roll cage inspiration

steffan wrote: So my over kill of 50mm tube with a wall thickness of 3.2mm will be plenty strong enough

Not unless you fit some cross bracing on the main hoop.

But why go with such heavy tubing on a small vehicle like the jimny?

The discussion on external cages and what they are good for has raged before.

Essentially if you want the cage to protect the occupants it must have some diagonal cross bracing inside linking the external cage to the chassis via a triangle, preferably a x brace so there are 2 triangles. This caters for the roll over scenario and being external will protect both vehicle and occupants. So an internal cage linked to an external cage is great.

If like me, you just want it to fend off tree attacks and not have to withstand a roll over, and understand that it the case, a simple external cage with screen bar will suffice - but then don't cry if you go over and you or other occupants get hurt and your truck is trashed. You pays your money you makes your choice - my choice is to retain rear seats and for people to be able to get into them.

50mm tubing is overkill and you have to remember how much all this is going to weigh, especially as you are adding more to it than mine with an internal cage aswell!

My Jimjam drives a fair bit differently with the weight of the cage on it, coupled together with big wheels, despite a Rocklobster!

I have no way of measuring angles for you I'm afraid. I'm no fabricator unfortunately.

Kirkynut

mine is an early KAP cage i would suggest for a stronger cage putting a cross brace from the centre hoop through the car to the chassis and move the bars that link the hoops along the roof out to slide along trees .

but apart from that im very happy with it look in Septembers total off road mag for more pics

as kirknut says our cage is for fending off trees and a low speend slow fall onto its side if I cock it up

heres a jimny that rolled on its side at slow speed with out a cage




so think I'll keep my external cage even if won't protect me on a high speed crash

darthloachie wrote: so think I'll keep my external cage even if won't protect me on a high speed crash

Jimny + high speed crash? What you got under your Jimny's bonnet?

Seriously though - that red Jimny with the dent in the roof is written off from doing no more than I did plopping it on it's side, so even a cage like ours is better than no cage.

Kirkynut

kirkynut wrote:

darthloachie wrote: so think I'll keep my external cage even if won't protect me on a high speed crash

Jimny + high speed crash? What you got under your Jimny's bonnet?

Seriously though - that red Jimny with the dent in the roof is written off from doing no more than I did plopping it on it's side, so even a cage like ours is better than no cage.

Kirkynut

And the nutter behind the wheel also owns a jimny with a cage. I think he just don't like Blue The red jimny was past being on the road due to rust.

I will be sticking with my external cage just for some pay and play insurance.