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Front cage hoop with plate steel bottom half instead of tubing

drock

Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
492
Looks great. No emergency brakes issues to deal with either!
 
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bknbronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
4,378
Loc.
North Metro, MN
no issues with anything, brake, or glovebox, and I can still keep dash pad. Im gona reamake it with thicker plate and run it through the side firewall like bax did kinda. That will eliminate the floor plates inside and be a much cleaner and hidden install.

since stainless tubing is $250 a stick I may make the final one from regular steel and paint it a silver color. I love the SS but cost is crazy!
 

PaveBronco

Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
912
Sorry but I have to say this whole design is a very very bad idea, plate, SS, mitered corners, fiberglass tub..not a good combination...
Sorry again...but its about safety. But..its better than nothing and will work well for the Mall..
 
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bknbronco

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Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
4,378
Loc.
North Metro, MN
Sorry but I have to say this whole design is a very very bad idea, plate, SS, mitered corners, fiberglass tub..not a good combination...
Sorry again...but its about safety. But..its better than nothing and will work well for the Mall..

to each there own....this is gona see some hardcore rock bashing and im not at all concerned with the design, in fact its overkill. I may bend the hoop when I get a bender (the miters were just mockup for now), probably switch to reg carbon steel because of cost.

Youll never break the plate steel, may bend it slightly but with the dash sandwiched between it I doubt you would ever do any damage during a roll. Im not at all concerned.

I wont even comment on the glass tub, has no relation to strength of a cage design.

Ill bet that withen the next 10 years youll see a lot more cages offered that have my similar design. Who the hell wants that stuped pole in the way of everything? My design would allow simple installation without dash removal and provide ample protection for "most" any type of wheeling.

I appreciate the concern and I thought long and hard about the safety issues.....but the sleekness and simpleness of my design outweighted any safety issues in my book. I plan on doing a lot of rock crawling....not this new type of wheeling called rock racing.
 

PaveBronco

Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
912
You’ll be ok for a flop on your side, but its deff not over kill, it looks like you’re going to press with this so (because of the fiberglass tub) at least tie it to the frame. I also wish someone would sell a through the dash cage kit, more work, but much cleaner..
 

roundhouse

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
2,886
You keep the templates?

Im considering something like this,

the regular cage legs just get in the way too much
 

Joker11

Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
840
Loc.
Yuma, Arizona
I think the idea has merits.

The mitered corners must go. The stainless....I think should go.

I have done some work in stainless. I can tell you that stainless snaps and cracks. It doesn't usually bend.

To each his own.
 

u10072

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 18, 2007
Messages
2,249
It's just a bad idea sorry. The jeep body and an EB are nothing alike. Not one race car I've ever seen has stainless anywhere in the cage/chassis. Great idea for a jeep due it's design. Many Trophy trucks have mitered corners on the cage so while that on an EB isn't astheically pleasing it's not a bad design per sa. I've said it a couple times-- the only cages routinely rolled at speed where the Bill Stroppe cages in the 60s-70s-- to not mirror done of that mounting method and sorta kinda construction is foolish. Those are the only cages with real world testing over and over-- and yes Parnelli jones is still alive. Not trying to be a dick but if round tires are the best design why try to engineer square ones?
 
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bknbronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
4,378
Loc.
North Metro, MN
I have actually seen some bad ass rock crawlers out in the Dakotas and Minnesota entire made from stainless steel tubing. The one was actually built and shipped from Guam after the stainless materials were purchased from the good old USA and shipped to the fabricator in Guam. So does this woman agree with you guys and your get rid of the stainless votes????? I doubt it!
 

rjrobin2002

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
2,716
I am gonna do the same design for my front cage legs. The way I see it is if your B and C pillar cage legs are solid mounted and all tube bolted to the frame you are covered for the most part. The plate A pillar mounting to the floor brace and door post is pretty dang strong and is just an extra brace and not the cages entire structure. I love the design and will probably add some 1" x 1/4" thick angle welded to the flat plate to make it more rigid.
 

Joker11

Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
840
Loc.
Yuma, Arizona
I am just saying that stainless is not a good choice for a roll cage that will actually be tested at some point.
It might look good.

As a welder, I went to college and took metallurgy classes as well.

Did you ever ask a fabricator if they are using ChroMo filler when they weld a ChroMo tubed cage? They don't for the most part. They will use a mild steel 70,000PSI filler in most cases. It allows some flex in the joint. If it didn't, it could crack and fail.
To properly use ChroMo tubing and ChroMo filler, you would have to heat treat the whole thing after the welding is completed. So I don't see it happen.

I am going to deem the stainless roll bars as a MallCrawler accessory as a public service.

At any rate, it's not MY bronco and I just don't care what you guys do with yours.
 
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bknbronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
4,378
Loc.
North Metro, MN
am going to deem the stainless roll bars as a MallCrawler accessory as a public service.

Boy I wish I had pics of that womans rock buggy that was at the crawl! Entire tube rock buggie made of stainless tubing....now I have never seen a mall crawler with 54" tires but I know hers would not be in that category!!

But thanks for your advise.....im not sure I want to even afford to use stainless....this thread is more about the use of plate steel in the front lower legs....now if you have some advise there..................................................
 

BRONCROB

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
1,613
Loc.
WISNER LA.
I work with ss everyday and can tell you it doesn't like vibration.It likes to crack like glass instead of bending ,both 304&316.My ¢02
 

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bknbronco

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Jan 17, 2011
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North Metro, MN
as far as astetics is concerned the SS wins hands down.....but....after factoring in cost, as well as some strength concerns, I think bending some carbon steel is the more reasonable choice. Think some silver paint might be the ticket here.

Now I think ill keep my same pattern I used the first time around but use some 1/4" and add some laterial support in key areas now that I know where clearance issues are.

Also im still thinking about ditchen the floor plates and doing something like BAX. The floor plates get in the way on the inside....I want all that crap gone.
 

pbwcr

Sr. Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
634
X2
A misguided attempt and the result is a cosmetic cage. Unsafe.
More research should have been done before starting.
PW
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Sorry but I have to say this whole design is a very very bad idea, plate, SS, mitered corners, fiberglass tub..not a good combination...
Sorry again...but its about safety. But..its better than nothing and will work well for the Mall..
 

STD

Full Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
304
Loc.
Waukesha, WI
The vertical piece has no bends or bracing. The dash is not enough to consider it structural. I just hope you don't think this is going to save a life in a good roll.
 
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bknbronco

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Joined
Jan 17, 2011
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4,378
Loc.
North Metro, MN
you guys are way off here! your stuck in your box! get out!

the vertical piece don't need bends if there is gussets or laterial bracing. Nobody has seen BAX's cage? Besides its tied to the dash and to the entire firewall of the tub.....probably stiffer and stronger than a piece of tubing. You can move that load through the firewall and down to the frame and have nothing inside the truck. There is no way id build a cage with the tubing in the way down there, that's why I been driving topless and cageless for 4 years

You guys make me laugh sometimes....in 10 years all cages will be made like this! And ill be the one getting rich off the idea!:p
 
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lowbush

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Sep 13, 2010
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1,807
Loc.
Summerland Key, FL
you guys are way off here! your stuck in your box! get out!

the vertical piece don't need bends if there is gussets or laterial bracing. Nobody has seen BAX's cage? Besides its tied to the dash and to the entire firewall of the tub.....probably stiffer and stronger than a piece of tubing. You can move that load through the firewall and down to the frame and have nothing inside the truck. There is no way id build a cage with the tubing in the way down there, that's why I been driving topless and cageless for 4 years

You guys make me laugh sometimes....in 10 years all cages will be made like this! And ill be the one getting rich off the idea!:p

I agree with you on the bends, so long as the weld is strong miter joints are just as strong. The difference is, with a bend the strength stays with the structure with miters the strength is in the weld, so long as the weld is good they are actually stronger. I disagree with you on stainless, that stuff will impale you, it's the same as aluminum, it will shatter and cut the crap out of you. I would not want to be anywhere near it when it lets go. As for the plates and specifically Bax's design, he boxed the plate with 2 sides to give it strength. I would at least run a 1 inch bar down the middle of your plate or better yet 2 small square 1/2 inch tubes, hell even drill some small holes and dimple die the plate would be better, you do need some 3 dimensional support.


If you want it to look like stainless, powder coat it with the chrome powder coat and a light coat of gloss, done right you would be hard-pressed to tell it from the real deal.
 

bax

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Old Member
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Aug 22, 2005
Messages
14,497
How did I get in this? If you want pictures just ask. I did not want to mess with your thread. Im good with it.
 
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