Cage questions

[aw12345]

Gusset them up good at the frame side. Body moves more on the frame than you think

[daniel_buck]

Yea, I was thinking about using some plate on both sides of the tube for a gusset. The bushings will let the frame move a little bit while the cage doesn't, but not a whole lot. I imagine there will be some movement difference from the cage and the body, but that's fine I guess.

[Tumbleweed13]

Going with poly, or rubber bushings? Rubber will allow for a bit more movement, and a softer ride.

[daniel_buck]

The bushings that came with the tie-in kit are rubber, so that's what I'm gonna use.

[daniel_buck]

I didn't expect to have any free time this weekend, but I ended up with a free sunday, so i got a little bit of work done. Raised the cage up 6-8" so that I could finish the welds that I couldn't get to all the way around, and painted the undersides too. I put the rear seat mount bar in, at the base of the B pillars, and got the driver A pillar tie-in.

I'm probably going to lower the cage and put the seats back in with the seat brackets so that I can drive it around this week. I'll try and at least get the passenger A pillar tie-in done before IDTT.

[daniel_buck]

I let the cage back down on the body, and bolted it back up again. I'll hopefully get the passenger side A pillar frame tie-in welded up tomorrow. Got the driver seat bolted back in too. I bummed a ride to work from a coworker today, since it wasn't ready to drive this morning.

Man, I'm surprised how much I can move the base of the A pillar around, just by grabbing in with both hands and pushing or pulling pretty hard before it was bolted in to the frame tie-in, I could move it 1/4" in any direction if I put my weight into it. I know it'll be bolted to the frame tie-in, but I think I'm definitely going to put in a bar connecting the A pillar to the B pillar bases. I think that would help strengthen that connection. A pillar is probably the most important in a jeep roll over, since it's the most uncomfortable part of the cage to properly brace in a daily driver?

I'd like to have a hip bar there too, if I can do something that is still easy enough to get in and out of, and still works with the factory half doors. If I can't do something with the half doors, and I can't hack the doors up to make it work, I'll leave out the hip bars.

When I mount the seats, they will be down about 2", forward about 1", angled back a little bit more, and moved towards the center of the jeep by about 1-2". All of that combined should give me plenty of head room away from the header bar, and the triangulation up top when I get around to making that.

[Tumbleweed13]

Sounds like a good plan. Just an FYI on figuring headroom. When you jump in your jeep, and sit up straight and take headroom measurements. They're not practical measurements. I did mine that way. After I padded the tubing, I figured I'd have 1/2" - 3/4" of room. "Damn, thats tight", I thought. After I drove around for a bit, I took the measurements again. With me in my actual driving position. I had 3" - 4" of headroom. When you 1st get in your jeep before you go to work, take a measurement. Even if its just using your hand. Then do it again when you get to work. See if its the same or not. It may help with how comfortable you are in the end. Good Luck. Cage is coming out great.