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S&W Cage question

sandawgk5

sandawgk5

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Since I am getting a welder here in the next week or two I need to start saving for a cage for the K5. I have pretty much decided I am going to go with a prebent unit from S&W. I have read nothing but good reviews aboot them.

Question #1. I cannot seem to find their family cage addition on their website and does anyone on here have it so I can see how it looks. I will prolly end up modifying it to resemble the old cage in the UAV where it ends just aft of the rear seat.

Question #2. I have pretty much made up my mind to get the more expensive DOM cage as it is 1.75" X .120. The 10 point cage is $450 before shipping. I do not own a bender or have access to one so I feel this is a resonable price. Is it? The HREW Cage is ~$280 I think the extra $170 for DOM is well worth it. Talk me out of DOM if you can:D.

Question #3. Do the main bars for the S&W cage have sufficient length to allow me to run them through the dash speaker holes vice outside of the dash?

That is pretty much it for now and yes I will practice, practice, practice before I start any welding on the cage. This is still the planning phase and prolly will not be purchased until Oct time frame.

Thanks

Ira
 
sandawgk5 said:
Since I am getting a welder here in the next week or two I need to start saving for a cage for the K5. I have pretty much decided I am going to go with a prebent unit from S&W. I have read nothing but good reviews aboot them.

Question #1. I cannot seem to find their family cage addition on their website and does anyone on here have it so I can see how it looks. I will prolly end up modifying it to resemble the old cage in the UAV where it ends just aft of the rear seat.

Question #2. I have pretty much made up my mind to get the more expensive DOM cage as it is 1.75" X .120. The 10 point cage is $450 before shipping. I do not own a bender or have access to one so I feel this is a resonable price. Is it? The HREW Cage is ~$280 I think the extra $170 for DOM is well worth it. Talk me out of DOM if you can:D.

Question #3. Do the main bars for the S&W cage have sufficient length to allow me to run them through the dash speaker holes vice outside of the dash?

That is pretty much it for now and yes I will practice, practice, practice before I start any welding on the cage. This is still the planning phase and prolly will not be purchased until Oct time frame.

Thanks

Ira
Click to expand...

As far as I know they still have the family cage. I bought the 10pt with family around a year ago and I like it. I also changed it up a little. The bars will not reach through the dash but only because the hoop is too short not the acctual bars. I will be redoing the front part of the cage due to my hight. Im 6'2" and my head gets pretty close to the hoop. DOM is well worth it. Ill see if I can find the pics.
 
Here's the basic shape of the "family" portion. I obviously don't have much reinforcement or triangulation built in since the only thing it's protecting is the tool box and spare tire right now, but the kit does come with more tube you can add on. My future plans is to install a backseat at which time more tubing will be added.

I think the A-pillar bars could possibly of been run through the speaker holes and met up with the top hoop, but can't say for certain.

I'm a solid 6-1 and have never had a problem hitting my head even with the thick 1" padding on the bars. The bars are tucked up fairly tight against the roof, so not sure how to give me more headroom without cutting the roof off.

I don't think the DOM option is bad, just probably not really necessary.
DSC05321.jpg
 
I went with the DOM kit, it went together real easy. You might just have to adjust the notches a little for better fit, but its no big deal. I still have add the dash and door bars. I was in a rush to get it done.

Let me know if you want any close up pics.
 
muddermilitia said:
I went with the DOM kit, it went together real easy. You might just have to adjust the notches a little for better fit, but its no big deal. I still have add the dash and door bars. I was in a rush to get it done.

Let me know if you want any close up pics.
Click to expand...

Ya specifically the A pillar bar how it interacts with the dash and where the B pillar bar is located. Will I have to weld underneath the hardtop much for the b pillar?

Ira
 
Here's a few pics that I have saved. If you'd like I could snap a few tomarrow.
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2186902_108_full.jpg

2186902_107_full.jpg

2186902_141_full.jpg


The first and last pics are after I painted the cage. It was difficult but I was able to weld up the whole thing with out cutting any holes in the floor. Oh and your gonna have to take out your windshield.

It should be easier for you since your installing it in a k-5 body. You have more room to work with.
 
Why does the windshield have to come out? I see they use a halo and apillar/bpillar bars so that helps alittle. I would hope I can tuck my a pillar bar closer in and hopefully down through the dash rather than outside.

Ira
 
sandawgk5 said:
Why does the windshield have to come out? I see they use a halo and apillar/bpillar bars so that helps alittle. I would hope I can tuck my a pillar bar closer in and hopefully down through the dash rather than outside.

Ira
Click to expand...
I say the windshield has to come out so you can get a good weld on the front corners of the cage (where a-pillar meets top halo) You may be able to do it with the windshield in, I dont know I put my cage in after I swapped the pickupcab on my k-5 but before I installed the windshield.

Also I placed the a-pillar bars so that the mount to the floor just above where the body mounts are. I did this for more strength. I'll try and get some more pics of the rear tubes tomarrow, I'll take out the seats to get a better view.
 
I was just wondering in the pic of the cage in the cab of the red truck you could see where the tube was close to the e-brake handle, I was wondering if that would have to be move or if it worked in stock location?
 
Hey mudder-

How did you mount it.....sandwich plates to the floor, or straight to the frame? I have an s&w cage kit in the garage and the directions say to weld it to the frame. I dont know if your was pre-notched....but none of mine is.
-Harrison
 
I hated the s&w cage I bought, It was to much of a universal cage. It really did not fit the k5 well. I would recommend spending a little more money and getting a custom one done. Here are some pics of my k5 with the S&W cage vs the custom built cage.

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515219_176_full.jpg

515219_188_full.jpg

515219_190_full.jpg

Blazermuddy002Large.jpg

Blazermuddy003Large.jpg

Blazermuddy004Large.jpg
 
I was also looking at this one. It could use some triangulation but then again so could the S&W kit. The 8 point is about the same price as the 10 point with family cage of the S&W with the only difference being the 2 extra points at the b pillar. It also is 2" DOM vice 1.75" DOM. I am not a big fan of the points on the fenders but I think that could be worked around.

I think as a base to start from the EOR kit might be a better start.

Ira
 
Ya the more I look at the pics the more I dislike the S&W cage. I really do not like how the cage interfaces or does not interface with the dash. It seems to me like it should be tighter to the dash. I guess if I did not run doors then I could put the cage outside the dash but that is just a pain.

Thanks for the pics.

Does anyone have any experience with EOR and their cages?

Ira
 
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