TECHNICAL FORUMS => General Tech => Topic started by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 09:18:31 AM
Title: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 09:18:31 AM
Greetings!
There were a few FL4x4 members at RC this past weekend and as you know we had an XJ flop, my XJ haha. There is a good chance I\'m simply going to turn it into a trail only rig, but I need a roll cage. Anyone interested?
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: Wingman on June 01, 2010, 10:03:52 AM
Jeepwerxs.com?
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: MrMindless on June 01, 2010, 02:05:27 PM
Glad it\'s still mostly whole after the roll. Pics are needed for those who weren\'t there :)
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: Crusarius on June 01, 2010, 02:13:03 PM
what year is that? I have a 1994 2 door for sale needs motor :) everything else works. but I want the alternator and tcase.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 02:32:22 PM
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: MrMindless on June 01, 2010, 02:41:58 PM
You go to flex out on the rock to the left? That\'s what we were figuring the next day on the way down the trail.
You forgot to mention a critical point: Ryan\'s rack probably saved your roof! Lucky roof rack....
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: smichaelR22 on June 01, 2010, 02:43:32 PM
exo or inside?
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 02:48:03 PM
MrMindless - Thats exactly what I did hehe :D
smichaelR22 - I\'m okay with either to be honest. If this was going to continue to be a DD I would say exo. But I\'m sure keeping the cage inside might be a bit cheaper. Price really is the deciding factor.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: smichaelR22 on June 01, 2010, 02:54:11 PM
hmm usually guys that want dailys say inside.
exos are way easier from fabrication standpoints (in my opinion)
these days the price of tube seems to be more than half the cost. draw up some ideas of what you want and get a count for how many feet of tube it will need- then numbers are easier to talk about.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 03:05:40 PM
Well exo it is then haha. I really have no idea of what is good from a structural POV. I\'ve seen a lot of \"hybrid cages\" that I like which are external except they have triangulation going through the interior.
something like this would be cool: [img align=left width=300]http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/jdbwrx/Project%20Thunderdome/P1030079.jpg[/img]
I have no intention of putting glass back in if its just going to be a buggy/trail rig
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: smichaelR22 on June 01, 2010, 04:20:09 PM
to be honest, the tube work is easy, its the anchoring and \"Frame\" stiffners you will need most of the fabrication.
what type of bumpers front and rear do you have? i dont remember from when i was checking out the damage this weekend...
usually a good set of sliders and front and rear bumbers are a good starting point with some frame stiffners underneath to also anchor to.
maybe nick and keith or Ryan can chime in- they probably have the most experience with XJ/ZJ uni-junk :)
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 04:24:26 PM
My front and rear bumpers are made by JCRoffroad and are solid with good tie-ins. I would say they would make a perfect tie in point. I do have sliders but they\'re only \'ok\' most likely for tie-ins
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: CoraC143 on June 01, 2010, 04:53:42 PM
Will this be garaged in the winter? Glass in upstate NY is nice.
The sliders should stick out far enough from the body to have enough room for a tube to be welded to, 2\" or so.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 01, 2010, 07:27:12 PM
Its going to have a tarp over it in winter haha.
The slider definitely stick out far enough but they are only held to the \"frame\" with 8 self tapping bolts.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: luvmyxj on June 01, 2010, 09:22:53 PM
1st and foremost ,buy these http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/chassis-channel-reinforcement-p-291.html
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 02, 2010, 12:00:20 AM
that would provide a better tie in for the cage and definitely better unibody strength.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: Crusarius on June 02, 2010, 07:43:25 AM
damnit troy. where where you when I was building 3 sets of those for 3 separate jeeps? those are nice. pretty much same way I built them to. good price to.
fallible how much sheet metal you want to cut off? after nicks dad rolled his jeep we pretty much cut off everything except the firewall forward.
that made it real easy to do the tube work. if you want to save the sheet metal it makes it much more difficult. 1) to get good welds all around and 2) to tie it all in to solid points in a manner it will not shift in a violent roll.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 02, 2010, 08:29:24 AM
Not sure if the front fenders are going, they got rocked pretty hard. The roof is still fairly straight so I would like to keep that.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: ollllllo on June 02, 2010, 03:12:42 PM
Id love to help, but as smike said... Some of the other members have way more experience with unibodies. Im not as familiar with what areas need re-enforcement.
Title: Re: XJ Roll Cage
Post by: FallibleXJ on June 02, 2010, 03:30:59 PM
Well the unibody stiffeners definitely seem to be a good idea and I\'ll be sure to order a set before contracting someone for a cage haha. Once i have those, my sliders can be welded on, then the sliders/bumpers can be used as mounting points for the cage. This will not be happening till August most likely. But I need to start planning.
EDIT: Someone quote me on something like this, chop top and all :-D
