Looking for some advice from an experienced fabricator.
Here’s what I’m doing. I have a fiberglass body half cab. I fabbed a 4-point roll-bar that fits behind the seats and under/inside the cab. The braces angle back through the top of the bulkhead to the front of the rear wheel wells. I have a steel plate inside the wheel well that sandwiches the fiberglass there. The main bar is 1&3/4” tubing across the top and down both sides right inside and behind the rear door jamb. The two legs are connected at the bottom by 1/2”x2” flat stock welded to the back of the legs vertically. I have two tabs that catch the body mount bolts behind the seats, and two tabs on the ends that catch the lower ends of the seat belts and bolt through the fiberglass floor. I’m very happy with the function of the roll bar as it is. Now I’m in the process of adding step bars/nerf bars to the truck. I’m using 2”x4” tubing, and they will run about 2&3/4” below the rockers. I’m attaching to the frame via 1&1/2 square tubing and brackets bolted to the frame.
So, here’s my question. The rear step bar support will be passing right below the outer bolts on the roll-bar. I’ve thought I’d just tie into them with a piece of tubing thinking it may give a little more stability to the steps and rigidity to the roll-bar with an additional frame connection. As I’ve looked at it, I started to get second thoughts. 1. Will the stress of people climbing on & off the step bars eventually crack out the fiberglass? And 2. Will having the roll-bar tied to the frame in an out-board location cause issues as the frame/body flex over uneven terrain?
Looking for input. Thanks!
Here’s what I’m doing. I have a fiberglass body half cab. I fabbed a 4-point roll-bar that fits behind the seats and under/inside the cab. The braces angle back through the top of the bulkhead to the front of the rear wheel wells. I have a steel plate inside the wheel well that sandwiches the fiberglass there. The main bar is 1&3/4” tubing across the top and down both sides right inside and behind the rear door jamb. The two legs are connected at the bottom by 1/2”x2” flat stock welded to the back of the legs vertically. I have two tabs that catch the body mount bolts behind the seats, and two tabs on the ends that catch the lower ends of the seat belts and bolt through the fiberglass floor. I’m very happy with the function of the roll bar as it is. Now I’m in the process of adding step bars/nerf bars to the truck. I’m using 2”x4” tubing, and they will run about 2&3/4” below the rockers. I’m attaching to the frame via 1&1/2 square tubing and brackets bolted to the frame.
So, here’s my question. The rear step bar support will be passing right below the outer bolts on the roll-bar. I’ve thought I’d just tie into them with a piece of tubing thinking it may give a little more stability to the steps and rigidity to the roll-bar with an additional frame connection. As I’ve looked at it, I started to get second thoughts. 1. Will the stress of people climbing on & off the step bars eventually crack out the fiberglass? And 2. Will having the roll-bar tied to the frame in an out-board location cause issues as the frame/body flex over uneven terrain?
Looking for input. Thanks!
