In-cab vs exo cage

[Ian Koentges]

Pros and cons of each. Either one will be tied to the frame. Other than body protection is there a difference in strength between the two if they are both well designed and built?

[madcowdungbeetle]

Pros and cons of each. Either one will be tied to the frame. Other than body protection is there a difference in strength between the two if they are both well designed and built?

If both are properly designed and built, there should be no noticeable difference to the user with regards to safety, and it should come down to matter of personal preference. Depending on how the in-cab cage is built cab space can become tight.

Now if you want to go into bending moments, additional tube length, etc... we can find strength differences... but again if properly designed and built that should be taken into consideration and compensated for as well.

[maxyedor]

The problem with Exo cages is that you can't cleanly add any sort of cross-bracing, I know most people don't add cross bracing to internal cages either, but it's one of the biggest things you can do to add strength to the cage. For very little weight gain, a "pin-wheel" adds a tremendous amount of rigidity, plus if it's behind the seats you have a great spot to mount harnesses.

Beyond that Exo cages look like ass, and the only reason to protect a body with an exo is to keep it looking good, so why make it look like shit in the hopes that underneath it may still look good?

A well designed internal cage should be plenty spacious. My internal let me push the seats back a little to give me more leg room and the rear seat back alot so I can actually fit back there if I wanted to, I gave up a little cargo space, but I never load the truck up anyway except for Baja trips where I can just load the roof-rack up. Yes it appears more cramped, but when you actually sit in it, it's very spacious.

[BigBlueToy]

Without an X brace or ’’pinwheel’’ the hoops are just decorations that will collapse under any real strain. its all about the cross-bracing, which takes up space, which is why you cant do your grocerys with a race car or trophy truck. the more triangles you have the better. and miter you tubes properly! dont fill gaps with weld!

[Buckon37s]

Pros and cons of each. Either one will be tied to the frame. Other than body protection is there a difference in strength between the two if they are both well designed and built?

You see, one is on the outside of the truck, and the other is on the inside.

[DiscoDino]

I had an internal cage before going truggy and built an exo on that...as long as you can get the triangulation and benefit from protecting the body, the exo would be cool...more weight though...

Either or, they need to be built right.

[wilsby]

If you plan non driving it without a helmet, I'd be reluctant to do an internal. Far to many pipes to bang up your head on. Diagonals can be added to an exo with some work and thinking.

[BigBlueToy]

best bet is drive it smart and dont roll it!:shaking:

[Buckon37s]

I gotta say, the stupidity in this thread is great.

[mightymg1]

I gotta say, the stupidity in this thread is great.

DING FRIES ARE DOOOONE DING FRIES ARE DONEEE!:rasta:

[madcowdungbeetle]

This topic should have ended with my reply.

And yes I would like fries with that.... curly.

[uninformed]

best bet is drive it smart and dont roll it!:shaking:

are you serious!

"accident" = unexpected event, esp. one causing damage.

but i guess we all dont have the mad fab and driving skills you have... :shaking:

Serg

[Michele]

I was about to start a new thread but hopefully nobody will have to argue if I jump in here...

I got a full exo cage from UK for SW D90, I had a weld-on section made for the cab and a bolt-on section to cover the rest (so to swap roofs if needed); and rear bolt-on stays to use when the D90 is in truck cab mode (as it is now).
No internal x yet, erm that's another story, phase II...

Mid hoop is connected to chassis via a / ,which has to be welded to a support plate (which has to be welded to the chassis rail).
Originally supplied support brackets for the intermediate hoop are, erm, a tad minimal...:(

http://usera.ImageCave.com/Michele/NOR_CAGE_BRACKETS.jpg

So I decided to start from scratch and did this template: there's an upper lip which "hooks" on the top of chassis too, of course this would be larger and longer than the supplied one, the plan is to better spread the eventual load.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/Michele/CAGE_BRACKET_template1.jpg

http://usera.ImageCave.com/Michele/CAGE_BRACKET017.jpg

Thoughts?

[Buckon37s]

Thoughts?

Dik-diks are very funny. They look like tiny deer.




Was there a question in there?

[Michele]

Yup but you should have used your 6th sense to feel it.
Question #1
Am I missing something?:confused:
I have this feeling but can't say why, template looks fine to me.
3mm thick?Enough?

Question #2
Any good with my CNC side grille? :flipoff2:

[maxyedor]

3mm plate on the frame is fine. Really, you don't need plate on the frame, if something is going to break, it will break, if the frame and tube are .120" the frame will likely break first, but with proper design, neither will break.

Piling plate all over your frame adds nothing but weight on a well designed cage, and on a poorly designed one it just means the cage will rip right next to the frame instead of the frame

[uninformed]

if you are going to plate on the chassis, watch out for sharp corners....try to make them radius and as big as is practical.

Serg

[Buckon37s]

3mm plate on the frame is fine. Really, you don't need plate on the frame, if something is going to break, it will break, if the frame and tube are .120" the frame will likely break first, but with proper design, neither will break.

Piling plate all over your frame adds nothing but weight on a well designed cage, and on a poorly designed one it just means the cage will rip right next to the frame instead of the frame

Your usually right, but on this one your totally wrong. The frame is .100 thick garbage steel. I have completely ripped it, and dented my tube mounts with hits that I didn't even remember. Plate the frame where you mount anything.

[FULLSIZE]

Dik-diks are very funny. They look like tiny deer.




Was there a question in there?


:lmao:

[BigBlueToy]

are you serious!

"accident" = unexpected event, esp. one causing damage.

but i guess we all dont have the mad fab and driving skills you have... :shaking:

Serg

I was trying to be funny.I have seen roll cages that were supposedly ’’well built’’ crumple like a house of cards. Unless you build it like a trophy truck or a Wildcat its not gonna hold up to more than a low speed flop onto your side. I have the stock roll bar in my FFR 90 it sits on the capping and the rear wheel arches. It looks good, but thats it.

[Michele]

if you are going to plate on the chassis, watch out for sharp corners....try to make them radius and as big as is practical.
Serg

Good point.
Note taken, thanks!

[BigBlueToy]

Good point.
Note taken, thanks!

and drill 1/2’’ holes to weld through the plate to the frame wherever possible.