Pipe is for plumbers...

BUT I have a free pipe bender and real cheap pipe (compared to no tube bender and expensive tube) and I only want to bend some bumpers and sliders. Nothing real fancy or structural. I was thinking of Sch40 1.5" and 3/4" pipe (1.9" and 1" OD). I have never 'bent' before AND I have done a SEARCH already and read up on tube bending, pros and cons of tube vs pipe. I'm looking for some tips...

Cheers
Dale

I am a plumber and trust me you dont want to use 3/4 pipe for anything on your jeep. Schedule 40 is thick sort of but still bends really easily. Schedule 80 is better but alot heavier. If you use your rig at all I would do your elcheapo mods but plan on replacing them after awhile. Pipe just cannot handle the abuse.

Pipe should be fine for what your are looking to do. Just don't use it for a cage!

Originally posted by Scout Dude
Pipe should be fine for what your are looking to do. Just don't use it for a cage!

Ok I'm tired of all this talk giving pipe a bad name :). You can, repeat CAN, build a cage out of pipe. Pipe ISN'T just for plumbers.

Let me run this by you. Most racing rules state that if your vehicle weighs over 2500 lbs, 1.75"x0.120 ERW min. must be used. IF you use an alloy (4130), 1.75"x0.095 min. Now, is it OK to make a cage out of 1010 ERW tubing? A53 pipe is also ERW (can get seamless too). It has a yield stress of 35,000 psi, about the same as 1010 steel. Now, an A53 2" sched 80 (2.375" OD, 0.218 WT) pipe is going to be much, much stronger than a 1.75"x0.120 tube 1010 and even stronger than the 1.75x0.095 1020 DOM.

The most important thing is design, not material. The thing is you can build a comparibly strong, yet LIGHTER cage out of tubing that has a higher yield stress (1020, 4130) than pipe. Keep in mind, you can also get pipe in higher yield stresses too &, it's just harder to find in sizes under 8".

BTW I am an engineer and I have ran the numbers on a cage I'm building for my CJ. The main front & rear down tubes are 2" sched 80, the rest is 1.5" sched 40. It will support 2 times the weight of the Jeep (really more than that, because of safety factors) located at any corner of the cage, in any direction. So, use the pipe, just make sure it isn't galvanized if you going to weld it, make sure its properly braced and make sure its properly welded.

One more thing, we design structural stuff every day out of pipe. Why is a roll cage or a bumper any different. The only disadvantages are that it will be heavy (compared to DOM or 4130), and pipe doesn't have dimensionally accurate OD's & ID's, eg 2" pipe is really 2.375", where 2" tubing is 2". I'm sure some of you know this.

Thanks [Rant off] :)

this guy makes his from pipe and every time I see him he dumps it pretty hard

http://www.rivercityrockcrawlers.com/TrailReports/arca_JV/Al7.jpg

Hey Dale makin some new chrome accesorys eh? :p Check this link (http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/), in case you missed it on your search, its for tube but it should be the same principals.

Finally someone with some numbers! I too am so sick of these idiots says DON"T

Finally someone with some numbers! I too am so sick of these idiots says DON'T BUILD YOUR CAGE FROM PIPE! Bahh Humbug. I've built my cage from pipe and rolled it hard over backwards and nothing happened to me. N- is right make sure you gusset it right and get the angles of the pipe right for impactment and you'll be fine. Welding and design is key! Let's end this crap about pipe being bad!

I was checking out some salvage yards today for a CJ 7 tub and frame. All I could help but notice was the TJ's that have been wrecked. My I am glad I have the skills to improve upon the basic design the manufacturers use to save our lives! After seeing what happens to a factory "sportbar" in a rollover, I would feel much safer under a made by me "PIPE" rollbar.:beer:

And yes this is my first post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Brandon
this guy makes his from pipe and every time I see him he dumps it pretty hard

http://www.rivercityrockcrawlers.com/TrailReports/arca_JV/Al7.jpg

I believe that's Al from 4offroad up here in B.C. on the wet coast. I talked to him and you're right, not a piece of tube on the rig. All Sch 40 and 80 and he's rolled it several times.

I'll worry about getting the bumpers and stuff done, then contemplate a rollcage.

Cheers
Dale

check out his lower taco arm in that pic hehe

With the pipe bender you will need to use 1.5 Dia or greater and have it SHC 40 or better. You still may need to pack with sand to get good looking bends.