Roll Cage Integrity Question

[Jason4x4]

I got Bad Dog's old cage, and I'm a n00b when it comes to this stuff. But, on the main cage, would it weaken or in any way be a bad idea to drill and tap a hole directly into the tube? I want to mount my gas tank filler neck, but I am thinking about drilling and tapping a hole, so I can bolt it to the tube. The other Idea was to weld a bolt to the tube and slide the hole over and put a bolt on it, which would make it stick out more.

Does that make sense?

 

[rdn2blazer]

If your talking about only one and its NOT a real big BOLT but just a sheet metal type screw, that should be fine i would think. ANY hole on a main structural piece is the begining of where a fracture would usually start but its not an absolute guarantee. I have see pics of tube snapping at a welded joint. Thats where alot of failures are. some body correct me if Im wrong.

 

[RockinChevy]

Weld on a tab and bolt to that...

 

[Jishory]

you could weld a nut over the hole and it would probably negate any structural integrity you would lose

 

[MTBLAZER89]

Weld on a tab and bolt to that...

I am no fab expert by any means, but thats what I was thinking too

 

[rwright07]

just weld a nut on, use a short bolt and a nut on the back side as a spacer

 

[badmix]

Go with a tab. be 5 minutes at a fab shop and itll look "trick". I wouldnt risk the intregrity of the roll bar for a bolt.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

It depends on where you need to drill this hole. Remember that your cage will fail at the weakest point, I bet where your drilling the hole is not the weakest point in the structure. I think you could probably drill a hole there with no problem.

A tab is easy too though