Roll cage 101

[WelderPat]

If you build a roll cage that looks like these, When you need it the most it is going to fail.
If you go straight (over like KFAB,s avatar)The windshield hoop is unsuported and will crush in on your head.
If you go over sideways the entire cage will lay over and leave you unprotected.
If you corner roll (Take a turn to fast)and one of the upper corners of the windshield hits first that corner has no suport and will come in on your head.
If you want a cage that you can depend on, in any situation where you might need it you must have at least two tubes that are in a compression load.
If they are in a tension load then you are betting your or someone elses life on your welds.
I wont do that and I was a welder when you were eating crayons.
The main hoops of a cage need to terminate in to the frame where they are suported so as that the frame doesnt just distort and render the cage to just be a bunch of crap that the paramedics are going to have to cut off with the jaws of life to retrieve your corpse.

P.S.If you are young and want to learn tell us and we will help.
That is about half of what is on this site.
If you come on here and start off telling us you are going to build something better than any one else and being arogant in general that is not well received.

[Jay1823]

You don't even have to be a experienced fabricator to see that the whole roof is unsupported. I wouldn't feel safe in a care like that. The first buggy i bought was a homebuilt, smaller than that car but had close to the same roof. One of the first things i did was add roof support and it was a good thing, i've rolled it twice and walked away from both without a problem.

[masterfabr]

Oh, what the hell? I don't see the problem. It provides shade doesn't it?

[K-fab]

I'm borrowing a pic from bdkw1's post in another thread, because it's a good one for this discussion

[bdkw1]

The only problem I have with the SCORE regs is, you can make the floor bars out of 1" .049 wall tubing and be legal. This is what your seats are attached to the cage with, they should be speced at the same size as the rest.

[Odyknuck]

Originally Posted by bdkw1

The only problem I have with the SCORE regs is, you can make the floor bars out of 1" .049 wall tubing and be legal. This is what your seats are attached to the cage with, they should be speced at the same size as the rest.

I would think that the seat only sees the load of the Occupant, not the load of the whole package.

[bdkw1]

Most of the time yes, but when you land of a jump on top of a rock, the floor takes all the wieght of the vehicle. I think those drawings are kind of a throw back to when most race cars/trucks were built off something with a frame.

[renegadespec1]

Those drawings remind me of the asscar, rulebook drawings of the late 80's to early 90's...Altough pertinent here, Is the geometry... However, It's wider than lengthways... the opposite of the Buggies we build, Bdkw1 has a good point those were designed to have a "backbone" frame under them...I have seen and helped redesign, several buggies on this site and even bent-up and installed some needed bars on others buggies...My point being...We've all seen and HEATEDLY discussed...Some designs we felt were unsafe...some took our advise...some didn't...we've done our part...I too was welding back when gas was 50 something cents per gallon...Best advice...DE NUT THE IDIOT WHO DESIGNED IT...

[arrowhead]

Good News
I've already been neutered(cancer survivor) so I guess I'm clear

[jp350]

Originally Posted by WelderPat

If you build a roll cage that looks like these, When you need it the most it is going to fail.
If you go straight (over like KFAB,s avatar)The windshield hoop is unsuported and will crush in on your head.
If you go over sideways the entire cage will lay over and leave you unprotected.
If you corner roll (Take a turn to fast)and one of the upper corners of the windshield hits first that corner has no suport and will come in on your head.
If you want a cage that you can depend on, in any situation where you might need it you must have at least two tubes that are in a compression load.
If they are in a tension load then you are betting your or someone elses life on your welds.
I wont do that and I was a welder when you were eating crayons.
The main hoops of a cage need to terminate in to the frame where they are suported so as that the frame doesnt just distort and render the cage to just be a bunch of crap that the paramedics are going to have to cut off with the jaws of life to retrieve your corpse.

P.S.If you are young and want to learn tell us and we will help.
That is about half of what is on this site.
If you come on here and start off telling us you are going to build something better than any one else and being arogant in general that is not well received.

For the record, tubing is stronger in tension then compression. If you aren't willing to trust your life to the welds & overall design & construction of the car, you shouldn't be in it.