Front Cage Hoop - Best geometry?

[Jabo76]

I am mid family cage project and am trying to get the best front hoop geometry so that the location is good. Any pic's/ advice would be helpful.

 

[xcntrk]

What's your approach for front hoop? Are you going with a single bent part from right to left A-pillar, or individual legs that string back to B-pillar?

Also your top fitment will be important (hardtop versus soft versus just bikini).

For me, I'm designing my cage to work within the hardtop. That said the tallest any point of the cage can rise are the crossmember supports in the hardtop. Then the most forward the front hoop can go is a pocket between the hardtop, wiper motors (I have dual electric), while allow enough clearance to manage the hardtop bolts on the windsheild frame. This ends up being literally right above the wiper motors.

 

[scbronco]

just my .02, i did side hoops, and routed the a pillar legs through the top of the dash and down to the forward most portion of the flat part of the floor. a front hoop as opposed to side hoops will be much more difficult to bend, and i like how the side hoops give the cab definition when the top is off. it make sthe profiel shape of my rig...

just info do with it what you will...

 

[allenfahey]

Bunch of pictures of mine. I went thru the dash as well. I agree with scbronco that the cage looks better the way we did ours.

 

[bknbronco]

If you dont go through the dash how do you remove the dash? Just thought of that when i look at allenfahey's pics again. I looks like your dash isnt at all traped in.

 

[asinor]

If you don't go through the dash, you have bends in the hoop or legs that either go straight down or bend under the dash. I still have plenty of room to get to all the screws and bolts for the dash pad and dash.

 

[bknbronco]

If you don't go through the dash, you have bends in the hoop or legs that either go straight down or bend under the dash. I still have plenty of room to get to all the screws and bolts for the dash pad and dash.

You can still pull the dash completly out?

 

[asinor]

I can on mine, plenty of room to drop it down and manuever it around. Same goes for most of the ones I've seen on here. Check the custom dash threads for others pics. The biddest issue you are going to run in to is the glovebox will hit unless you move it over or modify the hinge to slide.

 

[bknbronco]

OK thanks. I never thought about it before, but im glad the dash dont get trapped in there with a full cage. Ya i knew about the glove box door. Saw a couple different and cool fixes for that (sliding hinge, swinging door, or just cut and move over).

Sorry for the hijack, just had to clear up what might have been a benifit of through the dash cage.

 

[Jabo76]

Here is the fitted unwelded result so far

Thanks for the help

I have to finish weld paint etc....

How does the sliding glove box lid work and what is commonly done for e-brake clearance?

Do I need a cross member at the dash height other than the oh snap rail to hang on to?

What other doo-dads should I weld on while I am at this stage.

I was considering a tab from each side of the front of the front hoop to the windshield frame holes.

 

[asinor]

Sliding glove box: http://www.broncohio.com/tech/gloveboxdoor.html

 

[bknbronco]

ebrake it just bent over to clear and drill another hole in dash i believe. Def do the windshield frame tieins.

 

[xcntrk]

ebrake it just bent over to clear and drill another hole in dash i believe. Def do the windshield frame tieins.

I took sort of the same approach. If you look at the ebrake bracket, the 2 studs on the end are on a 90 degree angle pointing towards the passenger side. I simply cut this piece off, flipped it around, and welded it all back together. This puts the angle and studs on the opposite side (pointing towards driver) and moves the entire bracket over about 1". Then you drill a new mounting hole in the dash as bknbronco stated. Note you might have to move your highbeam switch as the new travel path for the ebrake lever may interfere. Also I put a gusset on flipped angle to help reinforce it. I can snap a pic if you like.

 

[xcntrk]

Do I need a cross member at the dash height other than the oh snap rail to hang on to?

I think you should run one. Granted it might not do much for lateral support since your front hoop is a single piece of bent tube, but after seeing some of these recent crash pics, a horizontal windshield bar has got to help in crash support. Who knows maybe it could be the difference in keeping the firewall from collapsing inward...

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Are your overhead supports too far inboard? (Might be an optical illusion) We just built mine a few months ago and I was concerned that it didn't provide enough protection if those bars were pushed too far inward. We ended up moving the bars out, over the outside shoulder of the occupant and adding dual overhead support in the center. After all this talk of floor bars, I need to talk to my buddy about doing this.

 

[Jeff10]

Hi,

The IP will be painted in the next couple of weeks. I have been debating the glove box door requirements to get around the roll bar. I can see benefits to only modifying the hinges, and I can see benefits to moving the door.

Anyone feel strongly one way or the other? Anyone wish they had gone the other direction?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Jabo76]

I modified the hinges and its acceptable no need to move anything which is a plus for me.