Thread: Roll Cage Design 101

Originally Posted by fnnrNArnner74

explain the link killer part? I understand what a pillar is, a,b,c etc. but explain how it mounts exactly. if you mount it too low then you wont have space for your link correct? how do you determine too low vs not strong enough?

excactly if you mount it too low it will get in the way of the lower link mounth. not one location will make it stronger then the other if you design it correct. always have all your suspension installed so you designing around that and not the other way around and compromising integerity.

if you start with a rolling chassis, block it at bump, then you will know where everything needs to clear. blue tape does magic for visualization, design feel, and finding angles.

great info

On my Tacoma 99-04.... I made outriggers(subframe or platforms), worked out nice IMO.

some things I have come across during the camino

don't start till you have a plan you will be happy with for years to come...
I almost hacked two frames together and called it good, but then I realized that if it was going to be caged why not make a better frame too, and then the idea of using some of the pro2 specs and cage parameters came to mind. Im sooo glad I did that, extra 2 sticks of square tube made all the difference in the world in my situation

order of ops is everything - if you don't do things in the right order it's easy to get ahead of yourself and start burning things in that aren't finalized or end up needing to move later. Tacking things firmly enough to stay together/cycle but not impossible to remove is the best move until you get everything in that area perfect. put your tacks where you can reach them with a cutoff wheel.

There's no magic formula because every situation is different and people approach builds differently.
Since I was on a budget I tried to do it in stages so I could have time to save for parts while doing the chassis and deciding exactly how I wanted things to be packaged.

Something really huge is getting the seats in there as soon as the raw chassis tubes are burned in, this is crucial because you have to know where you sit before you can decide where to put things. remember you will be strapped in tightly so the shifter, pedals, wheel, switches, and anything you need access to will be limited to your arms reach with your back flat against the seat. seems simple but I can guarantee there are more then a few ppl who have made this mistake. I almost did.

The biggest thing - Prep everything and degrease before welding.
don't shoot for pretty welds to show off on DR, just do your best job getting full penetration and keeping heat even over the area your working to minimize pull. If theres a gap in a joint things are gonna move so take the time and waste an extra 1/4" on each piece if thats what it takes to get the joint to sit perfect.

I had to toss a handful of tubes that ended up too short by the time the notches were perfect, it's okay because I just used them where I needed shorter tubes and could template the notches to get it perfect on the second try.

I also took into account the next 3-5 pieces I would be making when cutting up full sticks, this and the above method has saved a considerable amount of material

Take notes! If you ever plan to replicate what you are making or will potentially need to repair the area its nice to know the bend start/stop and bend to bend/bend to notch relations.

sorry if any of this was covered already, been a while since I read the whole thread.