Roll Bar/Rollcage
Tennessee Hillbilly
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: East TN
I was thinking the extenal route.
Areas of attahment:
Cowl area under the black plastic cowl panel. (A pillar). Pop the hood and look at inner structure were inner fender structure attaches and attaches to cowl. There are 2 to 3 layers of metal there. I realize this is only sheetmetal, but with some reinforcement it might be stong enough? Similar to a unibody design, several layers of metal to form a solid area.
Depending on amount of depth of cowl area under that plastic panel, possiable to run a horzontial bar or flat thick plate L+R to attact(L+R A pillar bars to).
Appeares a vertical bar could attach to driver side frame rail to bottom of cowl to suppport the horzontial bar/flat plate. (run a bar under the cowl in engine compartment)
More of a challage for driver side. I haven't crawled under the X to see how that might tie in.
So we have suppport at cowl area,( A) pillar tube running along windshield pillar up over roof to B pillar. Put in cross bars just above windshield and at B pillar area. Then an X to tie A+B pillar and add strength to roof area over driver area if the X lands on the roof in that location.
Possiable B pillar vertical supprt only inside to support, no loop inside.
Attach bar at B pillar and go back to C+D pillars. Putting in 2 more X's for support/distrubute weight across roof area.
According to a body Tech who has 33 yrs at it, indicated roofs in the C+D areas with a luggage rack are reinforced for the luggage rack. Just tie into C+D pillars with bars.
(Seems most issues are in the A pillar then B pillar fails since A failed.)
If A pillar is supported and the impact is distrubted across entire roof with above design then there might be less of a chance of serious injury.
Look up photo's of Nissan XTERRA roof luggage rack.
Angled front design,driving lights in angled front, short vertical sides that tapper to D pillar.
Has anyone had there black plastic cowl panel off. Is there enough depth for a horizontal bar or flat plate that can be attached under the cowl panel. The linkage for windshield wiper might create an issue.
(maybe just a bar under the cowl in engine compartment rather then under plastic cowl panel).Then the possiable issue would be if there is enough room for A pillar bar at L+R corners for tie into inner fender to cowl area.
Looking forward to responses.
Areas of attahment:
Cowl area under the black plastic cowl panel. (A pillar). Pop the hood and look at inner structure were inner fender structure attaches and attaches to cowl. There are 2 to 3 layers of metal there. I realize this is only sheetmetal, but with some reinforcement it might be stong enough? Similar to a unibody design, several layers of metal to form a solid area.
Depending on amount of depth of cowl area under that plastic panel, possiable to run a horzontial bar or flat thick plate L+R to attact(L+R A pillar bars to).
Appeares a vertical bar could attach to driver side frame rail to bottom of cowl to suppport the horzontial bar/flat plate. (run a bar under the cowl in engine compartment)
More of a challage for driver side. I haven't crawled under the X to see how that might tie in.
So we have suppport at cowl area,( A) pillar tube running along windshield pillar up over roof to B pillar. Put in cross bars just above windshield and at B pillar area. Then an X to tie A+B pillar and add strength to roof area over driver area if the X lands on the roof in that location.
Possiable B pillar vertical supprt only inside to support, no loop inside.
Attach bar at B pillar and go back to C+D pillars. Putting in 2 more X's for support/distrubute weight across roof area.
According to a body Tech who has 33 yrs at it, indicated roofs in the C+D areas with a luggage rack are reinforced for the luggage rack. Just tie into C+D pillars with bars.
(Seems most issues are in the A pillar then B pillar fails since A failed.)
If A pillar is supported and the impact is distrubted across entire roof with above design then there might be less of a chance of serious injury.
Look up photo's of Nissan XTERRA roof luggage rack.
Angled front design,driving lights in angled front, short vertical sides that tapper to D pillar.
Has anyone had there black plastic cowl panel off. Is there enough depth for a horizontal bar or flat plate that can be attached under the cowl panel. The linkage for windshield wiper might create an issue.
(maybe just a bar under the cowl in engine compartment rather then under plastic cowl panel).Then the possiable issue would be if there is enough room for A pillar bar at L+R corners for tie into inner fender to cowl area.
Looking forward to responses.
I used to build quite a few cages but they were for off road and cosmetics weren't an issue....only fuction. I would weld matching flanges to the ends of the tubing where they met sheet metal so that they sandwiched the sheetmetal in between and the upper cage assembly could be removed by unbolting.
I'm not that familiar with the X so I can't really suggest a viable method but...I can say...Good Luck.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
Always trying to get "done", never seems to happen though.
Buddy last night informed me he will be bringing his car again for lots more stuff. The car is a track **** and ever improving, he spent way north of 10K on a new motor build this winter, says he wants to be stupid fast this year. lol
Last year I did some aero stuff for him.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 10
From: West Virginia
aluminum control arms, irs, enkei wheels (rpf01s, I think, usually on imports), single passenger exit exhaust... I declare this is an RX-7... ?
Fab work looks nice, is it wind tunnel tested?
Fab work looks nice, is it wind tunnel tested?
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: Joliet Il
Those are some good ideas and if they could be done, would likely be efffective to some degree. Keep in mind, as you appear to do, that the cage is no stronger than the member it attaches to. Somewhere in the design it would need to attach to the frame in, at the very least, 4 places with 6 being ideal.
I used to build quite a few cages but they were for off road and cosmetics weren't an issue....only fuction. I would weld matching flanges to the ends of the tubing where they met sheet metal so that they sandwiched the sheetmetal in between and the upper cage assembly could be removed by unbolting.
I'm not that familiar with the X so I can't really suggest a viable method but...I can say...Good Luck.
I used to build quite a few cages but they were for off road and cosmetics weren't an issue....only fuction. I would weld matching flanges to the ends of the tubing where they met sheet metal so that they sandwiched the sheetmetal in between and the upper cage assembly could be removed by unbolting.
I'm not that familiar with the X so I can't really suggest a viable method but...I can say...Good Luck.
Yes I agree, attachment to the frame is best way to go.
The idea is to distrubute the load across the roof area if it lands on the corner of A pillar or on the roof.
Just some ideas.
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 609
Likes: 3
From: Central Va
I'll be the one to pull a well used quote from another board I frequent when thinking about a cage for the X, and that is"needs more triangulation".
The x is a beast, a long beast, a tall beast, and a heavy beast. In order to build a cage that would hold up well in the case of a rollover(especially one at a decent speed, you will end up with something that will make a good stunt truck in a Mad max flick.
I've owned several rockcrawlers, both with internal cages and external. I have had all of the on their sides/roof or complete rollovers. All the cages did their job. At less than 5mph in a vehicle that weighed around 2200lbs. The sheer size and required bracing for a truck this size would make it look like hell(or a cool death machine if you did it right in the case of an exo cage) or if you chose to go internal the bracing would kill a HUGE portion of useable space, rendering it useless anyway.
I hate to even post this pic, but it gives you a rough idea of how much cage is going to be required in a larger SUV.
or if you go the internal route, it will be something like this, with a brace needed at each pillar and across the back
is a cage a bad idea? No, but you're going to lose a lot of space if you go internal, and if you go external, that truck just got a foot+ wider, can you afford that?
The x is a beast, a long beast, a tall beast, and a heavy beast. In order to build a cage that would hold up well in the case of a rollover(especially one at a decent speed, you will end up with something that will make a good stunt truck in a Mad max flick.
I've owned several rockcrawlers, both with internal cages and external. I have had all of the on their sides/roof or complete rollovers. All the cages did their job. At less than 5mph in a vehicle that weighed around 2200lbs. The sheer size and required bracing for a truck this size would make it look like hell(or a cool death machine if you did it right in the case of an exo cage) or if you chose to go internal the bracing would kill a HUGE portion of useable space, rendering it useless anyway.
I hate to even post this pic, but it gives you a rough idea of how much cage is going to be required in a larger SUV.
or if you go the internal route, it will be something like this, with a brace needed at each pillar and across the back
is a cage a bad idea? No, but you're going to lose a lot of space if you go internal, and if you go external, that truck just got a foot+ wider, can you afford that?
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
Mitsu evolution. No wind tunnel, just track testing, getting rid of any empty pockets on the bottom of any car helps.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 670
Likes: 1
From: SoCal...LP to the LB
haha if I had the money to do a custom cage, the last thing I'd do would be to keep the stock interior
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: Joliet Il
I'll be the one to pull a well used quote from another board I frequent when thinking about a cage for the X, and that is"needs more triangulation".
The x is a beast, a long beast, a tall beast, and a heavy beast. In order to build a cage that would hold up well in the case of a rollover(especially one at a decent speed, you will end up with something that will make a good stunt truck in a Mad max flick.
I've owned several rockcrawlers, both with internal cages and external. I have had all of the on their sides/roof or complete rollovers. All the cages did their job. At less than 5mph in a vehicle that weighed around 2200lbs. The sheer size and required bracing for a truck this size would make it look like hell(or a cool death machine if you did it right in the case of an exo cage) or if you chose to go internal the bracing would kill a HUGE portion of useable space, rendering it useless anyway.
I hate to even post this pic, but it gives you a rough idea of how much cage is going to be required in a larger SUV.
or if you go the internal route, it will be something like this, with a brace needed at each pillar and across the back
is a cage a bad idea? No, but you're going to lose a lot of space if you go internal, and if you go external, that truck just got a foot+ wider, can you afford that?
The x is a beast, a long beast, a tall beast, and a heavy beast. In order to build a cage that would hold up well in the case of a rollover(especially one at a decent speed, you will end up with something that will make a good stunt truck in a Mad max flick.
I've owned several rockcrawlers, both with internal cages and external. I have had all of the on their sides/roof or complete rollovers. All the cages did their job. At less than 5mph in a vehicle that weighed around 2200lbs. The sheer size and required bracing for a truck this size would make it look like hell(or a cool death machine if you did it right in the case of an exo cage) or if you chose to go internal the bracing would kill a HUGE portion of useable space, rendering it useless anyway.
I hate to even post this pic, but it gives you a rough idea of how much cage is going to be required in a larger SUV.
or if you go the internal route, it will be something like this, with a brace needed at each pillar and across the back
is a cage a bad idea? No, but you're going to lose a lot of space if you go internal, and if you go external, that truck just got a foot+ wider, can you afford that?
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
anyone watch the video on the motus sight? kinda BS cause they call a superduty an "F150" and it takes a real hard hit square on the roof at the bottom, and then they test a ram, which is a totally different model, and the way it falls it doesn't take a single hard hit to the roof. Not saying it doesn't provide protection, but I am saying the video doesn't prove it.
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