging…and fun.

Thanks for the input!

 

[82cruiser]

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[82cruiser]

more . . .

 

[82cruiser]

m o r e

 

[JohnnyC]

looks really good...keep up the good work

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

Anyone know of any good sources for structurally sound tubing clamps or coupling?

They're out there, I've searched for them before, but they're not cheap. I ended up just making my cage a permanent fixture of the truck as these fittings were too much for me...


here's a similar one, not the one I found previously...RH1012-B - Rock Hard 4x4 Parts - Rear Center Bar Optional For 1984-96 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4 Door | Tellico 4x4

 

[82cruiser]

Exactly what I'm looking for...thank you. Anyone know sources for tube clamps like these?