Another Roll Cage

[fear_nothing]

This truck ['69 blazer, 4x4] is a gonna be primarily a pavement pounder. However I'd like to remove the stock roll bar & replace it will a full cage. My primary focus is the safety of all parties, especially any that might be riding in the rear seat.

With that said I'm having one built based off the design off the one posted here:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269675

I've got a few general roll cage questions that have been bugging me after settling on a design and research various cages I've found on Al Gores Internet.

1. Why are the seats mounted sometimes as part of the cage vs. the floor?
2.How would a horizontal bar look instead of the dash pad? IE in place of
-I don't plan on blowing apart the dash
3. The cage as seen at the link above has provisions for a dome light is the cage weakened by leaving holes to hide the wire?
4. What are some common wishes that you would have included with the installation of a new cage?
5. The install is being done by a mutual fried & he gave me an estimate of 500-1000
6. 1.75 x 120 DOM seems to be the flavor of choice... sound about right?

Thanks guys, yawl seem like a very knowledgeable group, I think I got my 25 buck worth in only 10 posts

 

[sponsoredbydad]

That estimate is what the material cost was on mine let alone the tons of labor. That cage is, so far IMHO the best one so far done on a 1st gen, And it's not even done yet. Greg's 72 is right there behind it. He was the one we, ok I took inspiration from. Seats to the floor verses cage to me depends on truck usage seats used and personal preference. Mine went to the floor mostly because I did not want all the xtra tubing mucking up the floor. 120 DOM yes right metal.

 

[K85 Octane]

http://shop.eoronline.com/product.sc?productId=3&categoryId=2

but you will still need to weld it together. Not sure what year blazers they have them for

 

[Deuling]

http://shop.eoronline.com/product.sc?productId=3&categoryId=2

but you will still need to weld it together. Not sure what year blazers they have them for

bada$$!!!

 

[blazinzuk]

You mount the seats to the cage because if you roll and any mounts fail ( seat or cage) they will part ways. So cage and seats mounted together it all stays together in a big time roll.

BTW that price for a cage like that is CHEAP I would tell someone that price if they brought me all the tube.

Build it as tight as possible to the hardtop, headroom is of utmost importance, if you think your head is to close to a bar it is.

The tiny holes for the dome light do not weaken the cage in any significant area.

If you base your cage build off of the one posted it will work very well

 

[NorCal69]

Greg's 72 is right there behind it. He was the one we, ok I took inspiration from.

Oh yeah, that's where we both stole the idea from. I highly doubt that Greg is done with his cage though.

When he finishes his, I'm sure it will blow all the rest apart..C'mon it's Greg..

First things first, I'd re-read Greg's last post on the hard top. Figure out if you're really going to use it. I for one, growing up in Minnesota and riding in a lot of my bud's soft top jeeps in the winter thought it brought the suck. Hence, a ton of extra hours fitting it in my hard top. I bet it took twice as long fitting it in there vs. if I ran with no top..seriously. You will run into height issues with the rear seat and the tube over head. Remember the 1st gens have a rake of ~1" between the B pillar and C. It might not seen like a lot, but it is...These are all things to really consider.


The price that you have, should cover the tube, but that's about it.

It looks like everyone has answered all the questions except the the dash bar. Here are a couple of pics of a sweet ride with a dash bar.








Here is where he ran into trouble with the glove box door, just like everyone else that I have seen pics of. Maybe Brian can help you out there though, I think that he cut his GB door to fit around, IIRC.


And one more, just cuz it's a cool pic of the same rig as above.

 

[ashman]

/hijack
every time I see pics like this one it makes me wish I'd have left mine orange. it looks so good on these trucks!
/end hijack

 

[fear_nothing]

great pics NorCal69..... I'm passing those along to my builder!

Computer for an EFI engine I presume?

 

[Greg72]

That is a gorgeous cage, but that photo illustrates at least 3 considerations that you need to answer for yourself based on your own usage and desires:

1. Glovebox door almost always gets blocked by the a-pillar.
2. A/C Vents almost always get blocked too
3. Cross-bar is good for strength but would only be wise if you intend to use 4-point harnesses or a custom shoulder belt setup. I'd hate to be in a crash and have my passnger hit their face on that bar... actually even the factory dash pad isn't all that effective in that case either.

Other considerations:

4. Access to rear seat for passengers
5. Functionality of rear storage space once cage bars are installed
6. Headroom for ALL passengers!
7. Fitment to factory top, or to accomodate softtop frames
8. Aesthetic vs. Strength tradeoffs for tube placement

The main concern with a cage is to make sure that it's truly safe and not just a "decoration" for the interior. Use proper cage plates, tie the seats to the cage (unless you are tying the cage to the frame) and create a cocoon of protection for all the passengers. Triangulate!

If you have a friend offering to build you a cage for $1000 (including materials) he's either a REALLY good friend, or doesn't understand how much effort and time it will take to do it right... or perhaps won't take the time to get the fitment and all the little "details" right for you. Caveat Emptor!

In my view, the only thing worse than not having a rollcage at all is installing a cage that only gives the "illusion" of safety by being poorly planned, poorly welded or both. A quality cage is not cheap or easy to build..... if you plan to add a SAFETY item to your truck, make sure you spend appropriately so that you get what you pay for.


-G