Hey guys,

I am looking to put a roof over the driver and passenger on my CJ with a 6 point cage. Not i was thinking of going aluminum because of the corrosion resistance and there is no need to paint it. I was looking around town here in montana and i found a place that sold it. i asked about a 4'x10'x.25 aluminum(not diamond plate) and they wanted $375 for it and they said they could have it in a week. Is this a fair price or shoulc i look elsewhere? Is .25 thick enough? i was going to make a floor out of the other half for my Kilby Rack. how much would a sheet of steel cost? should i even look in to how much stailess is or is it not even worth it?

Thanks

Not a bad price but you need to ask why 0.25 for the roof unless you have only outside bars and sheetmetal protecting your sides is at best 14 gauge...12 or 16 gauge should be more then enough with a center bar or two...unless you want to jack up the vehicle from the roof...and you can bend to fit if you have center bars or you could go steel for half the price.....

the only reason why i want .25 inch is that if i roll i do not want a rock "stabbing my head. i was planning in a single spreader bar in the middle for suport. what thickness should i run?

Mine on my cruiser is pretty thin but it's what Eric at Fat City uses on all his rigs. $375 sounds reaaallllly high.

cost here in Texas if you buy aluminum sheet all the time is about 290.00 so 375.00 is fair... additionally aluminum is not sold by the gage it is sold by decimal inches available thickensses are

.040, .063, .080, .090, .125, .1875, .25

steel will be alot cheaper i got mine under 50$ :eek:

Lightweight, UV stable, paintable, cut with regular woodworking equipment, not to mention cheeeeep!

Look into Polycarbonate, ABS and HDPE sheetstock.

If you need pricing from the Midwest, let me know!:usa:

If it was me, I would put two braces diagonally(sp) from corner to corner then use 0.063 on tab inserts so the bar caries the weight but the al protects you from the nasty branches or rocks...

If i went with plexi should it be thicker or can i stay with 1/4 inch. The only other size i would run would be 1/2 inch.

here are some prices:
Clear Plexi:

Plexi 1/4" clear, 48"x32" each 87.60
Plexi 3/8" clear, 48"x32" each 150.49
Plexi 1/2" clear, 48"x32" each 206.55

Black Plexi:(what i would run)
Plexi 3/8" black, 48"x32" each 127.98
Plexi 1/4" black, 48"x32" each 77.01
Plexi 1/2" black, 48"x32" each 150.00

Should i stick with the 1/4 or move up?

Originally posted by ExtremeCJ
Hey guys,

I am looking to put a roof over the driver and passenger on my CJ with a 6 point cage. Not i was thinking of going aluminum because of the corrosion resistance and there is no need to paint it. i asked about a 4'x10'x.25 aluminum(not diamond plate) and they wanted $375 for it and they said they

As others have said.. .250" sounds pretty thick for a roof! for $375 I'd just buy a Bikini Top and be done with it. :D

I, too, would opt for an extra front-to-back bar or two in the "halo" for rock rotection, and go with something thinner and lighter.

With thinner metal, my other concern is how to keep it from flapping. You'll need to get it stretched pretty tightly to the 'cage to avoid flappin' in the wind.

I want to do something like that on my race Scout when I build the new cage. Bikini tops get pretty beat up on an open car trailer at highway speeds, but I definitely want something to keep the sun off me when racing.

-Tom

Hey Tom,

Your know Mike @ Mikes Off-Road right? he just built traction bars front and rear for me and also modified my cage so that i can run a hard or soft top on my CJ. I was planning on putting on spreader bar in the middle of the area above the driver and passenger and then getting some aluminum and riveting it all the way around, with rivets every 6 inches or so. if i do this and put a foam gasket material around between the cage and roof i will not have a problem with it flapping. the reason why i do not want to put spreader bars about the heads of the driver or passenger is because the cage was built to fit inside a factory top so that makes the bars fairly low. if i put a speader bar above my seat i will be hitting it when driving off-road.

Does anyone think that 1/8th inch will be sufficent or should i say with 1/4 alumnimun? black plexiglass would also be cool i just do not know what thickness to run.

Hey Extreme, How about Plywood??? :flipoff2:

I used to go to school in Bozeman. I know why you would want a top on your rig. There are alot of trees up there :flipoff2:

Does Mike still have his Orange EB. I never really delt with him but saw his rig and knew who he was. I always heard he did good work. If you see a Green FJ-55 sitting on 38" Swampers wave to the guy. That is my old rig he is driving. HE works down at Avitel(great place for stereos) His name is Tag. Just wondering if the old rig is still running??

Originally posted by ExtremeCJ
Hey Tom,

Your know Mike @ Mikes Off-Road right?


Yep. Mike just trussed a Chevy '44 front housing for my racer (hard to bend steel around the diff w/o a torch..).


my CJ. I was planning on putting on spreader bar in the middle of the area above the driver and passenger and then getting some aluminum and riveting it all the way around, with rivets every 6 inches or so. if i do this and put a foam gasket material around between the cage and roof i will not have a problem with it flapping. the reason why i do not want to put spreader bars about the heads of the driver or passenger is because the cage was built to fit inside a factory top so that makes the bars fairly low.


One bar in the middle would work well enough.

I'm just not sure you're going to get material strong enough to keep all the rocks from penetrating the 'cage without getting things rather top heavy or $$$.

Plexiglass might be too brittle.




if i put a speader bar above my seat i will be hitting it when driving off-road.


Y'know, you're supposed to be belted in so that doesn't happen. :D
I like the foam and rivets idea. Just make sure you get it TIGHT.

I don't know if rivets down the center spreader would be a good idea or not..

It would cut down on the flap, but might provide a spot for leaks. ;)

Originally posted by BIGSTIC

Does Mike still have his Orange EB. I never really delt with him but saw his rig and knew who he was. I always heard he did good work.

He has two "orange" EBs now..

The original one (now called "Flirting with Disaster") is still running. I video taped Mike at the Monster Truck show in Butte a week ago..

http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/racing/1_12_2002/DCP_0004.JPG

But then he has "Rusty"...

sorry for the blurry image..

http://mikesoffroad.tmcom.com/img/11_11_2001/Dcp_0001.jpg

Yes, those are 44s, 4" of lift, and a dual 4bbl Tunnel Ram.. :D

Those are the rigs. My Buddy saw the Big one light it up in Bozeman. HE was Spinning Brodies in front of an auto parts store with that thing. They were having a little get together and my friend just happend to be driving by. I was out of town or I would have been there. Damn I miss Montana. :flipoff2:

BigStic

I have seen your fj around and i really like it. i have a buddy that works at avitel also so i have been up there when the yota was there.

Tsm1mt Rusty is a really bad ass rig expect for Tow major problems. Dana 44 front axle and ITS A FORD. I am goingt o go talk to Mike tomarrow about this and see what he thinks and if he can get me the material at a cheaper price.

Stay away from plexiglass! It is actually acrylic and very brittle. impact will cause it to shatter sending shards of knife like projectiles everywhere.

If you want to run a clear smoked grey or black plastic top, look for polycarbonate or PETG(tradename of Vivak).

Pricing here in Indy is as follows: .236" x 48" x96" smoked grey polycarb $130.00 plus shipping.

I think you could find a commercial plastics house(Auburn, Total, Commercial) and get comparable pricing.

Good Luck!:usa: :smokin: :beer: