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Smittybuilt Front Roll Cage Install
This page has quite a
few pictures and may take a while to load.
Contents of the Smittybilt
front cage kit.
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At
the very minimum a total of four cuts must be made to install the Smittybilt
front rollcage. Two angled cuts where the side bars meet the floor plates
and two "fishmouthed" cuts where the side bars attach to the main roll
bar. (The spreader bar comes pre-cut to go between the side bars) The "fishmouth"
cuts can be accomplished in a few different ways...a drill press with the
right size holesaw would work pretty well, as would a gas torch with a
little care. However since I don't own either one of those tools, I used
a hacksaw and a 4" angle grinder. It sounds pretty inefficient, but it
really didn't take very long to get tight fitting joints. |
| Fitting the side bars requires
some patience and careful measuring. Smittybilt purposely supplies these
bars a few inches long so they can be trimmed to each specific truck. Although
most trucks will vary, mine needed ~1/2" off the bottom of each side bar
and ~4" off where the bars attach to the rear rollbar. The easiest way
to accomplish a proper fit is to concentrate on just one side. Take the
time to make that bar fit perfectly and then use it as a template when
cutting the other side bar. This is especially important with the "fishmouthed"
cuts. |
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Before any cuts are made
place one side bar roughly in the position it will eventually be in. Rest
the leading (lower) edge of the side bar on the floor of the truck so that
it has proper clearance from both the door (~1" on my truck) and the dash
(~1/2" on mine). Then hold the rear of the side bar up near the spot where
it will intersect the main roll bar. (on most rollbars this will be right
at the radius of the bend) I used a small level taped to the horizontal
portion of the side bar (assuming the truck is on a level surface) and
moved the rear end of the bar around until it was level. |
| Once you've determined the
side bar is level make note of how much higher the horizontal of the side
bar is than the horizontal of the main rollbar. This is approximately the
amount you will need to cut off the end that attaches to the floor. However
keep in mind that if you're attaching the side bar to the rear bar in the
middle of the radius it will be slightly lower. And if the rear bar is
a larger diameter (as mine was) the side bar will be even lower. Also remember
that you will have a 1/4" mounting plate between the side bar and the floor
and that your cut will be at a slight angle to match the floor. This can
make quite a difference in final placement if you forget it. |
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Making the "fishmouth" cuts
just takes a careful eye. Try to hold the side bar up against the roll
bar near the radius. (One way of finding out where the side bars should
intersect the rear bar is to measure the spreader bar. The distance between
the side bars should be approximately the same at the front as it is at
the rear.) Standing beside the truck in line with the horizontal of the
main roll bar, try to sight down the bar while holding up the side bar
and mark the shape and size of the fishmouth that will be needed to attach
the side bar to the radius. I found it safer to make the bar a little long
and grind it down than try to mark it perfectly the first time. If you're
anything like me your vision of the "fishmouth" shape won't be exactly
right anyway and will require some grinding before it fits nicely. If you
do accidentally cut the bar too short it simply means the spot where it
attaches to the floor will be further away from the dash. |
| Once the cuts are made to
both side bars and you're happy with the fit, tack weld the floor mounting
plates to the side bars. It works best to have the side bars in place resting
(and centered) on the mounting plates before welding. Placing the spreader
bar is a little tricky without a second pair of hands but can be done alone
if you get creative with duct tape and C-clamps. Once you have the spreader
bar in place turn on the windshield wipers to make sure the arm doesn't
hit it. This is a good time to check all other clearances (glove box, e-brake,
window cranks, hard top, etc.) It's a lot easier to fix it now than after
final welding. Once you're satisfied with the fit, make a few tack welds
at all the connections. While it's possible to completely weld up the cage
in the truck the chances of you setting your garage on fire are much higher.
It seems like a pain but it really is easier at this point to unbolt the
main roll bar and lift the whole cage out of the truck. It will be both
easier to weld and paint once it's out of the truck. |
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In addition to the basic
cage I also decided to install a center roof panel. Basically this consisted
of two extra lengths of 2" tubing that I cut to fit between the spreader
bar and the rear bar. I placed them about 11" apart so that I could put
my CB, some speakers and two dome lights up in the cage. These two bars
were covered by a 14 gauge sheet metal cap and fully welded to keep the
rain away from the electronics. Since I knew I would be needing power up
in the cage before I started building it, I drilled holes in the side bars
and spreader bars and ran all my power leads and speaker wires inside the
cage tubing. The wires enter the tube from the passengers side under the
dash and come out up near the CB and speakers. It proved to be much more
of a hassle to run the wires internally, but then again nothing about Broncos
is easy, right? |
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Hanna -
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