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Suggestions please!!!

T

tayv

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Would you suggest cutting the top off before I install the windshield supports and roll cage. I was going to chop it first to make it easier to put in the cage but a friend suggested that the truck may cave in two. Any ideas from personal experience?
 
It's a 76 Cheyanne, I just thought it would be a lot easier to cut it off and then work on the cage without the thing in the way. I am planning on welding the cage to the shield. I have heard from two people that have done that and the have had no problems
 
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It's a 76 Cheyanne, I just thought it would be a lot easier to cut it off and then work on the cage without the thing in the way. I am planning on welding the cage to the shield. I have heard from two people that have done that and the have had no problems


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Measure the door opening. Then tack a bar in accros the door opening before cutting off the top. That should be plenty while the work is being done.

When Yeild did his it took a few days for it to start sagging. I ssme to recall he ended up jacking on the rockers till the doors came back into alignment then tied the cage into the winsheild header.

If you look at that picture of Steve's truck in his post real close you can tell the drivers door is out of alignment if it's fully closed.
 
Should I Weld in My Rock sliders first? That would help with the support yeah? And you guys think it would bew easier to install a cage without the Top on right?
 
Should I use a bender or cut and weld the angles of the cage? Some say the metal is weakened by the bender and others say the weld never holds or isn't strong enough
 
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If you look at that picture of Steve's truck in his post real close you can tell the drivers door is out of alignment if it's fully closed.

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Ummm, it's always been like that /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif The doors still open the same, it might have dropped a tad but nothing I realy noticed.
When you do cut the top make sure to cut the windshield part first then the sides, a friend of mine did it the other way and the windshield shook worse that Michael J Fox after a night of heavy drinking.
 
I was going to cut the top after the cage install but it is going to be much easier/cheaper to cut the top first, that way the section that drops down is not effecting the design, I would not cut the top until right before the cage goes in, not sure if it would settle or not but no point in driving it or encouraging it to sag in any way.

Disclaimer: It shouldn't cave in two unless you just kept on cutting through the floor and frame. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
Before you bolt down the cage/frame tie in, just jack the body up until the doors shut the way you want them to.
 
Yes, I would weld in your rockers first. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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the windshield shook worse that Michael J Fox after a night of heavy drinking.

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/forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Thats pretty bad shaking there, sir! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

BTW, whats Michael J. to you...brother, cousin, etc.? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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[ QUOTE ]
If you look at that picture of Steve's truck in his post real close you can tell the drivers door is out of alignment if it's fully closed.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ummm, it's always been like that /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif The doors still open the same, it might have dropped a tad but nothing I realy noticed.
When you do cut the top make sure to cut the windshield part first then the sides, a friend of mine did it the other way and the windshield shook worse that Michael J Fox after a night of heavy drinking.

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ahhahah That's why I put the "If the doors are closed".

Help section, get the bronze bushings and 5/16 I believe it is 5 inch long bolt with two nuts each bolt. That will get your door pinned for easier removal AND fix thos saggy doors. Cant have the CK5 truck looking junky....Junky is my truck LOL.
 
Alright, Sounds like what I Can try to do this. What about the cage? Should I use a Bender or jsut cut and weld all of the angles with straight pipe? A few people mentioned that it was more work to cut and weld opposed to just bending it, but it would be much stronger. What size and kind of Metal do you reccomend for a full cage, "familycage"
 
A bent corner on a piece of tube is technically weaker than a straight piece because the outside part thins out somewhat during the bend process. That is why we generally use thicker than necessary tubing so that the thinner part is still thick enough for the designed job.

Without doing a formal poll I think most would agree that the most common wall thickness used is .120"-.125", and that may thin out 10 to 12 thou or so in the bend.

Cutting and welding all the corners is not a good option aside from how ugly it would be...

If you plan on building your own cage please budget 40 or so hours for research before beginning. That may be conservative.../forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif Use the search feature here, as well as on Pirate. Read every article you can find, study every picture. It's not as easy as you might think and your life could depend on how well it's built.

Rene
 
I have been trying to learn as much s possibble. I am almost tempted to buy the smitty built pre fab and then add on to it. I thought that might be a safe and promising alternative to just attempting it on my own. Have you seen the Smitty built installed? there are no Pics on the web and I want to get a closer look at it.
 
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