Rollcages and Bars

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Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 16:12:48 -0700
From: nickkrest@batnet.com (Nick Krest)
Subject: Smittybilt Roll Cage
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org

SKeene8194@aol.com wrote:

        "Since we're on the subject of Smittybilt
        quality  about nerf bars, I would like to
        bring up a decision I need to make on an
        in cab roll cage.

        "I can get a Smittybilt cage for about $80.
        Why are other manufacturers roll cages
        closer to $200?  In catalog pictures they
        look like the same basic design. I Often
        have children in the truck with me. Is
        there a Quality/Safety difference here
        that matches the price difference?

        "...there is a disclaimer on the back of
        the Smittybilt catalog that says their
        products are for appearence only, not for
        safety. But I think all the catalogs say
        that anyway don't they."

The Smitty cage is a bolt-in affair; 4 pieces that go in fairly quickly and
easily. Of course, if you're like me, you tweak and trick things out a
little, doubling your install time. The plates mount over the body mount
bolts; in the rear the body mount bolts go thru the mounting plates, in the
front they don't. In each corner you drill an additional 3 holes. Up top,
.125" wall steel collars 4" long join the pieces with a 1/2" bolt on each
end. It's a fairly nice piece.

Downey sells the Smittybilt cage for about $150, I believe, and I think I
remember seeing NWOR sell it for $230, so $80 is a great price. 4 wheel
drive products are like a commodity; what you see one place might be double
someplace else. I don't know anyone else selling a Toy cage.

When installing the cage, follow the directions loosely. Substitute these
directions at times:

1. Mount the front mounting plates over the body mounts, but move the
plates as far outboard as possible. Make sure you will still be able to
roll the windows up and down.

2. Before you drill any holes anywhere, test-fit the entire cage and mark
bolt hole locations with a paint pen. It really helps to have a jig to make
the holes straight thru the tubing.

3. Test-fit the cage often. Don't drill all the holes in the tubing before
you start installation. It is better to fit and drill one section at a
time.

Roll cages are a last line of defense in times of impact and rollover. I
know lots of people that have rolled their Toys (not me), and none of them
have cages. They all walked away. However, a cage provides additional peace
of mind for me, at least. There is some visual obstruction at your
A-pillars and at the top of the windshield.

All the safety manus have to have that disclaimer on their products, to
stave off lawsuits from weirdo candy-asses that can neither take care of
themselves, nor responsibility for their actions.

Good luck,

 - Nick

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Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 09:10:17 PST
From: "james stevenson" 
Subject: Rollbar (Polished Stainless Steel)
To: rjstein@mail.lawtonok.net, Toy4x4@tlca.org

I've got a heaps of e-mail on how I did this one so here goes

The tube is 100mm (4in) Marine grade stainless with a 5.5mm wall 
thickness.
The front tube goes up vertically from the bed, turns twice (45 Degree 
angles) to line up with the lip of the bed, then angles in 15 degrees 
and forward 20 degrees. This replicated on the oposing side. The Back 
Tube does the same but starts further back in the bed. I have a double 
cab so the front tube must go around the wheel arch in the bed. 

The front and rear bars are spaced apart 50mm (2in) and linked by 12mm 
(1/2in) Thick/ 100mm (4in) wide plate. The rear tube between the link 
plates rotates through 180 degrees so the lights can rotate under the 
roof line. I'll get back to that later

The bends in the tubes were not bent. No one could do a mandrel bend 
with the 5.5mm wall and not kill the strength of the tube.  So what I 
did was use a whole heap of 90 Degree weld on bends. 

Each join was cut to the correct angle (a real pain). I then milled down 
the ID of the Tube and the OD of the bend. Next I cut down the 90 degree 
edges on the bend and the end of the tube to 45 Degrees. The bend and 
tube was then shrunk fit. The remaining V cut  was then HP welded and 
cut back so no join was visible (another real pain). I had to 12 Joins 
like that.

The end caps for the bar were then made from 100mm (4in) solid rod in 
the same way as the bends were done. The end caps are 50mm (2in) thick 
and have 5 Tapped 3/8 Holes. The front tube in the bar is also an air 
tank. So three holes were for air fittings and two for the frame bracket 
bolts. The Rear bar has the wiring for the lights. The Bar has 4 Hell 
Predator Lamps. I ran cable for 3 lamps in each rear support (one spare 
from each side)

 I made the pivot points for rotating the top of the rear bar by 
replicating a stub axle design in stainless on the lathe from 100mm 
Solid rod. I drilled the centre for the wiring. The axles are welded in 
place on the end of the rear support tubes. For the Rotating bar ends I 
used the lathe and 100mm solid rod to mill a hub surface inside. I then 
welded a stopper ring 180mm (7in) inside the tube. The OD the hub was 
brought down to slightly more than the ID of the Tube. The hubs were 
then shrunk fit in the tube. The stub axle on each side has a standard 
wheel bearing on it. I used a stub axle design so the lights would not 
move around on the trail as well as use the bar to carry stuff not so 
easy with the lights up. The Support tubes were then fitted with the 
wiring and the rotating tube fitted. The tube is a captive bar so no 
locknuts are on the stub axles. The assembled rear bar was then stood up 
and positioned next to the front tube. The two bars were then welded in 
place with the link plates.  

Next two tabs were welded in place on the rotating tube. The tabs are in 
an L shape and overlap the link plates. The Tab allows a simple clevis 
pin to be used to lock/ unlock the rotating bar. The tab has a hole and 
the link plate has a 25MM (1in) bit of rod welded vertically. The Tab 
hole rotates over the rod and a clevis pin hols it all from rotating.

The bar was the sent off to be mirror polished while I made the frame 
brackets. Roll bars are illegal in OZ bed bars are not  (Stupid eh). So 
the brackets are made so as not to touch the frame but encircle it. The 
brackets bolt through the bed to the Tapped end cap on the bar with 3/8 
grade 8 Bolts. In the event of a rollover the bar will punch through the 
bed until the brackets lock on to the frame. This also allows the bars 
to move with the body without rubber grommets in the bed around the bar.
 
Well that's it and no I will not make another but anyone is welcome to 
try. It took me 3 weeks full time to do the job. I guess no one could 
afford the Labor on the job anyway. I'm too scared to calculate that 
one. For those of you who noticed my nurf bars I did them the same way 
except they are also water tanks. No I wont make any more of those 
either.
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Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 10:07:04 EST
From: "james stevenson" 
Subject: Roll Cage How To?

>I'm in the brainstorming stage of putting a rollcage into a '92 std. cab
>and have a few ideas for you all to munch on:

The Best attachment points are the body shell itself. The trick is to 
bolt throughout the body and plate the body on both sides. In this way 
the load is spread so the cage does not punch through. You have a 
problem in that the body is locating on rubbers. This does not men the 
attaching bolts are floating as well, inside the body rubber is a solid 
tube which is there is to load up the bolt.  The best materials are 
tubing of the highest grade and wall thickness you can muster.  Solid is 
not the objective but flexible. If you can afford it stainless steel is 
the best. The crossbrace is a very good idea the best design in a single 
cab would be an X type design. I would not be too worried about 
deforming the body or mounts when the cage gets used. Its their to stop 
the roof caving in on you not to save the body work. When bending tube 
for the job use mandrel bends as radius bends weaken the tubing. When 
attaching a support or brace drill a hole in the main tube the same size 
as the OD of the brace. Cut the end of the brace to the shape of the 
inside wall of the main tube. Pass the tube through until it meats the 
inside wall of the main tube and weld. By doing this if you get a 
fracture in a weld the tube cannot break free of the main tube. Make 
sure that any overhead bar is not within a 10in radius of anyone's head. 
IE 1) behind your head. You do this because if you are involved in a 
violent roll say off a mountain your head does not make contact with the 
cage and kill you. If you are fitting harnesses make the support bar 3-6 
inch below the shoulder height of the seat. This is done to stop you 
rising up from the seat in a roll over. 

James Stevenson (TonkaTuf)

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