Gentlemen:
The Disco is now officially a two-seat trail rig doing occasional DD duty (it looks cool parked in front of the store if it doesn't leak TOO much on the pretty rocks).

As a result, I'm thinking of building a bulkhead where the rear loadspace angles down to the front seat mounting level (those of you with Discos or Rangies know of what I speak). In doing this, right now, I have a blank sheet of paper. Engineering specs are kinda flexible, but I'd like to have a vertical bulkhead to separate the loadspace from the "Passenger compartment", but I don't think I want to go all the way to the headliner like AFIRover did it, more like the tubed Rangie the boys from Pike's peak had at the rallye last year. I'm thinking the space behind the seats and in front of the bulkhead could be sized to accept some size of Pelican case (it's the Dweb influence :flipoff2: ) and maybe a six-pack cooler. The gap between the doors I'm thinking could be closed off (to keep stuff from falling out when the door is opened).

Where I'm stuck is how to incorporate an anchor for a harness into my mindless ramblings. Perhaps a hoop running high enough for an acceptable angle for harness mounting with a brace running back to the top of the wheel wells? I'm not proud enough to say that the four-point harness isn't for some degree of bling factor, the lap belts would be secured using the factory mounting points providing sufficent occupant retention, should the shoulder points fail.

As for the main loadspace, I'm kinda thinking a vertical bulkhead high enough to be tied in to either the top of the wheel wells, or high enough to support a horizontal "Shelf" at the bottom of rear window height.

Any ideas, suggestions, testimonials of what did or did not work, pictures???

Peace,
PT

if you are putting in a racing harness, put in a hoop at shoulder level. some issue about spinal compression or other. doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me but i put a hoop in just in case. can't hurt?

if you are putting in a racing harness, put in a hoop at shoulder level. some issue about spinal compression or other. doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me but i put a hoop in just in case. can't hurt?

From what I've found on the general board, the consensus is no more than 4" or 10' angle from shoulder to attachment point. Now, I'm beginning to wonder if I couldn't make the vertical bulkhead beefier and attach the harness to it. If I do this, it will need better attachment than the stock seat hinge mounting hardware:D

I'm not interested in a cage (at this point) so adding a bar to a cage isn't an option, hence my thoughts of a hoop just for harness mounting.

And Greg was talking about snowball effect:flipoff2:

The sad thing is that there are (I'm sure of it) people out there who don't stress over such things:flipoff2:

Peace,
P (being an engineer is a genetic curse) T

What about a half-way to the roof roll-bar-esque kind of thing. Make a hoop that goes from behind the seats, 90-deg over toward the other side of the car, angles back down to the floor, plate it down. Now take two bars, one for each side, and angle them back toward the wheel-humps behind the rear doors.

Imagein, if you will, a mini-version of the classic late-70's roll-bar seen on many pickups.

You could place a sheet of aluminum on the front edge of the vertical bar for your 'bulkhead'. Make your hoop as tall as you'd like, but probably shoulder-level would be good.

Do you see it?

I wonder if the upper attachment point for the seat belts for the rear seats would be of any use???

1. Too far back

2. Too far off-centered

'Any use' includes just about everything *other* than seat-belts. Think hammock.

You could also take my half-hoop idea and extend it to the roof, have it divided in half with the bar you would attatch your shoulder harness too, and have that be the extent to which you plated it.

Kind of a half-hoop half-serious roll bar just behind the seats, and would offer some real protection just in case...

build a cage like mine and you're set...:)

Argh! I'm now torn between a four-point roll-cage/bar, a five or six point cage or...

I had intended to use the space between the seats as a laptop space. If there is a hoop or other structural component, I lose that option.

I just bought a new sketch pad-be afraid, be very afraid.

Oh yeah, I also received a fax of the title to my latest acquisition, an '89 Rangie with a blowed engine. Can one put '89 swivel balls on a '93 axle housing? I suspect the new truck has the six bolt swivels and I want to build an axle using the housing I got from Slade which has the seven bolt flanges. I'm afraid the tween can never meet.

I am loving having time to actually work on MY truck! It rocks!! This afternoon, I'm even gonna do some wheeling after looking at a house. Six acres+ means I won't have to strip trucks down and get rid of the frames (as long as they are out of Shopgrrl's eyesight:rolleyes: :evil: :grinpimp: )

PT

OK, things are getting out of hand here. I'm going to look at some seats as soon as the baby awakens (roommate's). Then, we're off to look at some 1-1/2" tube.

Let's talk rollover protective structure attachment points. Is it better to: a)add frame outriggers to support the ROPS, b) bend the tubes inward to mate with existing frame structure, or c) make the tubes so they fit and use huge sandwich plates to reinfroce the floor sheetmetal (I don't like this idea as I could easily see a ROPS leg punched clean through the floor with the reinforcing plates still attached).

I'm thinking a four-point with a main hoop right behind the seats and two legs going backward. On the backward legs, how much strength would I lose bending them to more closely follow the body lines (door opening) and then bending down and inward to the frame. While this may cramp the loadspace, it adds more rigging attachment points for my detritus that seems to follow me.

PT

Before you go crazy with all of your scratch pad doodlings and slide rule figures, perhaps a roll out to Newburg to chat with Mark from MetalTech Cage........

It just may be a trip well worth the gas....

Before you go crazy with all of your scratch pad doodlings and slide rule figures, perhaps a roll out to Newburg to chat with Mark from MetalTech Cage........

It just may be a trip well worth the gas....

Are you available, say oh maybe next week to introduce me?

Are you here or there? I thought you had some landscaping to do.

can't draw this but imagine an x where the bottom bolts the body, and the top bolts to the old seat belt mounts.
then run a horizontal bar across the top portion of the x and viola. seat belt mounts.

or c) make the tubes so they fit and use huge sandwich plates to reinfroce the floor sheetmetal (I don't like this idea as I could easily see a ROPS leg punched clean through the floor with the reinforcing plates still attached).

That will happen in a moderate roll, which is why our club outlawed all cages not directly mounted to the chassis or extra outriggers made to equal specification to the chassis.

I've seen a 4 point cage with 6x6 inch spreader plates punch two holes through the floor of a Rangie after a roll, it wasn't the best Rangie in the world admittedly, but it wasn't a complete rust bucket either.

Mudplugga

In the Hoosier state handling tornado damage.
Two HUGE Hickories went down on my property and I have been cutting for three days.

I am flying back on Sunday, then back to Newberg probably Tuesday night to get my FJ60.

If you are inclined, you outta roll out with me.
Nice drive to Newberg from PDX.

L8R

john

Gimme a call when you get back.