View Full Version : Building a rollcage
seeing as my pickup cant have a standard cage ive got to build my own. i know the basics, make triangles for strength etc, but how do you make the spreader plates for the floor?
do you have plates on the outside and the inside, tube welded to both and welded to the floor? and how would i go about making the door crossovers?
pics would be a massive help :d
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CorsaNova/NovaSaloon/077cb440.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/CorsaNova/NovaSaloon/15d70adc.jpg
Maybe of some use...A few of mine.
My advice would be don't do it yourself. A cage done wrong is more lethal than having no cage at all
mk1nova_rich
04-08-12, 08:39 AM
My advice would be don't do it yourself. A cage done wrong is more lethal than having no cage at all
This
If you have to ask dont bother.
paul james
04-08-12, 09:12 AM
All very good points, but you have to start learning from somewhere, just read up as much as possible on the subject before definitely doing it. He has chopped most of the roof off to make a pick up, which is already something that could make a weakened and unsafe car if not done right.
Jon_nova1
04-08-12, 09:15 AM
if he's not capable of making a rollcage then he can't be very capable of making a pickup, so its either all going to work or none of it will work lol
mk1nova_rich
04-08-12, 11:47 AM
Making a pickup requires a far lower level of fabrication skill than building a rollcage IMO
I'm not trying to undermine you Bubba, just thinking about your safety :thumb:
All the ones I've seen, the spreader plates are welded inside on the floorpan, and the legs are welded to those.
Door bars are a case of profiling the ends of the pipe to fit snugly against the A/B pillar legs and welded in place.
Why won't a standard cage fit it anyway? I'd prefer to modify a premade cage than try and build one from scratch from nothing but straight lengths.
Making a pickup requires a far lower level of fabrication skill than building a rollcage IMO
I'm not trying to undermine you Bubba, just thinking about your safety :thumb:
so...wouldnt you advide against driving a nova all together lol
Why won't a standard cage fit it anyway? I'd prefer to modify a premade cage than try and build one from scratch from nothing but straight lengths.
the front half would, but id pretty much throw away the back half, so thats a total waste of money. and ive already ordered tube and have a bender to do it. ive got quite a few people who know about building them too who said they would come and give me a hand to do it as well.
If you have to ask dont bother.
might as well get rid of the entire tech section then. :tard:
Ask on an autograss forum mate,get some ideas from there.
The technical section here is a waste of bandwidth it seems
might as well get rid of the entire tech section then. :tard:
Fukking rofl...............!!!!!!!
8valve-craig
05-08-12, 08:53 PM
Go for it. Mine was a sparco cage, but still needed adapting and lifting up.
Made these feet
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03736.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03749.jpg
Measured up
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03739.jpg
Welded in spreaders
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03742.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03741.jpg
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03796.jpg
No pics of the front ones but thats the idea.
Google "roll cage fail" and you will see why the spreaders are important...... Heres one.
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/mustange-cage-fail.jpg
might as well get rid of the entire tech section then. :tard:
If you have to ask how to make door bars and where the spreader plates should be, you're better off getting someone else to do it.
And Spudly, you're still trying to get one over on me from your stupid post the other day that got deleted so bore off.
And Spudly, you're still trying to get one over on me from your stupid post the other day that got deleted so bore off.
I think not, ive got better things to be doing with my time, thankyou please :d
Depends on how confident you are with your fabrication skills are imo, and i seen your work and it seems decent :)
I can weld but i still wouldnt say i have the fabrication skills to fab a strong cage, personally i would take iains advise and pick up a 6 point cage and modifiy it to fit, as it would be better to have a decent base to start from, also the bars should(?) have the correct size and angles bent in them.
Go for it. Mine was a sparco cage, but still needed adapting and lifting up.
Made these feet
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/Nova%20on%20bike%20carbs/DSC03736.jpg
first thing i though was "why the hell has he got forged steel blocks" lol
but those pics help :d
If you have to ask how to make door bars and where the spreader plates should be, you're better off getting someone else to do it.
except the whole point of building something is do it yourself. for example i expect ill be posting about putting the engine together properly, or are you telling me i might as well get someone else to do that for me as well? and while im at that, might as well get someone to finish off welding the shell up, hell might as well just drag it to a bodyshop and get them to finish it for me.
you dont learn by getting someone else to do it. im college we built a full chassis for a buggy thing that was then used and raced in a college competition thing so i know how to fishmouth n weld tube together...and if i really wanted to i could go and do a full 3D rendering with stress testing if i really wanted to.
beefing up the structure is a sound idea, but a basic roll cage is only there for protecting the occupants.. the btcc & nascar ones are built for massive rigidity, and as a safety cell.. a bit much for a road car..
putting strength back in is going to be the hardest bit, cos the b post & rear roof will have been weakened, but most of the rear bodywork is only for show, so as long as you triangulate back to the spring mounts & rear shock absorbers, that area should be ok
Bubba you know how much I have built over the years yet I didn't flinch at handing over £900 for my cage as I wouldn't dream about attempting it.
We use kits from Roll Centre, this is one that has gone into a Corsa I'm building.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Jatec/Dave%20O%20Dell%20Corsa/P1050298.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Jatec/Dave%20O%20Dell%20Corsa/54126_10150314470735702_593140701_15917441_2991086 _o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Jatec/Dave%20O%20Dell%20Corsa/55582_10150314469860702_593140701_15917405_4818417 _o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Jatec/photo12.jpg
That is a national spec cage, its bolt in but goes behind the dash so gives slightly more protection. They are tight all round unlike the other supposed good cages that you can fit your hand between the cage and panel.
This is a full multipoint from the same supplier, very extensive but in a track only car. Its pickups everywhere but is a bit much in anything you may drive to the shops in.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Jatec/photo9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/Jatec/photo10.jpg
Personally if your learning to weld then don't learn when doing a cage, if you can't cut metal very well again don't start by making your own cage, as has been mentioned already no cage is better than one thats been badly installed.
That pic of the car on its roof looks BAD !
i can weld tube fine, and ive got all the saws at work to cut it, pipe bender etc, fishmouthing i can do by hand, tis easy just mind numbingly boring. although it will be there as protection, its mostly for strengthening the shell again since ive cut it up.
TBH sounds like your more than confident and capable, its not rocket science but you need to atleast know the basics.
There is someone on another forum that appears half sharp at welding, well I thought that until he cut the roof brace too short so just added a few inches to it rather than replace it with a new tube ! bodge tastic
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