Welding my four point cage

[JAFO]

Started on the cage today.

Lots of welding blankets to protect the Bronco paint. Used a black nylon strap to hold things together until I got things tack together.

Once it was tacked in place I set the cage outside to finish the welds.
You can see here how I had the strap.

Finished the cross bar welds.

Added a ring on each side in the back hoping the will work with bikini top straps. I haven't actually sewn the bikini top yet. Roll cage first.
Notice I tacked a bolt to the cage so I had a ground point easy to clip to.

Flipped it over to finish the cross bar welds.

Need to clean up my welds and then paint.

 

[kens bronco]

Nice job on the cage.
Kenny

 

[hankjr]

Nice! Agree on the bikini rings. I bought some tabs and bungs for bikini strap and extinguisher to weld in. I have cage welded but haven't bunged yet. You brave to do that over such a pretty paint job!

Hank

 

[jmangi62]

Looks good and nice way of protecting your ride cuz she is pretty.

 

[JAFO]

Nice! Agree on the bikini rings. I bought some tabs and bungs for bikini strap and extinguisher to weld in. I have cage welded but haven't bunged yet. You brave to do that over such a pretty paint job!

Hank

Thanks all. I was nervous. I had blankets under the blankets. Was more nervous that if I welded not setting in place there would be fit issues. So welded only enough so I could lift out the assembly. No mishap with weld splatter thank goodness.

 

[Teal68]

Jafo,
Nice! Is that the TBP 4 point family? Either way please post up a pic in place when you can. I'm looking to install one for a friend, and our goal is to have three point seat belts at all four locations. Curious if this will do the trick.
Thanks,
Tyler

 

[JAFO]

Jafo,
Nice! Is that the TBP 4 point family? Either way please post up a pic in place when you can. I'm looking to install one for a friend, and our goal is to have three point seat belts at all four locations. Curious if this will do the trick.
Thanks,
Tyler

Yes it is the TBP 1435 Interior Bar Cage - Family 4 Point — $289.00.
Man TBP has a lot of my money. I am sure I must have a private room at their shop with refreshments and maybe a table to get a massage or something. I'll have to swing in there some time for that.

Since you'd be working with bare metal and a clean slate I am sure you could come up with some means of attaching the belts you desire. The front roll bar comes up maybe just beside the top of the seat back, so it seems you should be able to attach a three point in some way for driver and passenger. For the rear, I am not sure yet where the bar is in relation to the rear seat, as I had the rear seat out so I could move around freely. I think it will be more toward the rear of the rear seat, actually behind it maybe too far for a seat belt. But, maybe when you assemble the cage you could have the two top bars (running front to back) more to each side, so that you could then weld an angle bar coming up from the lower back and angle up to the top bar on each side. Then I think you could attach a seat belt. There is always a way with metal and a welder. Or even add additional front to back bars so you could add some angle pieces. I guess the fear is having too much metal around a passenger's head that might kill them and they would have been safer without the darn cage. I guess that is always a concern. You have this thing over you to protect from one type accident, but really that might be the least accident to happen and some other accident you bump your head.

If it would stop friggin raining here in VA I am hoping to paint the cage later this week and get it set in place. Later I plan to fab some supports under the body to the frame, but I want to get the cage in place soon so I can make my bikini top.

I did a search and found this thread. Page 2, the cage near the bottom (white one), the back bars come up just like the TBP cage, but these go forward as the TBP curves around the back, but that pic should give you an idea of where the back bars come up behind the rear seat.

I'll post some pics after I get the cage set back in place.

 

[bronconut73]

http://shop.broncograveyard.com/mobile/Overhaulin-Rear-Roll-Bar-Cage/productinfo/17780/


I got this one.
Worked well.
A lot like the 4 point TBP cage.

 

[Teal68]

http://shop.broncograveyard.com/mobile/Overhaulin-Rear-Roll-Bar-Cage/productinfo/17780/


I got this one.
Worked well.
A lot like the 4 point TBP cage.

The triangulation in that one looks smart. Either way I see what JAFO is saying about the rear bar being so far from the rear seat.

 

[JAFO]

It does help when I do actually paste in the link . Down at the bottom, the white one.
But I think you got the gist of it anyway. Going to take some special fabrication for the rear three point belts.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228266&page=2

 

[Teal68]

It does help when I do actually paste in the link . Down at the bottom, the white one.
But I think you got the gist of it anyway. Going to take some special fabrication for the rear three point belts.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228266&page=2

Thanks for the link. Yea, looks a bit challenging. Maybe moving the rear seat back some or the rear hoop forward some is the answer.

 

[GSP9]

What did you use for welding wire? I just got my cage today and have the mig set up for .023 but was thinking of going up in wire size.

 

[BigBlueBronco71]

Strong work! good call on the rings to the bikini top

 

[JAFO]

My wire is .030. Turned the wire feed up to highest setting on mine which is 4. Wire speed at ~30 seems to be the sweet spot for mine. Mine is a Hobart clone, Weldmark with inert gas. Does a good job.

I cleaned my welds and primed last night. Need to sand and paint.

.023 is a little thin I think.

 

[bmc69]

What did you use for welding wire? I just got my cage today and have the mig set up for .023 but was thinking of going up in wire size.

How large is your welder?

 

[GSP9]

It's 170 amp, 240 volt. I have .023 in there now for some body work on my mustang but thought that it might be a little thin for the cage. I have .030, just have to spool it up and get started. Thanks.

 

[bmc69]

yep... .030 would be the way to roll. ;-)