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? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson's

T

TrcksR4ME

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? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

I was looking at that cage they did on the Blazer this month in Peterson's, bolt in unit from Smittybilt. It is the basic hoop with rear downbars and also the add-on weld in kit for the front cab area to make it a 6 point. All this can be had for $300. Would this be worth getting or not? Would it be a good base to add-on to later?

I know bolt in is not the preffered choice, but a frame mounted unit is way beyond what I could do at this point. At least the bolt in would give some protection.

So...what does everyone think about this?
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

i wouldn't. The idea of a pro built cage is more reassuring when I have Rita's life on the line. Plus My cage is a tear-a-way model, so the bolt in doesn't fit.

I read that there were clearence and fit "issues" with that instal. When It is ment to save my life I don't want "issues" i want results.

JMHO, some guys like them and use them. I personally do not, FWIW (read: don't flame me, it just my opinion)
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

I would never put a bolt in cage in anything I own. I custom build cages, and there is a big difference between my cages and the bolt in ones. You cant trust you life with a couple of bolts. Even if you bolt a cage to the floor (which in some cars you haev to like Mustangs, Camaros, and Firebirds, since they dont have a full frame) you are still required to weld the corners by NHRA rules. And clearance issues sound like it wasnt built all that well in the first place.
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

I guess my problem is that a custom built cage is (from what I've heard anyway) in the $1000 range. Which from a safety stand point would be well worth it, but from a money stand point is more than I can afford for a while which means no cage at all.

In the article the problem with the bolt in unit is that if you mount how they say, you cannot get the bolts out along the top edge of the hardtop which=hard tp cannot come off.

I am only doing light wheeling, and a frame mounted cage would be a lot of work and thinking...ie have a body lift now, so I have to keep it or take it off before hand, and then im locked in. Also body mounts would need to be replaced, and a whole lot of other small issues.

So I guess what it comes down to is would the bolt in hoop in the rear be better than no cage all? I want to take the top off this summer and would like something in the way of protection.
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

have a local shop bend you up a basic 6 pointer. Just cuz the dolt's in the magazine *think* they need a 3,129 point cage for extreeeeeem unside down jeeping...eeer 'wheeling, doesn't mean everyone does. Here is what I am doing:

8 pointer with seats mounted in the cage. rear bars from main hoop to behind the wheel wells to increade body rigidity.

Honestly the only reason I am getting a cage is 'cuz Rita (the GF) is my co-driver. if it was just me, I have a roof :eek:
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

I would save your money for a real cage/rollbar. I have the smittybilt one, just like the one in the article, and it is a structual joke. I admit that it is better than nothing but it is not worth the money I paid. If I were you I would have someone custom build just a rollbar(if you dont want/need a full cage). The instructions really sucked and IMO the rollbar doesn't even look like it was designed to fit a K5. I mean, if a company sells a product for a certain model, it should fit the model perfectly, whereas the smittybilt "beauty" bar doesn't(the downbars are bent so that part of the base bolts to the wheel well, but you have to either not use that part or cut the other end of the downbar to make it all work) So in other words the smittybilt lightbar, interiorbar, beautybar etc is a worhtless pile-o-#$%& /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

That is the type of set-up I would like to have down the road. I will have to look into the local thing and see who I can find to do a cage. Maybe by this summer I can save up some money, but right now I am on a budget of about $200 a month for the truck, and I have a Detroit I want to get for the rear, and maybe a soft top, plus wanna get bumbers done, and cut out my rockers and do the box tube rocker panels, plus all the little things that pop-up in between...so it may be a while /forums/images/icons/frown.gif
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

hmmm, well that is good to know. I guess I'll just have to wait a while. Thanks
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

Try www.artmorrison.com for their opinion/price quote..........they are right up in the Seattle area. Then let ME know what you find out............/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

Steve Fox, I believe, currently has the Smittybilt bar in the UAV and I also think dblazer has the full cage. The comment about not be able to get to the cap bolts could be a problem and I have never heard of that issue before.......did the magazine mount it differently (I haven't got my issue yet)???

I was interested in getting one of these setups also. According to the specs from Smittlybilt, the bars are made from 2" diamater .120" wall tubing which should provide more than sufficient strength and is pretty standard size for rollbars. I have not seen one in person yet so maybe my assumptions are wrong.

I am interested in all of the comments saying that a custom made cage would be better. A custom built one would probably use the same size or equivalent tubing and be the same basic shape and setup (there's only so many ways to make a 6-point cage you know......).

As far as frame mounted, sure it may be the ultimate setup but mounting it to the floor with some backing plates on the underside should really stiffen up the body and provide a decent amount of protection in almost all situations, especially in the typical slow and light rollovers found in normal wheeling. With plates sandwiched on either side of the floor and mounted at 6 different locations it would take a bunch of force to majorly distort the cage to the point it wasn't helping. We build and install custom rollbars and cages here at work for vehicle dynamics testing and I have seen several pretty severe rollovers in which floor mounted cages held up just fine. The design we use looks just like the design Smittybilt uses, there are no tricks or any other reason I can see where ours are better. I do know that the stuff we build costs a lot more in labor and materials than what Smittybilt sells them for. Frame mounted stuff can be a pain because the body moves differently than the frame and you have to accomodate for that.
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

Yeah, I think a bolt in would be sufficient for my needs...a frame mount unit would be a major project, not a afternoon task.

My original thought was that the Smittybilt may make a good platform to start with and work off of. You could always go in and add to the cage and strengthen it at any time. Also $300 for a 6 point seems like something I can afford, where as all custom would be out of my price range for sure.

My other problem is that I am a non welder/fabricator. So I would have to rely on someone else to do the welding and bending if I went all custom. And that would be no small task...probably take more than a case of beer thats for sure /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

I appreciate all the input, and I am sure this info is helping others in their decision on this matter. This sure is more complicated than I originally imagined.
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

i was thinking about getting one and welding it together instead of bolting it. would that not be just as strong as a regular built cage
jared
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

Also guys, did you notice how they tied it to the frame, they made some plates that bolt to the same place as the top mounts, kinda sandwiches the body, then goes over to the frame. It may have been another article, hope this helps!
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

yeah, they did that on the Dodge. Its a good idea, but would require your body mounts to be in good order and then you are locked it. Its not a bad idea though, maybe someday. I have to decide on whether or not to keep the body lift and then replace all the body mounts either way.

I am thinking there is some reason why the body is not directly bolted to the frame and has bushings in between though.
 
Re: ? About Bolt-In cage as featured in this months Peterson\'s

All you have to do is put a bushing on the end that will go to frame, and connect it like the shocks connect the the rear end! This will allow some flex, but stiil be tied to frame.
 
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