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Integrated Rollcage into the Body

Sandman

Sandman

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After Upper HellDorado this year, Its time for some high body armor. I dont really like the idea of an exoskeleton and I dont want to cut the body off as I do other types of wheeling. I think the answer is to integrate the roll cage into the body. Like cut the fenders up and bend the tube to follow the body and then weld the body to the tube. Maybe even cut out the body bends and put tube in there as well. I've seen this done on a Landcruiser and it looked real good. Has anybody seen this or thoughts on it? Thanks.
 
I thought about running tube through the bedsides right above the bodyline so it would only make it about 1/2" wider on each side, tie them into cage so it could handle side loads, then I could still run soft top, am I crazy?
 
Exoskeletons are cool /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif /forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif
 
You could always Zues your panels onto a sub body cage.. then when you get to the trail head.. take the body panels off to expose the tubing - body stays looking good (and legal) for the street.
 
Something like that is what I had in mind. I still wanted to run the softop and tailgate. Tying it into an inside rollcage sounds like a good idea.
 
I'm doing something like that to my son's K5 right now. We cut the rockers out and raised new rockers (made from 2x3x3/16 square tube) up to cover the lower door hinge mounts. Front and back fenders are cut straight all the way out from that line. The rear of the bed (was rusted) is replaced with more of the rocker tube, and will be the base of the rear roll cage. The wheel wells will also be cut out about 2.5" (to the inner fender). 1.75" roll bar material will be mounted to the back of the rocker, routed up and over to from a new wheel well lip, and tied into the new back piece (which runs through the notched rear posts out to the outer skin). This will form a perimeter of sturdy metal all the way round the back from cowl to cowl, but it's up high and out of the way. From the cowl forward, things are a bit less sturdy. I haven't figured out how to do the fenders and keep them removable. I would like to weld the tube into the front of the rockers like the back, but then it will be hard to keep the fenders lined up with it so it looks right. If I weld the tube to the sheet like in the back, how do I attach it rigidly to the rocker without some big honking ugly bracket thing (like on my truggy, where I don't care about looks). Also, in the front, I'm thinking it's not worth it to replace the lower boxed portion of the core support (which is pretty strong already) where the fender tubes will be tied in. This all mounts to the body, and the cage ties into the perimeter, plus it spans the frame for seat mounts and such. The frame is still completely separate, and high clearance tube bumpers will be mounted to it front and rear...
 
I think I wanted it to stay sealed up. I still do Mud bogging and the weather can get nasty up here sometimes. I basically wanted the complete body but be able to slide along rocks if I needed to without worry.
 
Not much yet, still in pieces. PM me after this week end, we should have the rockers and new floors finished by then. Right now, all I could show you is the rear cross piece, the cobbled up and partially finished rockers, and lots of missing sheet metal. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif It sets about 2" higher now than when we started... But there is no remaining rust (at least not worse than surface rust), and it's going back together far stronger than it was at it's peak...
 
Here is what I sorta have in mind..

Bear with me here. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

roll.jpg
 
What about possibly running a few tabs threw the body about 1" past it. You could make some new protective panels out of diamond plate or something. They would be shaped like the body, and sit 1" from it. You bolt the exopanels to the tabs and you have a body you can beat up and not worry about. Then you unbolt the panels and you have your stock sheetmetal underneith unmolested. You can always replace panels if they get to beat also. This might be stupid or very hard to do, but just a thought.
 
I'm basically looking at a mod that I can do and then just forget about. The panel thing might turn into a hassle to mess with.
 
There you go. I would just take the tubes and actually weld them into the body. But yeah, that type of idea.
 
I dont know if this is what you're getting at and it's not a chevy, but ideas are best left limitless.

TB cage
[image]http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=1369434[/image]
 
Not quite. I wish I had taken a pic of the Landcruiser that I saw that had it.

Say you use a 1.5" tube for the cage. You would actually cut a 1.5" channel through the body and then fill in the gap with the tube. Weld the body to the tube and then paint the tube the same color as the body. You could connect the back side of the tubing to an internal cage or something to give it support.
 
Sounds like a neat idea, but a TON of work. the body work would want to warp when you welded it, the tubing wouldn't be as strong where you welded it either. Could you imagine replacing fenders? Ouch. Hate to say it, but sounds like what you need is a jeep. EXO it and you're still narrower than a K5. Ask those guys on por how they like their exos...they don't save the body completely, you'd still be bashing the body and then repacement? YUCK!
 
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