Bronco - No Top, No Roll Bar in a Rollover

[mpboxer]

I know features like roll bars, shoulder belts, airbags, etc. increase ones safety in a roll over accident, no doubt about that. But why didn't ford include roll bars in every bronco? Weren't they a dealer installed option? Engineers had to consider a 4x4 rolling over. Especially one with a removable top. I also imagine the faster you go (ie 70 - 80mph) the more detrimental a rollover would be. But lets say for the sake of argument speed did not exceed 55mph. Also, you're not going to be doing 55mph climbing a hill.

Is the side of the body high enough and do the stock seats sit low enough, similar to a convertible, that the passengers can bend/tuck down? Is the weight distribution, extremely nose heavy, taken into account where in a rollover the front would be touching the ground and resting on the windshield and the back would be up in the air?

I've seen pictures of various broncos in a rollover, but don't ever recalling seeing one with no cage and not top. Curious if anyone has any pics of that.

 

[JAFO]

Back in the 60's, 70's there was I would think less rules regarding passenger safety. Like with earth moving equipment years back. Roll Over Protection (ROPS) for heavy equipment wasn't mandated by OSHA until 1972. But that didn't mean someone should do something really stupid with the machine that would kill them.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10832

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollover_protection_structure

A lot of things in life come down to common sense. Some people just don't have it and so we have the Darwin awards. You drive sensible or you possibly die. Heck with all the idiots on cell phones out there you drive sensible and still can die.

Common sense tells me if I drive my Bronco really fast around a turn I could flip over and maybe die. With a roll bar I might flip over and maybe die. Without a roll bar I may die even better.

Could have been a marketing thing. Putting in a roll bar might signal to a customer Ford thinks this thing is going to roll over. Convertible cars didn't have roll bars. Army jeeps didn't have roll bars.

 

[904Bronco]

Think of the era that Broncos were designed the mid 60's... Cars barely had seat belts... No crush zones, no collapsible steering columns, no side impact bars. All these safety features came later. Probably after the death rates increased, and Insurance companies/ safety agencies pushed for change.

How about the Jeeps used in WWII, they were not equipped with roll bars...

I also think people (there were less of them on the roads too) were maybe just a little smarter in that era... IMHO Cause and effect/common sense was maybe understood? People just did not push a short wheel based vehicle to its limits?

Dealer installed roll bars... Well they looked nice. Installed with washers in sheet metal, not a lot of structure to tie into.

 

[Apogee]

Plus, modifying 4x4 suspensions with lifts, long travel kits to fit tire sizes that didn't exist in the 60's/70's/80's wasn't really an issue. It's a lot harder to roll a stock height EB rocking 30" tires than one on 40's with 7.5" of combined lift.

I think the newer Jeeps would be a better ideal to look towards with respect to an off-road rig with a removable top, and they all have cages.

 

[sykanr0ng]

When the Bronco was designed rollover accidents were not common like they have become.
How many 2wd convertibles were made with roll bars? Rolling one of them over would be just as bad.

 

[half cab]

Apogee, you'd be surprised what peeps were doing to 4x4's in the 70's n 80's.

 

[KBUCK1]

I rolled one 20 yrs ago with no cage. It did have a top but the top was mashed completely flat on the driver's side. Had to crawl through a small opening on the passenger side

 

[stout22]

When Broncos were new folks were considered responsible for their actions today corporations are responsible for their consumers actions. Why do you think they have all those stupid warning stickers stuck everywhere now?

 

[Rustytruck]

Back in the 60's early 70's people were much nicer drivers. You put on your turn signals and they would actually let you in rather than cut you off. So much less traffic on the highway. Broncos were utility trucks not expected to be used for urban travel and at higher speeds. Evolution has made the Bronco unsafe. But now a stock Bronco is considered a tank. Reinforce the bumpers and it plow's its way through everyone. Raising it and adding top weight and in extreme movements its going over. Now everyone wants airbags all around them why? Because they are expected to be used.

Everyday you are seconds away from a debilitating crash. Your defensive driving is the only thing keeping you out of it. Back in the 60's - early 70's you got in your car and went to where you needed to be without even thinking about safety.

With a lifted Bronco you have to think about roll over protection. Why? because it is expected you will need it. Its just the environment that these trucks now reside in. Heck half the cars out there, the bumpers Don't match a stock Bronco yet a lifted one. You tangle with them their a wedge under you.

By the early 80's most early Broncos had roll bars added to them. The ones you see today with no roll bars were the exception and mostly trucks that didn't get out of the barn much.

 

[BRONCOchild]

When Broncos were new folks were considered responsible for their actions today corporations are responsible for their consumers actions. Why do you think they have all those stupid warning stickers stuck everywhere now?

Took the words out of my mouth. Heck, people have become so dumb that simple explanations need explanations. I just saw a carpool sign that read "Carpool 2+", then it continued in writing, "cars must have 2 people or more".

 

[FordBronc]

Here are a few reminders on why a roll cage is a great idea. And here are some great ideas.

 

[JGbronc]

Here are a few reminders on why a roll cage is a great idea. And here are some great ideas.

Where is that 5th pic from?

 

[half cab]

Where is that 5th pic from?

I don't know but it's been posted on here in other threads about roll overs before.

 

[FordBronc]

I believe I got it off of this site...

 

[markw]

I have buddy who broke his neck rolling a Bronco in the early '70s. Whether people are better or worse drivers now, no matter anyone's ideas about liability it's all physics. And the laws of physics are impartial. And I'm pretty sure passengers are rag dolls along for the ride regardless. Point being do what you can to stay safe. Some sort of roll over protection and 3 point seat belts are really all you can do with these trucks.

 

[sprdv1]

Here are a few reminders on why a roll cage is a great idea. And here are some great ideas.

Most definitely... must have

 

[sprdv1]

I have buddy who broke his neck rolling a Bronco in the early '70s. Whether people are better or worse drivers now, no matter anyone's ideas about liability it's all physics. And the laws of physics are impartial. And I'm pretty sure passengers are rag dolls along for the ride regardless. Point being do what you can to stay safe. Some sort of roll over protection and 3 point seat belts are really all you can do with these trucks.

Ouch..

 

[JSBX]

I had a friend that rolled his bronco on a country road back in the middle of no where around mid night. No cage or roll bar. He landed upside down in a ditch and the metal half cab caved all the way down pinning him to the seat. The gas tank ruptured pouring all the gas from the tank into the cab with him. Thank God there was no spark. Someone finally came along and found him around 6AM. He was not hurt bad. I installed a cage in mine after this and will not own and drive a Bronco with out one. I know of a couple other people in my neck of the woods that have rolled Broncos in the past so I think a cage is a necessity.

 

[Projp]

My good friend was driving his Bronco one night when a half dozen deer ran out in front of him. He swerved, and being the great road cars that they are, the Bronco and he rolled several times. After staggering out he noticed that he was missing a finger.
He said the finger was not what about killed him. He is a taxidermist and between the 6 point elk antlers, handyman, toolbox, and shot gun, the junk in his truck about beat him to death. He has another nice scar on his back where the 12 guage cored him.
Lessons learned:
1 - Only grab the roll bar with as many fingers as you are willing to leave on the side of the road.
2 - Don't swerve for uninsured deer....hit them!

 

[blubuckaroo]

A well designed roll bar in a Bronco is just common sense.
But like with most things, more roll bar isn't necessarily better.
I've seen some massive cages that have to cause the vehicle to be more unstable.

The reason were seeing more cages than in the past is they're vogue items. These things will come and go.
I remember when we all thought we needed multiple shocks and rock skis on our Broncos.