Tying seats to Roll Bar

[jba6555]

I have my new Bailie Bilt Family cage sitting in my bronco. I have read plenty of comments on here about how having the seat belt attached to the roll cage and the seat attached to the body is not a good idea.

I would love to see pictures of how those of you with seats tied into the roll cage did them.

 

[JB Fab]

This how we did our 95, our early Broncos were similar except seat mount bars are flat not humped up. you will need to tie the A-hoop to the B-hoop at or close to floor level to to close the cage and provide a mounting point for the seat bars. you will also need to base your seat choice on how low they sit....

 

[rocknhorse76]

I basically ran tubing between the A and B tubes and then ran tubing from side to side. All as close to the floor and tunnel as possible. I used Mazda Miata seats attached to the tubing via tabs.

 

[Steve83]

This is what happens if the seats are NOT mounted to the same structure as the belts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KGQ1PKJ/?tag=classicbroncos-20

 

[DirtDonk]

This is one of those times when I’m really not sure I want to click on the link. But I’m sure I won’t be able to help myself in the long run…

 

[Yeller]

This is one of those times when I’m really not sure I want to click on the link. But I’m sure I won’t be able to help myself in the long run…

It’s not that bad….

A bailie cage is one of the few designs I don’t feel it is necessary, the bar across the floor behind the seats keeps the feet from punching through the floor. Which in turn prevents the analogy that steve83 made above. If the floor is solid enough to securely hold the seats and belts you’re good to go in my opinion.

I broke all the cardinal rules. On my lap belts the outside is tied to the cage and the inside is tied to the body and the shoulders are tied to the cage. The caveat is that my seats are bolted through the body and to the chassis and the cage is part of the chassis. There is absolutely no need to do this unless you are building a race car, that you expect to be a race car which means it will crash and when it does crash, you straighten the sheet metal and go do it again. We’re talking surviving a crash, totally different build parameters.

 

[jba6555]

I am concerned about the tubing raising the seats too much. I was thinking about the tubing between the a and b pillars and then connecting them with some good thick strap material. Then bolting the seats through the strap into the original body mounts. i mean the strap might flex and bend some but I cant imagine the bolts would pull through 1/8 steel.

Am I wrong on this?

 

[Steve83]

This is one of those times when I’m really not sure I want to click on the link.

MAN UP!!! It's just Amazon - how bad can it be?

the bar across the floor behind the seats keeps the feet from punching through the floor. Which in turn prevents the analogy that steve83 made above. If the floor is solid enough to securely hold the seats and belts you’re good to go in my opinion.

You seem to be forgetting the possibility that the seat BELTS are attached to the body, and the seats move away from the body (possibly with the cage). That would still produce the UNdesired effect.

I always think back to modern formula tunnel-hull race boats; the cockpit is built as an independent module that comes away if the hull shatters, protecting the occupant. Same idea for a 4WD cage - if all the dangerous, heavy, flammable, sharp parts break away from the cage, and the occupants stay belted in their seats to the cage, which rips free of the body/frame/etc.; that's just the best thing that can happen. Never tie the cage to the frame - the gas tank is attached to the frame, too, so let them go AWAY.

I am concerned about the tubing raising the seats too much. I was thinking about the tubing between the a and b pillars and then connecting them with some good thick strap material.

The seat mounts can attach to tabs/rails/whatever at the BOTTOM of the tubing. But I wouldn't use flat straps - I'd use angle iron installed this way: L .The vertical leg welds to the curve of the tubes; the horizontal welds along the tubes' axes near their bottoms; and the seats bolt to the horizontal leg, down low.

 

[Yeller]

There’s schools of thought for everything. I crash on purpose more than most and have no issues with tying to the cage and body. If you really want to get serious build a suspended seat like in a monster truck. There comes a point where it just is irrelevant, doesn’t fit and is a PITA that you don’t want to deal with and you don’t use it.

 

[DirtDonk]

MAN UP!!! It's just Amazon - how bad can it be?

Haha! Ok, I’ll give it a click.
(And leave the barf bag folded up under the seat cushions.)

 

[jba6555]

Is it just that it is difficult to take pictures of these set-ups... Or do very few people actually tie the seats to the cage?

 

[rcmbronc]

Here is how I did it.

 

[Yeller]

Is it just that it is difficult to take pictures of these set-ups... Or do very few people actually tie the seats to the cage?

You will find it is the vast minority tie seats to the cage. those that do if they didn't take pics before the cage went in, it is very difficult to get good pics.

The bigger issue with collisions is not the sheet metal bending or failing it is your head smashing against objects like windows, window frames and even roll bars. If I was building even the typical street/trail truck I wouldn't do it, the gains are minimal if anything at all. If your building a race car that is a different matter. far beyond the safety it is the structure that add to the chassis.

As much as I'm saying this in not necessary. This is your truck, build it the way that makes you happy. That is really why we mess with these old trucks, it is good for our soul. None of it makes any sense, is completely not necessary to life, but we enjoy it. So by all means build it the way you want.

 

[FordBronc]

Not that Bronco people drive like this guy....

Old school BC Bronco cage test.

 

[jamesroney]

Whatever you do, please do it right. I get tired of having to undo substandard work. All of this iron came out of a TJ last week…

 

[FordBronc]

Looks like this.

 

[Yeller]

Not that Bronco people drive like this guy....

Old school BC Bronco cage test.

having been the guy in the jeep and done several of the rolls shown in the other videos I am a huge proponent of cages, seats and belts being imperative safety gear. With everything being of quality design, materials and equipment I still stand by my comments above.

I'm surprised @sprdv1 hasn't posted the evidence LOL

 

[ba123]

@jamesroney was looking at my Bronco the other day and mentioned this same/same scenario. I’m not there yet, but getting there and he gave me some good stuff to think about regarding this.

My original plan was to mount my seats to the cage, as well as my 4 point harnesses. As the years have flown by with my project sitting, I “sprouted” a wife and two kids, have matured (only slightly), and tastes have changed (no more racing pesetas either) and I have to think of what will help my wife want to ride in my “true first love” before her, I’m pretty sure that the cage mounted seats wouldn’t have helped and so at the urging of Cage Dave (and I agreed) I did away with it (or he did for me).

Someone above mentioned that their cage is tied to their frame…I think that’s the key here. My cage is tied to my body and so what if my seats are too, no? I think if my plan was going to include some serious crawling and above average risk of rollover, then cage to frame as well as belts is a “duh” non discussion.

For me, the cage is there in case I roll to protect the fam as there is nothing up top even if I do out the flimsy sheet metal roof on, which is nothing.

Not arguing that tying to the cage isn’t better, it is, but just is it needed in a mostly street application is more my question.


I don’t want to end up like @Steve83 ’s picture though.

 

[Speedrdr]

Whatever you do, please do it right. I get tired of having to undo substandard work. All of this iron came out of a TJ last week…

James, if nothing else, you’re looking at $100 in scrap to sell along with your fee for fixing the mess.

 

[jba6555]

Thanks for all your comments... This is not a crawler Bronco. This is my 66 I bought in 1996. It will be driven around town with my family on nice days. I just want to keep my family relatively safe if someone hits us.