Front cage hoop with plate steel bottom half instead of tubing

bknbronco · Mar 16, 2013

Anybody seen a bronco with the front hoop lower half made from plate steel instead of tubing?

Like the jeeps i was kicking around the idea of making 1/4" plate steel lower legs for my front hoop. The 1/4" plate would run from the dash pad down the side of the dash to the floor. It would be bolted to the side firewall and could be bolted to the floor where you could also tie it into the frame.

Why the plate steel??? Tubing gets in the way of things like glove box door and also blocks view. Plate steel lower halfs would be tight to the body, allow you to still use a dash pad, and wont interfere with sight or geting in or out and will allow you to open glovebox door without any mods. Running the cage through the dash is alot of work and you still end up with problems with the glove box and dash pad. The plate steel idea seems to be a nobrainer?

I have a viewfinder windshield frame so i was thinking of bending the top half of the hoop from stainless steel and keeping it super tight to the frame (1/2" or closer). The lower plate legs could be made from SS or mild steel. I want the front hoop to be almost invisable and the stainless hoop would blend with the stainless frame nicely. Then id just weld the rear cage to that SS front hoop.

jonpblewis@yaho · Mar 16, 2013

That's how I've been planing to do mine. (one of these days) I use to do structural steel work and if you do it right it won't be a problem that I can see. I was going to add a long triangle gusset (from 1/4" plate) up the inside of the plate leg from the base to just below the dash

bknbronco · Mar 16, 2013

looks like you could tuck the plate inside this part of the dash although im sure its too small from behind for any steel thickness with any strength. Instead maybe you cut it out and the plate mates up to the dash in the exact place and keeps it looking 100% stock.

Imagine the part circled to be part of the lower leg and it dips back slightly and down till it hits the floor pan. It can be fastened to the side firewall area in a few spots. In addition it gets attached to a floor plate just like a normal tube cage would.

jonpblewis@yaho · Mar 16, 2013

That's it. That's what I was talking about.

Dusty · Mar 16, 2013

I work at Poison Spyder and our Jeep cages are like that. As long as it is well designed, I think using plate steel is fine. Make sure you give it some bends on the vertical axis for rigidity, weld in extra gussets where possible, and tie it into the tub as much as you can, as it goes up the side of the tub.

bknbronco · Mar 16, 2013

i wana do something similar to this, but in a bronco most of the red plate would be hidden behind and under the dash. I was just gona bend the top of the a-pillar mount and weld the hoop to that but after looking at poisen spiders website i think there on to something with the upper hoop welded to a cross tube like in the second pic. I'll see how that works with the bronco dash and dash pad.

Still much less screwing around than cutting and running the a pillar through the dash!

bknbronco · Mar 19, 2013

can i bolt the tube that runs from the A-piller to the B-pillar right to the windshield frame like in the first pic above?

We all use some type of allthread and ends to brace the windshiled but why not make it more of a permanent brace? Once its adjusted to the doors do you ever need to adjust the windshield brace?

Sure the body flexes but cant really flex too much or my glued in windshield glass would crack.

Actually im not sure there is much material on the viewfinder frame to bolt anything too up top. Only area would be where the tops bolt to, and that wont provide much in the way of strength. Maybe scrap that idea.

asinor · Mar 19, 2013

You can do whatever you like.
All thread + small heims gives a little wiggle room while still holding the windshield frame still. Cages are more rigid than the body and may have some wiggle at the top compared to the body/windshield frame/door channels. I know mine does, my visor rods squeaked against my cage so bad I removed the visors. This is with the hard top on too.

On the plate as main components of a cage, I wouldn't trust any part of an EB body to be rigid enough to support its own weight in a rollover. Newer vehicles are designed with a lot more safety and structure.

mortimersnerd · Mar 19, 2013

I've had similar thoughts to yours on the cage design. The major challenge with a Bronco vs. a Jeep is how to brace the flat sections. You could attach it to the kick panel, but it wouldn't have the L shape that the PS Heep cage has. If you're adding that in, you might as well run tube. I'd cut the dash before I went the route you're talking about. Also, you may want to research the stainless thing. Stainless is a decent chunk softer than DOM, not sure how well it would hold up in a roll cage application. Might be fine, but it'd be worth looking at.

bknbronco · Mar 19, 2013

Im gona make a cardboard template and see how its gona work out someday. Hopefully there is room enough for some extra stiffining braces along the vertical axis

Bronco_Rider · Mar 19, 2013

Be aware that a steel plate under compression will bend easily.
On my cage I have 1/8" flat for the base of the hoops but that is to spread out the load to the floor pan and wheel wells

Larry Sudweeks

lonesomecur · Mar 19, 2013

bknbronco, not trying to insult you but you really dont seem to understand structual steel. im no expert myself and Im only trying to be helpful. a long flat plate ( leg of a cage) can withstand a lot of vertical force. BUT very little horzintal force. That explains the reason angle iron was invented. Tube is stonger vertically and horzontally than plate or angle. For you to say "with frame tie in's plate is same as tube is incorrect." You need tie in's to dash, kickplate, cross bracing between each side, gussets, angle iron or some other means. I can take 3/16 plate 2" wide 6' long and bend it by hand! a vise holding one end of course. do that with tube? angle iron? You better find an ironworker to help you or go look at some crane booms. They are made of angle and tube. NOT Plate! I'd hate to see you get yourself or someone else hurt.

MarkH@Wildhorse · Mar 19, 2013

With Jeeps, that's actually one of the strongest areas of the Jeep, so it make sense to tie it all in. The bronco is not that structural right there, you will need to brace the heck out of it.

bknbronco · Mar 19, 2013

MarkH@Wildhorse said:
With Jeeps, that's actually one of the strongest areas of the Jeep, so it make sense to tie it all in. The bronco is not that structural right there, you will need to brace the heck out of it.

Ya good point. The bronco isnt really structual anywhere. Not sure if my glass tub is better or worse than a steel one? Maybe my idea wont work, maybe it will, either way something is better than nothing. I really need something to brace my viewfinder frame too before it tears them rivits out!

Im still pretty sure my idea will look just fine at the local car show

, and work just fine crusing the mall

Ill be hitting the trails hopefully next summer and having some sort of bar or cage is a must.

bknbronco · Apr 13, 2013

I finally got the legs cut out today, and started trimming the dash to get them in there. I cut them from 3/16" plate and rounded some of the corners to keep the plate from tearing. i think ill weld a piece of 1/4" X 3/4" (maybe thicker....not sure yet) band iron to the plate leg along the vertical axis to give it some laterial strength. It cant really bend for the most part because its sandwiched between to dash and the tub. The dash and tub provide alot of necessary bracing.

Also picked up some drops of 1 3/4" stainless tubing for the front part of the cage around the windshield frame. Polished them up so there ready for welding.

I was thinking about it the other day and after looking at the stripper pole cages like BC sells, i dont see why this isnt as good if not better. BC's cage has no front support against a side load, and theres held up fine.

bknbronco · Oct 10, 2013

well I built it last weekend and its sweet! Its bolted through the side fire wall with 4 bolts and also to the dash. Even without the 4 footplate bolts in yet its stiff and id have to believe its as strong if not stronger than a tube would be. Its amazing how much better my truck drives now with everything stiffened up! The doors shut with authority now and the clutch chatter was cut in half.

Nothing sticks out from the dash. No need to move e brake or glovebox. Tubing is within 3/4" from my windshield frame.

I just ordered 2 stainless weld bungs for the windshield tie ins wich I think ill just use a chunk of stiff rubber or urethane.

tobinj · Oct 10, 2013

I'd love to see some pics of it completed, may have to rework my cage

bax · Oct 10, 2013

I got a thread here some where where i built a cage that runs thru the dash, out the side kick and down to the frame.

igottastanger · Oct 10, 2013

nice idea hope to see the finished product. Did you keep the template?

bknbronco · Apr 12, 2014

time for a update. I did the work last fall but forget pics. This is just a mock up. I may end up rebuilding out of thick wall SS (at $250 a stick) or maybe just some carbon steel and paint it. I do like the look of the stainless though as it matches the windshield frame nicely. Im also tossing around the idea of bending the top hoop instead of the mitered corners. Well see about that.

Front cage hoop with plate steel bottom half instead of tubing

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