Yostyexplorer94's Hybrid Roll Cage

[yostyexplorer94]

I have been working on fabbing a hybrid style roll cage. The current "plan" is a halo around the entire roof and the A pillar tied externally into the rock sliders. B and C pillar will be internal tied into the halo through the roof. I am still up in the air on how I want to attach the D pillar.

I made cheater bars to get my measurements for the main B pillar hoop.

The first thing I am bending for my cage and I find a bend that my vertical bender cannot do without getting creative. If I had bending software I could have bent the tube in ways to avoid having to do this, but this way worked and it was a way I understood without risk of wasting tube!
My vertical bender being used horizontally!

Close enough.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Bending the halo.

Mock up

 

[yostyexplorer94]

I determined that the cross members of the halo had to be bent because this is way too high off the roof for my taste.

I bent the cross members to 22.5°

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Much better. I wish I could have got it tighter to the body, but the way the explorer doors are at the top, this is all the closer I can get it. I am not completely sold on the looks at the windshield though.

Triangulation time.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

 

[yostyexplorer94]

 

[Spudhut]

Nice work

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Nice work

Thanks man

 

[yostyexplorer94]

¼" plate welded to the floor, bolted to the lower seat belt attachment point, and welded to the B pillar.

B pillar hoop welded in

I tied the hoop into the upper seat belt attachment point.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

¼" plating over top of the body mounts

⅜“ bar stock with the body mount bolts securing it

C pillar hoop

Tied the cage to the upper seat belt mounts

 

[Spudhut]

Fine work, thanks for the updates...

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Fine work, thanks for the updates...

You are welcome. Here is more I did today.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Finished minus the a-pillar bars.

 

[Mbrooks420]

What don’t you like about the windshield? The clearance? I’d jam an LED light bar in there if you wanted it to look tighter.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

What don’t you like about the windshield? The clearance? I’d jam an LED light bar in there if you wanted it to look tighter.

More so the contour of the cage to the windshield. I kind of like how it looks now.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I think it looks good. Definitely well thought out and not just slapped together.

 

[yostyexplorer94]

I think it looks good. Definitely well thought out and not just slapped together.

Thank you! I stared at everything for days just to get a plan on how to build it. There were many hours of scrolling through build threads, fighting with photobucket photos, instagram searching, etc. to get ideas.
I also basically learned how to bend, fishmouth with a chop saw/angle grinder, bend inside a parameter, and weld in all kinds of uncomfortable positions during this project.

 

[Spudhut]

I certainly know what you mean. Sometimes I think I spend more time looking for ideas and "confirmation" to what I'm doing each time I take on a large project or task. As for me...I just need to just dive in and make it happen. I forget its just metal and can be fixed or replaced if needed.

That perfect look from bends to welds, to actual functionality in our creations within fabrication can be mind boggling.

You definitely hit the mark with your cage. Great work!

 

[gmanpaint]

Dang, that's pretty slick.

Nice thinking outside of the box.....(pun intended).




P.S. I'm jealous of all them fab tools!

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Dang, that's pretty slick.
Nice thinking outside of the box.....(pun intended).
P.S. I'm jealous of all them fab tools!

Haha
I wish I had more time to use the fab tools!
I still haven't finished the A pillar or tied the cage to the frame.