external halo/Hybrid cage thoughts??

[Blazer3664]

I have been looking at different cages trying to decide how I want mine. All I have figured out for sure so far is it is going to be a pain.

This is for a 2 door Cherokee that will see street and highway use (planning to drive it to Ouray [1100mi.] eventually), but not as a DD necessarily. Entry to the back seat is a consideration, and the wife and I are not getting any younger, so that limits designs some. Main thing is to keep myself and passengers safe while off-roading, most likely such things as a flop, maybe a over backward flip trying to climb something I shouldn't. It would not have to stand up to the forces of a desert racer or Nascar chassis.

A exo cage is out because of the local trails in my area. Tight trails in the woods like to grab anything that sticks out the side, and body damage is not a problem to an extent........ I do like that it would protect the roof/windshield in a flop/roll. Body damage just adds character as long as the doors work and windshield is intact, or can be replaced to keep it "street legal".

A internal cage would be fine, as long as I watch the head room, but dont protect the windshield in a flop/roll. Full X in the C hoop behind the rear seat, and probably welded wire mesh "fencing" to keep cargo in the cargo area if it should come loose (from tie-downs). Had a bad experience with that once, it wont happen again. Thinking a single diagonal behind the front seats, as a compromise to keep rear seat access easy.

Then I started seeing "hybrid" cages like the one in post #17 here..............
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/t ... ages/page2
I am liking this design idea. It protects the windshield a bit, and keeps the top of the cage away from my head. I might even add some smaller tube on top to make a roof rack out of the tube up there.

Has anybody done a Wag/Cherokee with a hybrid style cage like this?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Jim

[AwesomeJ10]

I think that is a great idea.

Anytime you can incorporate the cage into the actual body, it's gonna be the best of both worlds. Requires lots of time and skill though.

[stumblinman]

That was always what I wanted. I like the thought of having the hoops just extend out the top like a roof rack.

[Blazer3664]

Requires lots of time and skill though.

Time............. its taken me years to get this far, whats a little more time.
Skill........ hmmm, I'm working on it, but that might be the hardest part there.

[husker77]

Your link didn't work for me but here is one I found that was pretty sweet.



Here is the facebook group I found it on, there are a few more pics of it.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/44932762557/

[Blazer3664]

Thats what I am talking about, I like it. Not so crazy about the plate work up top, but the general tube placement works.

He is talking about having the cage, or maybe the whole body, hot dip zinked? Thats gotta be $$$ . Shouldn't have to worry about rust for a while though.

More expensive stuff to find out about................... no wonder I think you guys are a bad influence

Jim

[Stuka]

The Jeep shown in post #17 is an XJ. They are kind of in a unique place to be for cages. Since they use a uniframe setup, there will never be any movement between the body and the frame. So tyeing them together works especially good.

On a vehicle like an FSJ, it doesnt work very well. Unless you either fully box the frame, or tie the cag into the frame in multi spot from front to rear, the frame is going to twist a lot. Which means the body and frame move differently from each other. So if you make the body very rigid, without doing anything to the frame, you are going to crack body mounts. If you tie the cage into the body and frame, you really need to use solid body mounts as well, otherwise you are going to put cracks into other areas of the body to relieve the stress.

This is why typically with body-on frame vehicles the cage is tied into the frame only. So prevent high stress areas on the body.