How important is it to tie in the roll cage to frame?

[MPG_Bronco]

I've always thought that it is best to tie your roll cage into the frame, with rubber mounts to help dampen the vibration and help save your body mounts.

Just talked to a knowledgeable vender (prefer to keep anonymous cause I respect him) and was told that it's fine and still very sturdy without the frame tie-in's.

I'm not expecting to roll, but it's more of a freeway safety thing for me. is the 6 point roll cage (basic 6 point with no triangular reinforcement) still gonna be safer for me and family if it's not tied-into the the frame?

so it is really needed? please share your opinion and how important you think this one feature is for a 10% trail, 40% street and 50% driveway bronco...

 

[BluebroncoNC]

I tied mine in, there is really only a thin piece of sheet metal between your "roll bar" and a punch through. Think Bronco Driver had some vivid pictures of a roll over "roll bar" punching through behind the driver seats.

There is a recent article in the tech section, I posted some links and some pictures.

 

[bronconut73]

BC's sort of solves this problem with their design.
The hoops are on the bottom spreading the load across the entire floor.
It bolts into the body mount bolts.

 

[MPG_Bronco]

I have a 6 point cage already in the truck, with a plate where 4 bolts per foot go through the floor. it's fairly basic, no triangulation to help it support, no floor cross bars or extra parts, just 6 legs all tied over the head with straight tubes.

 

[dave67fd]

It also helps to consider how the rest of the truck is built and its usage. Hi lift, quality of lift and suspension components, freeway speeds and/or trail rig compared to a local/low speed traffic, cruiser rig and driving habits.
All play a roll in whether your more likely to roll or not to roll.

 

[MPG_Bronco]

It also helps to consider how the rest of the truck is built and its usage. Hi lift, quality of lift and suspension components, freeway speeds and/or trail rig compared to a local/low speed traffic, cruiser rig and driving habits.
All play a roll in whether your more likely to roll or not to roll.

Current:
5.0 + c4, extended radius arms + WH 5.5 SL, 2 BL, 35" tires, 4.56 gears, rear detroit, front tru-trac

plan:
to only have a 2.5 SL, everything the same except 'maybe' 4.11 gears in the far future.

Use:
I drive occasionally locally, randomly I'll take it out just to swish fluids around. I hope it to be a camping truck for family, and just a fun vehicle all around and daily driver in far future. 65-70mph speeds possibly with trailer, 20% trail 80% street, easy trails

 

[sprdv1]

so it is really needed? please share your opinion and how important you think this one feature is for a 10% trail, 40% street and 50% driveway bronco...

If you spend any time on the trail, tie it to the frame, You can't be TOO careful with the health of you, friends, or a loved one..

just my $.02

 

[JLBachs]

based solely on what you've written it sounds like the odds the cage will ever contact the ground are pretty slim and you'd be ok to bolt it in - maybe fab some mirrors of your feet to use on the underside and make a sheet metal sandwich. If you want it to be as safe as it can be tie it in. Mine isn't tied in and I think about that climbing (or trying) ditch banks and also at 70 on the highway

 

[Wyflyer]

A 70 mph highway rollover is going to be much more violent than a 1 mph tip on a trail. Especially from an inertia and duration standpoint.

 

[dunacn1]

This may be a dumb question, but is there a kit sold to tie a cage to the frame?

 

[ET]

This may be a dumb question, but is there a kit sold to tie a cage to the frame?

http://extremecustomparts.com/c-690...-jeep-cj-yj-tie-into-frame-kits-roll-bar.html

Eugene

 

[Glass Pony]

Since I had a fiberglass body I felt it was absolutely necessary to tie it into the frame.

 

[cesco]

I watched a fiberglass bronco roll over with a 6 point roll cage and all it did was bend the windshield frame and rolled the bead off the tire. The cage was just bolted to the fiberglass floor... He rolled 2 complete times ending back on the tires

 

[ScanmanSteven]

I would tie it into the frame. While your use doesn't seem extreme, when I read the part about 65-70 mph pulling a trailer, no matter how small, tie it in. The short wheelbase already makes it easier to roll, especially at higher speeds, add that trailer, you swerve to avoid some idiot and there you you go rolling down the interstate, not as intended. ET's $99 tie ins are cheap insurance, already made for you, so they would be an easy weekend or less fix. It's you and your family's safety I'm thinking about, $99 is cheap extra insurance.

 

[okorangebrnco]

Depending on how the load is spread across the body depends on would I or would I not tie to the frame. On my old roll cage I debated long and hard about tying in to the frame before I bought my Bailie Bilt cage. On my particular cage now (Family Custom), the point where the posts intersects the body are main structural points and there are two inverted hoops that run across the body behind the front seats. Thus spreading the load over a wide foot print. Now IF I still had my old cage IT WOULD be tied in, but it all boils down to the design.

 

[Rustytruck]

I havent seen a Bronco body seperate from the frame yet. But I have seen several pictures where the roll bar has punched through the body. So if I had a big concern I would at least put a cross bar from the main hoop supports accross the floor either on top of the floor or under the floor from foot pad to foot pad. Any compression at least it stops at the frame. I am much more scared in a rollover on the freeway than on the trail. The real problem on the trail is you carry much more stuff that can fly around and kill you. Once you get past the factory style roll bar to a cage you gain so much support that enough force to seperate you, it will be a crap shoot on what really happens and the final out come. building a cage to survive a nascar crash then you start thinking about seat mounts, proper race type belts, helmets, steering collumns, fuel cells and rollover valves. tiying down the drive train. In the end at least you dont want your roll bar to punch through a 40 year old floor into thin air. Its hard on your head.

 

[bronconut73]

Since no one really responded to my reference to the BC roll bar that runs the hoops across the floor thereby spreading the load out across the entire floor, does that mean you fellers don't like that one. I think Bailey makes one too.
I'm still learning/researching this sport bar, roll bar, roll cage, etc.., thingy......
Wish I could get a "full on roll cage" but that probably isn't in the cards for me so I thought the BC roll bar was a good compromise. Am I wrong?

 

[okorangebrnco]

If you are considering Bailie Bilt, his standard family is ver reasonable in price.

 

[Rustytruck]

Since no one really responded to my reference to the BC roll bar that runs the hoops across the floor thereby spreading the load out across the entire floor, does that mean you fellers don't like that one. I think Bailey makes one too.
I'm still learning/researching this sport bar, roll bar, roll cage, etc.., thingy......
Wish I could get a "full on roll cage" but that probably isn't in the cards for me so I thought the BC roll bar was a good compromise. Am I wrong?

Nothing wrong with that bar and he has done the testing to prove it. Watch the video and make your own decision. Now watch anyone elses tests if there are any. I give alot of credit to Chuck for actually testing his set-up.

 

[Broncotis]

Remember guys you are riding in the body of a Bronco, not the frame. In the case of a rollover you want to stay in the seats with a good harness and cockpit around you. Stay away from bolted in roll cages. I have built both circle track and drag cars. There is not a governing racing body in the world that would even let you unload a car that had a bolt in cage. Weld your cage to the floor and then tie it in if you want to. You can bet Broncotis's cage is welded in.