cage questions???

[rubbinz raczn]

just wondering on the direction i should head on my project. i want to keep cab mostly intact but want a cage so here are my questions. i know you guys say welding cage to frame is bad. i want to do an in cab cage also a rear tube structure above frame rails to protect fuel cell and optimas. also front is getting narrowed. so i think it would be easier to junk the radiator support and run tube then skin the fenders on that. on the rear section i can make it bolt on, the cab is weld in. also can i run down tubes from the main cab hoop to rear structure? i would like to tie all 3 together if possible any thoughts? thanks

 

[rubbinz raczn]

ttt

 

[Hossbaby50]

Keep it all mounted to the frame or none of it mounted to the frame. You can use rubber bushings sandwiched between a plate and the frame to tie it to the frame but still keep it floating like the cab is. This will allow for a little movement between the 2 but still keep them bolted together and strong. All the tube should be interconnected, triangulated, and gusseted. It should also all be mounted to the frame with the bushing like I mentioned.

Harley

 

[az-k5]

I am going to do the same on mine shortly. I would highly suggest using bushings at all tie ins. Stock Jeep YJ bushings are 1.25" OD and use 1.5" .120 wall tube with 1/2" bolts. The stock GM rear bushings are 1.5" OD and use 1.75" .120 wall tube with 9/16" bolts. 2" tube doesn't cope nicely to 1.5" but it will work pretty well with 1.75" so where there is a 2" tube to the frame use the GM bushings and for simple straight tube gussets with a low chance of direct impact using 1.5" tube as the spreader with the YJ bushings makes it a lot easier. The main impact zones of my cage are 2" and all of the extra stuff is 1.5". I have pics in my sig if you want an idea of the size difference and look.

 

[85mudblazin]

your sig link doesnt work

 

[Hossbaby50]

It does for me.

Harley

 

[rubbinz raczn]

I am going to do the same on mine shortly. I would highly suggest using bushings at all tie ins. Stock Jeep YJ bushings are 1.25" OD and use 1.5" .120 wall tube with 1/2" bolts. The stock GM rear bushings are 1.5" OD and use 1.75" .120 wall tube with 9/16" bolts. 2" tube doesn't cope nicely to 1.5" but it will work pretty well with 1.75" so where there is a 2" tube to the frame use the GM bushings and for simple straight tube gussets with a low chance of direct impact using 1.5" tube as the spreader with the YJ bushings makes it a lot easier. The main impact zones of my cage are 2" and all of the extra stuff is 1.5". I have pics in my sig if you want an idea of the size difference and look.

the bushing thing sounds like the ticket! ORD sell bushing kit with the shell for $10-$12 bucks they have a 3" wide x2" d with .120 wall or a 1.875 dom 3 inches wide both 12 bucks bolts included. then i guess it would be a matter of making brackets to weld to the tube to accept the 3 inch wide bushing. so say i wanted to tie rear-cab-front together i could use 3/8"x3" flat stock then weld tube to that then bolt to frame with a bushing or flat rubber stock. the cabe cage would be welded to cab floor. the front could be like the rear but where front-cab-rear intersect there would be bushings? i want to retain the back of cab but could leave the window out and run down tubes from there. how many tie in points should i try to get? i know as many as possible but minimum? the front would have to go through firewall.

 

[Emmettology 101]

Check out the cage they did in Petersens in the Ultimate Taco buildup. It goes front to rear and is all tied into the frame(if i remember correctly)...


What you're saying about welding the cage to the cab floor doesn't sound good. If you mount it to the cab, use a plate bolted to the floor. But if you tie the rear part of the cage into the frame, then tie the cab part into the frame also, dont weld it to the floor. I wouldn't weld it to the floor at all. Either use a sandwiched plate set-up or bring the tube down through the floor and directly to the frame...

 

[az-k5]

your sig link doesnt work

I fixed it.