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Seats.. Tied to rollcage and... ?

Tram

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
1,189
Ok, so I'm getting ready to put some new belts into the '74 and my plan was:

Shoulder belt anchor goes to the vertical pillar of the roll cage.. Lap belt anchor goes to the floor..

But, I just read a post about how this is a terrible idea in the event of a cage-body separation.

So, what is a guy to do?

Weld in a spreader bar behind my seats and tie the lap belt anchor to that?
 

BRONCROB

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
1,613
Loc.
WISNER LA.
Are you tying it to the frame?If not I wouldn't really worry about it.If you are I read where Yeller ran a bar under the floor to mount the seats and belts.Just an idea.
 
OP
OP
Tram

Tram

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
1,189
I was going to tie the cage to the frame, or at least I had been considering it.
 

bax

Contributor
Old Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Messages
14,498
In a cage / body separation it is a bad idea. Mount to the cage or mount to the body. Now if you tie your cage to the body chances are where will be no separation.
 
OP
OP
Tram

Tram

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
1,189
I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to mount the lap belt anchor to the cage..
 

Airmapper

Foolproofness Tester
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
Messages
1,710
Loc.
Bowling Green, KY
Everyone says tie it all to the frame, or body. Okay, now ask those same folks to diagram out how exactly your supposed to do that, and watch them act like they didn't see your post.

Adding hoops to the cage to tie in your seas raises the seats up an unacceptable amount unless your vertically challenged.

Think about how the structure of the Bronco is designed. 8 points attach the body to the frame. 4 of those points are in the front passenger area. 6 points typically attach a cage to the body, 4 of those are in the front passenger area.

Between those 4 points in the front passenger area that attach the body to the frame, are support channels running across under the floor pans.

Now, mounting a cage to the frame isn't exactly handy. I personally think it's a good idea and I hope to do that myself. (I'm currently ripping out floors to add good metal for seats/belts so I can install a cage.)

But I don't have an answer for what to do. I've asked for ideas here several times and I get confusing and contradicting information with little explanation that shows any engineering to it. The closest I've come is I talked at length with a Bronco cage vendor, and he pretty much went the opposite of what everyone here will tell you.

I will say, whatever cage you get, I think the best idea out there is a cage with complete hoops that cross the floor in the center of the vehicle. That way, cage tied in or not, if you roll, there is no way the cage can punch through and crush you into the floor. The hoop crossing the floor will hit the frame rails and stop.

What I think I'll do, is mount the seats and belts to whatever is handy, tie the cage to the frame best I can, drive carefully as I can, and try to not worry about it.
 
OP
OP
Tram

Tram

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
1,189
Airmapper - Thanks for that reply..

I've already installed the cage. I went with the Bronco Bob 8 point family cage. I do intend to mount it to the frame, eventually.

Obviously the shoulder harness attach point can be mounted to the cage. The reel can be mounted to the base of the post the shoulder harness is mounted to. Now, where to go for the lap blet attach point. I guess I could run a bar behind the seats and have spreader bars come off that between the seats, but I don't think that is a tidy answer.

I don't want to raise the seats up, either.

I went a touch opposite of you. I put the cage in and new floors will be done this winter. Part of getting the wife's ok on another Bronco was that we could use it this summer. :)
 

b56tc

Newbie
Joined
Jul 21, 2006
Messages
35
I am in process of modifying my cage w cross supports to mount both sears and 5 points to. Next chance to tear out interior and work on in week after the 4th, I will post pics then.

I have good metal and on advice of prof shop that specializes in cages for race vehicles no need in their opinion and experience to link to frame esp w cross members at floor level to resist punch through. But def either seats and belts to cage, or body, no cross
 

kb6677

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 19, 2004
Messages
2,175
Your cage tie in. See pic below. I know we cheated by building the standoffs with the body off but some careful measuring and welding should be able to do the same with the body on. My cage is tied in in 6places. Thankfully, we have never had to "test it"
 

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drock

Full Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
492
Seat Belt tie in points

Here is how I built my cage with vertical lower seat belt tie in points. The other two tabs are tied into the body mount bolts. I ended up adding gussets to make everything stronger. Makes adding 3 point seat belts easy and keeps everything on the cage.
 

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Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
6,886
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
Your cage tie in. See pic below. I know we cheated by building the standoffs with the body off but some careful measuring and welding should be able to do the same with the body on. My cage is tied in in 6places. Thankfully, we have never had to "test it"

This how mine are done. There is also a crossmember directly under the cage feet that ties the cage to the frame
 
OP
OP
Tram

Tram

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
1,189
Here is how I built my cage with vertical lower seat belt tie in points. The other two tabs are tied into the body mount bolts. I ended up adding gussets to make everything stronger. Makes adding 3 point seat belts easy and keeps everything on the cage.


This is along the lines of what I was thinking about doing.
 

BluebroncoNC

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,728
Loc.
Asheville, NC
Not that tough to tie a cage to the frame, anyone with solid welding skills can do it, however, since I felt like my life my depend on it, I took it to a professional welding shop here locally.
 

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xcntrk

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
2,473
Loc.
NOVA
Everyone says tie it all to the frame, or body. Okay, now ask those same folks to diagram out how exactly your supposed to do that, and watch them act like they didn't see your post.

Adding hoops to the cage to tie in your seas raises the seats up an unacceptable amount unless your vertically challenged.

Think about how the structure of the Bronco is designed. 8 points attach the body to the frame. 4 of those points are in the front passenger area. 6 points typically attach a cage to the body, 4 of those are in the front passenger area.

Between those 4 points in the front passenger area that attach the body to the frame, are support channels running across under the floor pans.

Now, mounting a cage to the frame isn't exactly handy. I personally think it's a good idea and I hope to do that myself. (I'm currently ripping out floors to add good metal for seats/belts so I can install a cage.)

But I don't have an answer for what to do. I've asked for ideas here several times and I get confusing and contradicting information with little explanation that shows any engineering to it. The closest I've come is I talked at length with a Bronco cage vendor, and he pretty much went the opposite of what everyone here will tell you.

I will say, whatever cage you get, I think the best idea out there is a cage with complete hoops that cross the floor in the center of the vehicle. That way, cage tied in or not, if you roll, there is no way the cage can punch through and crush you into the floor. The hoop crossing the floor will hit the frame rails and stop.

What I think I'll do, is mount the seats and belts to whatever is handy, tie the cage to the frame best I can, drive carefully as I can, and try to not worry about it.
You really got to tie it all in if you're going to do it and want it right. That means a full compliment of floor bars, seats fully attached to the bars, and all seatbelt mounts attached to the cage. Then the cage tied to the frame.

Here's how I did mine. I probably have more material in floor bars then I do overhead!


IMG_6619.jpg


IMG_6610.jpg


IMG_6605.jpg


IMG_6637.jpg


IMG_6626.jpg


IMG_0680.jpg
 

patterdale

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 24, 2010
Messages
1,247
Just a thought here, if you are in a wreck that causes the body to separate from the frame what would happen to you with everything else tied to the frame? The body will mess you up on its way to freedom. Also, if you get in a wreck that causes body separation is there much hope for you anyway?
 
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