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Roll Cage ?

Yeah, I got one from SW Race Cars. Not too bad. It does take some tweaking here and there. Make sure you order the "family extension" or something like that. It gives you the tubes that go over the rear seat and into the cargo area.
 
NorCal_Chris said:
As far as i know Smittybuilt was the only one but they arent making them anymore.

Ive heard you can get one from http://www.swracecars.com/ even though it isnt listed on their site. try calling them
Click to expand...


Its there!:D

DOM
13-1519
Family Bar - 73-87 Blazer - $99.95$99.9511-1519-DOM
10 Point Roll Cage - $499.95$499.9513-1519
Family Bar - 73-87 Blazer - $99.95$99.9511-1519-DOM
10 Point Roll Cage - $499.95$499.95http://www.swracecars.com/store/10-Point-Roll-Cage-OSCARItem_110=11-1519-DOM.aspx

EWS
http://www.swracecars.com/store/10-Point-Roll-Cage-OSCARItem_34=11-1519.aspx


Family Cage
http://www.swracecars.com/store/Family-Bar---73-87-Blazer-OSCARItem_252=13-1519.aspx
 
Can anyone chime in with some feedback or installed pics of one of those essentially off road cages? I'm curious how tight they fit to the top and the dash. Look like kind of a sloppy fit.
 
I'd be interested in seeing pics of the "SWRaceCars" roll cage and "Family Bar." I'm just debating if I'm going with a pre-fabbed cage or save up and spend the extra money for a custom cage. My goal is added safety. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Member Cegusman on here had a S&W cage in his rig while he was building it but ended up tearing it all out and built his own custom cage. Hopefully he'll chime in here to tell why and be able to give his input on the S&W cage.

Scott
 
I just recently installed a 10 point S&W cage in my blazer. It did require some tweaking including notching, also the 2 rear poles don't fit with the back seat so we modded them to fit to the top of the rear fenders. Other than that the next best thing would be bending your own but I'm quite happy with the S&W. Check my build thread for a few pics.
 
Hmmm...

Hey Nazareth I was wondering if you could get me some pictures of how close that S&W 10 point fit to the top of the back of the cab, and maybe some measurements of the distance from the bottom of the (top) of the cab to the bar in the back. I was just thinking I found a guy with a rear option roll bar, and if the measurements are close enough I will tie that rear bar to the s&w 10 point and box in the back for the nieces and nephews to roll around in the back seat.
 
IF you can afford to buy a cage kit you CAN afford to buy a cheap bender and notcher to do it yourself. HREW tube is chreap and good enough for a first cage. You can save some money over DOM tube unless you just want DOM. I HIGHLY recommend doing it yourself for the learning lessons you will learn, for the satisfaction you will get from doing it your self too. If you don't have a welder find a buddy who has one to help you out. Find pics of cages and copy others designs. It's NOT hard to do IMHO. Then, you have a bender for doing what ever you want.
 
I have a welder and can weld really well but to build a cage that I think I would like to put in this truck. I would have to spend 5-600 on a decent bender and thats not even a really good one, and the 10 point cage from s&w cost $279. I doubt I can buy the materials for the cage under 200 by the time I screw up 5 or 6 joints of pipe getting the angles or distances wrong. I would be nice if someone actually already had a bolt in cage built to put in our trucks. I wonder how many 73-87-91 body style trucks-blazers-suburbans are still out there, and alot of people have turned them into hot rods or off road vehicles and there is still more options for a CJ5 than our trucks. Its a good thing I dont like jeeps at this point.
 
i HIGHLY recommend the "be patient and buy the stuff yourself and learn it" approach that Rob recommends... not for everyones situation, but I still think those learned skills are great....

I know 73k5blazer has mentioned how he's disappointed with the SW now that he's added on to it with his own tube...
 
Well here's the situation that I am in :

# 1 - I have everything for my 6.0L/4L80E swap now and it took 6 months for me to just gather up the parts because of my limited time at home. I work in the oil field and stay on locations for 3-4 weeks at a time. When I get away from that I have maybe just an afternoon off and I will get called back to another location.

# 2 - I have never bent any pipe or tubing and dont know that I would be any good at it. So theres no telling how long it would take me and how many miles of pipe that i would half to bend into curly q's just to make a simple roll cage.

#3 - The reason that I would like to see a bolt in is that I would rather not take the entire interior out of my truck so that I can weld and not destroy the seats-dash-carpet-etc.

I mean I see the point that you guys are trying to make with the s&w cage but I just figured that would be a base frame to start from and I would be deleting and adding things. Is the s&w cage really that bad? Anyone have a decent pipe bender that i can borrow? I have my bumpers built and the only thing that I would need it for is my cage. I dont want to spend tons of money on something im going to use for a week and place in the corner of the shop to take up space.
 
From the pics I've seen, it seems that the S&W cage design isn't very driver/passenger/cargo friendly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it just seems that the design of the S&W cage limits cargo space and passenger space. I'm leaning towards just saving up and getting a custom cage put in.
 
nbilby said:
Well here's the situation that I am in :

# 1 - I have everything for my 6.0L/4L80E swap now and it took 6 months for me to just gather up the parts because of my limited time at home. I work in the oil field and stay on locations for 3-4 weeks at a time. When I get away from that I have maybe just an afternoon off and I will get called back to another location.

My project has taken years and is still not done, it is what it is. It takes as long as it takes.

# 2 - I have never bent any pipe or tubing and dont know that I would be any good at it. So theres no telling how long it would take me and how many miles of pipe that i would half to bend into curly q's just to make a simple roll cage.

I never bent one single tube before I bought my bender. To date I have not wasted one single tube or misbent anything, thats two cages and one tube bunper and I'm building a rear one now. Take your time, tripple measure and go for it. IF you make a mistake you can use THAT piece for something else, either as a whole or cut it up and use it. I used "Bending 101" from Pirate 4x4 to get started WITHOUT fancy bending software. I just bought Bend Tech's Bend Tech Pro3D but have not even installed it into my computer yet. Bending is easy to figure out IMHO.

#3 - The reason that I would like to see a bolt in is that I would rather not take the entire interior out of my truck so that I can weld and not destroy the seats-dash-carpet-etc.


If you buy a cage kit unless it is a bolt together ONLY then you will have to weld it in to some degree. Buy cheap Harbor Freight welding blankets and have a fire extinguisher ready.


I mean I see the point that you guys are trying to make with the s&w cage but I just figured that would be a base frame to start from and I would be deleting and adding things. Is the s&w cage really that bad? Anyone have a decent pipe bender that i can borrow? I have my bumpers built and the only thing that I would need it for is my cage. I dont want to spend tons of money on something im going to use for a week and place in the corner of the shop to take up space.[/quote]



How would you feel if you bought the S&W cage and got it all in and in the end were not satisfied with it or it just did not give the head clearence necessary? PISSED I bet. Atleast IF you were to give it a shot and do your own you can take you time and make it right. One section at a time, look at it, tack it in and move to the next piece of tube. Weld it all in when your TOTALLY SATISFIED with it. OR, you can make it a true bolt in yourself. It does not HAVE to be a weld in cage. Your just doing the bending.

Make it a bolt in cage using sleeving and bolt methods. Buy a used tube bender, use it to make a "good" cage, then sell it. Buy one then rent it out to close friends only, it will pay for itself, or go in halfs with a buddy, store it at his house, use it when ya want/need to. $600 bucks will get you a new manual bender and a 1 3/4 die. I would build yourown stand. buy a cheap notcher and your ready to bend. You can find ton of pics of home made bender stands. I can post mine too. Mine index's to 6 different posistions incase I need to rotate the bender.

I understand you issues, I really do. How little time we all have now a days is insane. I'm busy as hell, hence the reason my K5 has taken sooo long. Ofcourse me fabricating $ machining almost every part of my rig does not help either. But anyone can do a regular build or a budget build. I have almost never been satisfied with ANY after market part I have ever bought. I always modify it in some way. Don't be afraid, if you have any mechanical skills at all you will do fine. Access your time, make the time, it can happen. I'm always rooting the home fab do it yourself kinda guy. I buy stuff too, when it's just NOT worth making. A cage was worth investing in and doing it myself IMHO.



My cage thread

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229674
Click to expand...
 
nbilby said:
Well here's the situation that I am in :

# 1 - I have everything for my 6.0L/4L80E swap now and it took 6 months for me to just gather up the parts because of my limited time at home. I work in the oil field and stay on locations for 3-4 weeks at a time. When I get away from that I have maybe just an afternoon off and I will get called back to another location.

# 2 - I have never bent any pipe or tubing and dont know that I would be any good at it. So theres no telling how long it would take me and how many miles of pipe that i would half to bend into curly q's just to make a simple roll cage.

#3 - The reason that I would like to see a bolt in is that I would rather not take the entire interior out of my truck so that I can weld and not destroy the seats-dash-carpet-etc.

I mean I see the point that you guys are trying to make with the s&w cage but I just figured that would be a base frame to start from and I would be deleting and adding things. Is the s&w cage really that bad? Anyone have a decent pipe bender that i can borrow? I have my bumpers built and the only thing that I would need it for is my cage. I dont want to spend tons of money on something im going to use for a week and place in the corner of the shop to take up space.
Click to expand...

any decent fab shops near ya? might be worth having them start a quality cage that you can add to down the road when budget allows......
 
I recomend to anyone bending tubing to buy the Bed-tech EZ or Pro software. I have had mine for years and have not wasted any tubing on any project. At least buy the basic for hoop bending.

The truck is still a 4 seat for adults.

http://www.bend-tech.com/


IM000430.jpg

IM000423.jpg

IM000488.jpg
 
I just recently installed the S&W. In my honest opinion its a great kit. It took about 2 weekends to install. It's a very basic starter cage for someone who isn't going to full on flop the truck over on its top but wants to wheel harder than average. My 6,2 dad fits comfortably in the truck with it installed. It does not affect cargo room at all. The worst part about it is the bar that goes behind the driver and passenger seat that braces the hoop. It goes all the way across making it hard for the rear seat passengers to get in or out. If you wanted to you could easily mod it to stop behind the seats like most others have done with their custom cages though. In the end I'm happy with it. Custom cages are great and most likely better in the end. That may of been the root we would of taken if we had a bender and notcher. Thats just my 2 cents.
 
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