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Cage question?

langester

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I am in the middle of building a cage for my Bronco. I am curious about the center spreader bars. I have looked at a ton of photos and see that some bars are parallel with the outside of the cage while others are Veed from the center of the B pillar to the front and rear hoops. Is there any reason that two parallel center bars would be less effective than that of the V design. I was planning on the V design but before I began to make them I put a seat in the drivers side and sat down. I am not sure I am crazy about having a bar so close over the top of my head. I added a pic of what I have so far. I still have a few corner braces and the center spreaders to add. Any input or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 

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xcntrk

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I went with the V approach. My goal was triangulation and tie in point for the vertical supports you have supporting the A and C pillar legs. Nearly identical design as mine.

I hear you with the V supports. As they span the drivers seat there's just enough room for your head to whack the bar then deflect through the hole the V creates. But then again, with the center only spreader bar you have no material above your head - which is equally as scary.

Here's a pic of mine for example:
IMG_6618.jpg
 
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langester

langester

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I based a lot of my decisions on the design of your cage and a couple others. Safety is definitely my main concern. I am going to see if I can find some shorter seats and try it again before I make my final decision. Great job on your cage too! That thing is awesome! Thanks for the reply, I appreciate the feed back.
 

xcntrk

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I based a lot of my decisions on the design of your cage and a couple others. Safety is definitely my main concern. I am going to see if I can find some shorter seats and try it again before I make my final decision. Great job on your cage too! That thing is awesome! Thanks for the reply, I appreciate the feed back.

Thanks. I actually made 3 designs when I was brainstorming my cage. I built them up in Bend-tech, recorded some 3D rendering, then took all 3 designs to the off-road community to critique (including Pirate and a couple other forums). The winner was the design with the least amount of flaming ;D

That was design #3 which includes a standard one-piece B-pillar hoop, then two one-piece ceiling hoops (going from B to A, and B to C), then legs supporting the A and C hoops with triangulation support. The floor bars are in there for seats and belts, and frame tie-in point.

 
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langester

langester

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I looked at it again tonight and decided to go with the x design. I am pretty sure different seats will solve the head room problem. I appreciate you guys giving me your input and thanks for posting pics. I wouldn't have been able to do half of the stuff I have without the resources on this site. You guys are awesome!
 
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langester

langester

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I got most of the cage done and would still like input if anyone has any. I got everything welded up that I can reach until I pull it out to weld the bottom tubes. I still need to add the seat rail bars for the front and back and windshield braces and a few gussets along the bottom. I would appreciate any suggestions that anyone has.

I would also like to thank xcntrk and rcmbronc for posting all the pics of their cages. They both gave me what I was looking for when I designed my cage. This site is the most valuable tool I have at my disposal , Thanks to all that contribute to the info here.

Thanks in advance!
 

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malonejy

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Now would be a good time to add any bars behind the seats if you're going to run harnesses.
 
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langester

langester

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I am going to run 3 point belts not harnesses. I had harnesses in my last one for a while and didn't like them. I don't plan on doing a lot of wheeling. This is my hunting ride. I plan on getting some weld in bungs for the b pillars.
 

Apogee

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Nice work!

Unless you're looking to retain access from front to back, I'd put shoulder bars behind the seats just for the added protection between you and your gear/stuff in the back. You could do the 90 degree bars that maintain rear access through the center if you didn't want to do a single bar midway up the B-pillar...or leave it like it is. I personally like having a bulkhead of sorts, but I haul stuff in the back of mine a lot of time, some of which is better contained than others.
 
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langester

langester

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Thanks for the replies! I don't plan on hauling anything except people and maybe the dog. I am going to build a box for the rear to hold all my tools, jack, etc. I still might put those bars behind the seat, I haven't decided yet. I kinda like the seat to recline so I can take a nap after Ive been out hunting. Thanks for the input I appreciate it!
 
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