Building a roll cage

[Matt N]

maddog,
Are you selling your hard top because you don't want it anymore or because you don't think it'll fit with your desired cage?

You can have a functioning factory soft or hard top and a cage. Jumbo's cage was designed to still be able to fit a soft top (with some modification though), and years ago Rod Kilby built my cage to fit under a hard top. Making the cage hard top friendly is much easier than for the soft top. My cage did not have a metal or alloy sheet overhead cover, but one would have fitted.

Gordo has a Kilby-made steel roof under his soft top.



If I were you I'd keep the top, and have a cage built underneath it. For uban driving and touring (and trips down to Cal's in the winter) you can't beat a hard top and doors.

For comp work I would get some soft half-doors, or if those don't pass then something like the tube safari doors sheeted with some alloy plate and maybe even something like a bolt-in removeable side intrusion bar that runs from just under shoulder level on the main hoop to about shin level on the front leg. That would give you plenty of mounting options for window nets.

If you have other reasons, than that of the cage, for ridding yourself of your hard top ingnore all of by above ramblings

[Matt N]

Wooders,
Yes, cut everything out and start again. It is the only path to true happiness.

[Jumbo]

Yours isnt really a lot of work compared to a Lancer EVO8 rally car.

or the rx7 I saw him doing the other day now that was one tight job..

[maddog]

Originally Posted by Matt N

maddog,
Are you selling your hard top because you don't want it anymore or because you don't think it'll fit with your desired cage?

Thanks for the info. I'm actually selling the hard top becase I don't want it any more. It was for sale before I started thinking about how to build this cage. My purpose for that is to try and shed some weight by replacing it with a soft half-top.

[Wooders]

Over time I'll probably replace my existing setup - but at this mornings scurtineering session the guys seemed happy enough with my current setup.....
Oh yeah BIG Thanks to ACJ for his help

[zzzz]

Hi guys,

As promised here are the pics of Shanes jeep (firetruck).
I believe this cage has been designed to comply with CAMS.
It has not been designed for road use, and it would pay to check with your local state rules and engineer to determine whether you can copy some of the design principles.

You will have to excuse how dirty the jeep is as it half way through another build up...

I am keeping the pictures big so you can see more detail

8 point design


floor tie in


harnesses and seats are mounted to the cage and you can see where the cross brace is tied into the floor


you can see the top spreader and the dash bar


gusseting for each tube section


seat tie in and you can see the bar running from b pillar to a pillar legs


if you look closely you can see where the bars for the seats run through the console


front section showing through the dash and horizontal bars above and below windscreen


some guy named shane that owns the jeep


top view


and another one

[North Coast Wrangler]

very nice cage best thing of all is I am glad to see my TJ is the only one that is filthy after cage work