Want to raise roll cage 1" or so

[mo]

I picked up a 6 pt roll cage the other day, but it hangs pretty low and there is another inch or so of room I could raise it up if possible, so I was wondering if it is even safe, what would be the most practical way...

6 1" aluminum blocks 5x5 would cost $150 to have cut at a place around here. i don't have nor want to spend that kind of money. is there another way? I didn't get a qoute on steel, but i don't really want to drill 18 holes in 1" steel plate... I don't know if I would trust using wood...

Or should i just leave it?

thx

 

[dremu]

Wood?

The karmatically correct way would be to cut the tubes, sleeve them, and weld in extensions.

Or put up with it. 1" plate steel will cost you more than you want to know, plus you get into bolt strength issues, etc etc etc.

-- A

 

[mo]

i'll just leave it then i guess. I'm not gonna cut and sleeve it.

But i'd figure bolt strength would be much less of a concern than the strength of the floor it's bolted to...

 

[rdn2blazer]

I would cut off the cage feet and bevel the cage ends for later welding. slide a piece of tubing that fits inside the cage tube with a good close fit. have it go inside say 3 to 4 inches and stick out the 1 in. rise you want. tack weld the tube you slide inside to the cage. then cut your 1 in. cage piece of tube and bevel both ends, slide the piece over the insert piece of tube with the bevel end meeting the cage. make sure the insert and the 1 in piece are flush at the end where the feet goes back on.

now weld around the tube in the beveled seam with good penetration so it welds the inserted tube too. then weld back on your mounting feet with good penetration so it welds the insert too, gusset up past your 1 in. rise weld by atleast say 2 to 3 inches. so your gusset will be about 3 to 4 inches tall. put atleast 3, preferably 4 gussets per cage foot. that way your rise is double walled and backed up be gusseting in 4 stress directions. I think this would work.

there are a bunch of ways to do this, some easier then others. if its done right it will still be strong.

 

[Mudstud]

Yes sleeve it, two ways to go about it- cut it, drill some holes in the side of the existing tube, slide a new piece inside each half and plug weld the holes and around each seam. Prolly want to do that near the bottom so it's not as noticable. Could always cut a bunch of 1" pieces to fill the gap around the sleeve. Or cur it near the bottom and use a larger diameter piece down to the base. Hmm- basically sleeve it on the outside or inside.