What is the best way to put a cage in an xj? I do not know weather or not to put it inside or do an outside cage. Also does anybody know where I can by a cage? I am running out of time to try and make one this year.
C-Ya

I believe that rustys makes an inside roll hoop...by no means a cage.

the xJ unibody makes it more difficult to tie in a cage because there is no real frame.

the route I plan to take down the road is to weld L channel steel along the outside of the unibody along the length of the underbody and use that to tie in a full external cage.

From my experience, mounting a cage in the XJ isn't that big of a deal when it comes to frame tie ins. The advantage of the unibody in this case, is that EVERYTHING is part of the frame (well, not everything, but bear with me for the purpose of illustration.)

I'm in the process of building one right now and maybe my experience can be of a little help. The feet for the hoop at the B and A pillars encounter the problem of a ribbed underside of the floorboards. Thus, the two mounting plates that would clamp the body can't fully clamp against the metal there. No problem, the sawzall is your friend. Chop these ribbed sections out and replace them with some 1/4" or 3/8" plate. The plate then ties into the "frame" rail via a length of tube running to yet another mounting plate there. Make sense?

mkbruin is right on with welding on angle to the frame rails. It works with an internal cage too though.

............Stay tuned for an upcoming innovative concept design, just waiting on my tools to get off that damned moving truck!
:rasta:

Just say this the other day.

Couldn't hurt to contact them

http://www.essentiallyoffroad.com/Cages%20XJ.htm


Here are some pics of a few that I have collected over time.

http://community.webshots.com/album/32492513UqgIKM

since you're in Washington

S&N Fab (http://www.sn-fab.com)

they're up in Stanwood and are great with tube work