I'm picking up a roll bar from the junkyard for my 88 K5. It's pretty nice, currently in a 82 that's being parted out. It's padded with a snap on cover. Anyway, It's a "typical" 4 point roll bar with the horizontal brace adjacent to the 1/2 top opening. My question is, should I put it in the same way, or is it more useful (or possible) to reverse it and put it in the back? I just bought the blazer and it will be a offroad toy mostly. I don't expect many rear seat passengers. Not sure if it will even work in the rear without much modification. Just wondering in a low speed rollover, would I be better off having it reversed and in the back? Sorry for the lack of pics! They're going to take it out for me and I'll pick it up Monday. I'll probably have to fab up some plates for it either way. It is bolted in just to the floor/wheel well and the plates/bolts are corroded a bit. The tubes are solid.
CK5
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Roll bar placement?
- Thread starter bjr34bass
- Start date
I would use it in the factory location. The cab is not strong, AT ALL, so the bar would add a lot of safety. There was an optional rear bar but those are hard to find and probably cheaper to just make one. Also, the front one has longer feet to reach the floor (in blazers with a dropped floor pan, unlike the 70s blazer with a flat floor behind the front seats). So, if you were to mount it in the rear, the feet will need to be shortened. Really doesn't mater as the best place is in the front.
Hard to tell from the OP's description, are you (bjr...) talking about a rear roll bar like this? or something else...
That's a factory accessory rear mounted roll bar (only good pic I have right now). To mount that behind the cab (in front of the rear wheels) you would need to lengthen the down tubes to reach the lower floor pan in a 78-91 K5. Even then it would be at a funny angle compared to the back of the cab. You'd be better off having one made for behind the cab. Then install the rear one and connect the 2 with a couple of horizontal bars.
That's a factory accessory rear mounted roll bar (only good pic I have right now). To mount that behind the cab (in front of the rear wheels) you would need to lengthen the down tubes to reach the lower floor pan in a 78-91 K5. Even then it would be at a funny angle compared to the back of the cab. You'd be better off having one made for behind the cab. Then install the rear one and connect the 2 with a couple of horizontal bars.
I thought the B-pillar on the k5s were reenforced to hold up in a roll over
GM advertised it as such, but it isn't much to talk about.
Yep. Go to the full top conversion tech article, in the pics you can see it's just an extra layer of sheet metal.
Yeah, the B pillar ain't much:
why is it when I google "k5 upside down" i get pics of dremu's truck???
has anyone first hand witnessed the strength or lack there of?
has anyone first hand witnessed the strength or lack there of?
why is it when I google "k5 upside down" i get pics of dremu's truck???
Yeah, it's an odd pic. I did the full-convert unconversion, aka a half-convertible conversion, to my '74, so that's the roof sitting like a turtle waiting to be welded back on.
-- A
The B pillar reinforcement is enough to maybe save you ONCE. A soft roll or flop and you'll most likely walk away, bumps and bruises aside. A hard roll, a repetetive roll, a fall off a ledge or something like that may lead to a different story.
You can't have enough protection, but for most mild/moderate wheeling, the halfcab provides ok protection. Ever hear the saying "The best defense is a good offense"? That applies to wheeling your street driven 4x4. Know your rigs capabilities and your driving skills before going into that obstacle to make sure you come out the other side OK.
You can't have enough protection, but for most mild/moderate wheeling, the halfcab provides ok protection. Ever hear the saying "The best defense is a good offense"? That applies to wheeling your street driven 4x4. Know your rigs capabilities and your driving skills before going into that obstacle to make sure you come out the other side OK.
I had planed on tying the hoop I have behind the rear bench to the B. Figured it was good horizontal support for shoulder belts. Sounds like if i get serious an upgrade is in the works.
