handloader90
Building!
What are the appropriate sizes and thicknesses of DOM for building a full cage?
CK5
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Which DOM sizes and thicknesses for full cage?
- Thread starter handloader90
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People argue about 1-3/4"x.120 or 2"x.120", but either is fine if the cage is designed well.
handloader90
Building!
Thanks for the info!
Do you guys at ORD mind if I mimic some of the tubework you did on Wally? I really like how you guys mounted the fuel cell in the back with the tubing.
I plan on keeping the cab, cab roof, doors and firewall. I want to tube the front end and use the factory sheet metal as skins and pretty much the same with the rear.
I plan on cutting the "bed" from the cab and cutting sheet metal to fit and fill where I made the cuts and use the "bed" sheet metal as skins.
I might be able to fit a soft top over the cage, but I'm leaning more towards a bikini style top.
Out of the 1.75" and the 2" which would personally recommend? I'm guessing 2".
Do you guys at ORD mind if I mimic some of the tubework you did on Wally? I really like how you guys mounted the fuel cell in the back with the tubing.
I plan on keeping the cab, cab roof, doors and firewall. I want to tube the front end and use the factory sheet metal as skins and pretty much the same with the rear.
I plan on cutting the "bed" from the cab and cutting sheet metal to fit and fill where I made the cuts and use the "bed" sheet metal as skins.
I might be able to fit a soft top over the cage, but I'm leaning more towards a bikini style top.
Out of the 1.75" and the 2" which would personally recommend? I'm guessing 2".
ton's of people with nice 1.75 cages.. moreso than 2, by a fair amount I'd guess..
I went 2 on my K5.. I just think it gives a stouter look overall... obviously a bit tighter to work with..
I went 2 on my K5.. I just think it gives a stouter look overall... obviously a bit tighter to work with..
You could design a stronger cage from 3/4" PVC than 2" DOM if you don't know what your doing.
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You could design a stronger cage from 3/4" PVC than 2" DOM if you don't know what your doing.
That there is funny cuz it's true
My B & C hoops, connectors between them, and kickouts are 2". The rest is 1.75. I'll probably do 1.75 for my A hoop and connectors, just for the little extra headroom.
I went 2", .120 will for ABC hoops. 1.5" for all other tubing work. I've never tested it, so I can't say how well it works.
I am lighter than you but my 1.75" .120 wall cage held up pretty good ( I didn't die) after kind of a brutal roll. I am gonna try to do my main hoops out of 2" and everything else will be 1.75 and 1.5 on the new cage.
2" .120 wall Dom around here is over 7 bucks a foot she I can get 1.75 .120 wall for just over 4 bucks a foot. It seems to ring true lots of places and I think thats a solid reason. You see way more 1.75" cages
2" .120 wall Dom around here is over 7 bucks a foot she I can get 1.75 .120 wall for just over 4 bucks a foot. It seems to ring true lots of places and I think thats a solid reason. You see way more 1.75" cages
handloader90
Building!
Thanks for the info guys, I'm going to call around locally and get prices for 1.75" and 2".
What did you guys do to design you cages, I've got a CAD program, but it's kind of hard to learn how to use it. What's the best method of doing this? Drawing it out on paper and using a measuring tape a lot? I want everything to be symetrical, same lengths and to turn out good and we'll designed from a safety aspect.
What did you guys do to design you cages, I've got a CAD program, but it's kind of hard to learn how to use it. What's the best method of doing this? Drawing it out on paper and using a measuring tape a lot? I want everything to be symetrical, same lengths and to turn out good and we'll designed from a safety aspect.
Dont get too hung up on the symmetry the thing. I doubt your truck is.
Couple of the things. Triangles good squares and rectangles bad. No dead nodes. Be very careful about head clearance. In a roll if you have the stock seat belt you are going to move around alot.
Remember an improperly built cage can kill you to death.
I usually build my B pillar and work out from there. If you are unsure of your bending skills get some thinner wall , usually.090 hrew tube and make lots of notes .
Or get bendtech
Couple of the things. Triangles good squares and rectangles bad. No dead nodes. Be very careful about head clearance. In a roll if you have the stock seat belt you are going to move around alot.
Remember an improperly built cage can kill you to death.
I usually build my B pillar and work out from there. If you are unsure of your bending skills get some thinner wall , usually.090 hrew tube and make lots of notes .
Or get bendtech
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I used 2 inch .120 wall DOM after asking around. I asked the stock car race guys I knew and they said the same, 1 3/4 if you want it smaller or 2 inch if you want bigger. We just started with the B hoop behind the driver and went from there no real design laid out just used tape and broom sticks, conduit etc and put it together piece by piece.
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If someday it changes to more hard core or buggy poser I will be adding more bars to create more triangles. But for now I think its fine for what I do.
handloader90
Building!
70jimmy that roll cage looks pretty slick!
70jimmy, when you built you cage was any of the building done inside of the vehicle to make sure everything was the right length and you bends contoured to the inside of the vehicle (or however you wanted them?
How are you mounting this thing in you vehicle? I've read about welding straight to the frame giving you strength but also stressing the welds ans such when the frame and body flex. I've read and seen how someone had used a bushing welded to the frame with some DOM going up to a plate and the roll cage having a plate on the floor and bolting the two together like a sandwich.
Just looking for ideas and info on how to build a sturdy cage, how to mount it properly and learn the "terms" and exactly what they are i.e. Pillars, hoops, spreaders etc.
So let me pick your brain some... I've searched google for Roll Cage A Pillar, B Pillar, A Hoop and B Hoop. All separate searches. I didn't come up with too much info that pinpointed which each item was. Can you inform me on what is what? Also, what are spreader and where do they go?
70jimmy, when you built you cage was any of the building done inside of the vehicle to make sure everything was the right length and you bends contoured to the inside of the vehicle (or however you wanted them?
How are you mounting this thing in you vehicle? I've read about welding straight to the frame giving you strength but also stressing the welds ans such when the frame and body flex. I've read and seen how someone had used a bushing welded to the frame with some DOM going up to a plate and the roll cage having a plate on the floor and bolting the two together like a sandwich.
Just looking for ideas and info on how to build a sturdy cage, how to mount it properly and learn the "terms" and exactly what they are i.e. Pillars, hoops, spreaders etc.
So let me pick your brain some... I've searched google for Roll Cage A Pillar, B Pillar, A Hoop and B Hoop. All separate searches. I didn't come up with too much info that pinpointed which each item was. Can you inform me on what is what? Also, what are spreader and where do they go?
handloader90
Building!
FYI,
I'll be pulling the dash and trimming the dash skeleton all the way up to the firewall leaving about 1" or so of sheetmetal so the windshield still has some support.
I'll be using a 2.5' or so long piece of sheet metal for the "dash" (gauges only, maybe some little blinker LED's too). That's the only part of a "dash" that I plan on running.
I plan on running dual batteries in an Artec mount on the passenger side up against the firewall.
I'll be using a 40MM ammo can as my center console mounted between driver and passenger PRP seats and cut the top of the ammo can out to accommodate several 12Volt Guy panels.
I'm guessing I'll have a little more room to work with than some since I'm not keeping anything original to the vehicle in the cab.
I'll be pulling the dash and trimming the dash skeleton all the way up to the firewall leaving about 1" or so of sheetmetal so the windshield still has some support.
I'll be using a 2.5' or so long piece of sheet metal for the "dash" (gauges only, maybe some little blinker LED's too). That's the only part of a "dash" that I plan on running.
I plan on running dual batteries in an Artec mount on the passenger side up against the firewall.
I'll be using a 40MM ammo can as my center console mounted between driver and passenger PRP seats and cut the top of the ammo can out to accommodate several 12Volt Guy panels.
I'm guessing I'll have a little more room to work with than some since I'm not keeping anything original to the vehicle in the cab.
anything A-pillar is associated with the sheetmetal/post at the door front/windshield.. basically where the door hinges are on a vertical plane..
b-pillar is where your door latches are... the rear part of the door jamb as it goes to the roof..
B hoop being the most common term you'll hear.. standard on all cages.. right behind the seat, up from the floor, across the roof and down the other side..
what bender do you have/looking at?
handloader90
Building!
Ok.
I'm looking at the JD2 Model 3 and adding this thin from a company called Swag that allows you to add a hydraulic bottle jack to it.
I'm looking at the JD2 Model 3 and adding this thin from a company called Swag that allows you to add a hydraulic bottle jack to it.
I went Pro Tools HD105.. liked a couple of it's specs better.. great peeps too! but plenty of people using the JD's too...
my opinion is everyone should start out manually bending...
it just gives you such a viscerale feeling to feel each bend being made.. 
at one with your cage!
that said, at some point I'll do a stand and air over hydro setup for myself...
but for this weekend, sweaty manual it is.......
my opinion is everyone should start out manually bending...
it just gives you such a viscerale feeling to feel each bend being made.. at one with your cage! that said, at some point I'll do a stand and air over hydro setup for myself...
but for this weekend, sweaty manual it is.......
I have the JD2 model 3. Check into the model 32 though. I almost prefer the manual mender because you can replicate bends over and over by pulling to the same notch. Eat your Wheaties though is you want to bend dom into a 180, much harder than hrew of same size.
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A hoop or pillar is near the windshield from floor up to top of windshield. B pillar or hoop is behind driver and front seat passenger or trailing edge of front door area where the door opens and closes. Hinge of front doors is A, Opening area is B. Spreaders is in my opinion bars that connect one area to another like the diagonal bars on top and sides of my cage.
On my cage I did the B hoop (behind front seats from floor over head and to the other side, hence hoop). Then I did the have a B hoop then I did the overhead hoop that went from the B hoop around to the windshield area and back over to the passenger side B Hoop, Next we did the bars that went from the floor by the front seat occupants feet near the door to under the overhead hoop. After that we did the bars that go from the rear of the B hoop back along the sides of the top and down to the floor in the rear of the vehicle. then the spreader bars at bottom of windshield, behind the front seats down low, behind the rear seat up high. Then just piece by piece put in what we needed. Just the way we did mine and it was the first time I did anything like it. Good thing I hired some welders to assist. Whole thing was bent by hand using a pump hydraulic jack bender. No notcher just chop saw, grinders, rotary tools etc.
Hope I didn't muddy the waters too much.
