Sammy Exo Cage Project Build Thread

[silverado_nolan]

So today I started on the exo cage.... I am not sure if it will be really strong or not, and I hope it looks cool...



tell me what you guys think / suggest.....


http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030146.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030144.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030143.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030145.jpg



here is a sort of blue print (but not exactly) (and not yellow)


http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/exocage6.jpg

[badbowtie_907]

It might just be the pics but it looks like the wall thickness is about .000001 lol I know its a light rig, but its better to be overbuilt IMO... Looks like a cool project though.

[GreaseDog]

your kickers to the frame should be run to the side of the slider tube, otherwise you're going to get hung up on them.

[GreaseDog]

your tubes in the rear look a little funky. i would reverse the tube you've got running this way \ and run it like this /, then maybe run a tube from its center to the top rear corner. from the looks of your drawing, you threw the tubes in there for looks.

[silverado_nolan]

your tubes in the rear look a little funky. i would reverse the tube you've got running this way \ and run it like this /, then maybe run a tube from its center to the top rear corner. from the looks of your drawing, you threw the tubes in there for looks.

if your talking about where the back is (like where a window would be) I was thinking that exact same thing and totally agree

[chevytaHOE5674]

What kind of material are you using? And how is it being bent?

I agree and would switch what you have so that the tubing running off the frame aren't under the "slider" piece.

Also i would get on ZukiKrawlers or Zuwharrie and look at some other peoples cages, just to see how others have done it.

[silverado_nolan]

and my sliders.... the only reason they are on top and not side by side is because I couldnt have a place to mount the round tubing.... so I will do something underneath to make it even... I just don't know what yet

[silverado_nolan]

What kind of material are you using? And how is it being bent?

I agree and would switch what you have so that the tubing running off the frame aren't under the "slider" piece.

Also i would get on ZukiKrawlers or Zuwharrie and look at some other peoples cages, just to see how others have done it.


it is being bent by my exhaust guy, and it is 2" tube ( but I truely don't know specs because my uncle just had a bunch of it

[ShotgunFacelift]

looks like its gonna look pretty damn cool. I approve!

[GreaseDog]

bent by your exhaust guy? so you're using pipe, and not tube. :nono:

[KickAss89chev]

omg its gonna look sweet!

[chevytaHOE5674]

Ive never been to an exhaust shop with a tubing bender.....

[silverado_nolan]

material is from my uncle.... and if you read endless threads on offroad websites or sammy websites there are endless fights of whether to use pipe or tube.... people do both and both fail and both succeed it seems like in my reading.... but to my understanding it was tube but I could be wrong...all I know is that it is definitely thicker than my exhaust pipe

[silverado_nolan]

oh I had no idea the benders were different.... there is some of my ignorance to all of this right there.... he said he would/could do it so it is obviously pipe then, thats my bad

[GreaseDog]

slice your kickers at a 45* angle and install a piece of flat stock across them. then taper the end to blend it back into the tube.

[chevytaHOE5674]

I wouldn't trust my life to pipe. Sure many people get away with it, but most use very thick wall to make up for its lack of thickness. Heck I've seen square tubing hold up as a "roll cage" but it isn't something you can count on. I've also seen pipe cages fail as well as tubing. Tubing will dent to bend in a crash there pipe will tend to crack and break....

But when I'm building things that I am trusting my life to i don't skimp.

[silverado_nolan]

slice your kickers at a 45* angle and install a piece of flat stock across them. then taper the end to blend it back into the tube.
thats a good idea... I will probably wait to do that until it is all closer to done...

[silverado_nolan]

I wouldn't trust my life to pipe. Sure many people get away with it, but most use very thick wall to make up for its lack of thickness. Heck I've seen square tubing hold up as a "roll cage" but it isn't something you can count on. I've also seen pipe cages fail as well as tubing. Tubing will dent to bend in a crash there pipe will tend to crack and break....

But when I'm building things that I am trusting my life to i don't skimp.

true dat....

[bggrnchvy]

Ok, pipe vs tube is not an arguement worth having. I could give you a grade of pipe that is stronger in yeild and ultimate tensile strength than quite a few grades of tube. You need to pick the material, then the manufacturing process of the material. Pipe vs. tube is only how they are measured.

No exhaust pipe bender will bend thick enough material to not dent easily, the only saving grace is the weight of your Sami.

2" is huge, especially for a Samurai. The issue here though more importantly is the thin wall thickness and the large diameter. Given similiar wall thicknesses larger diameter tubing is much easier to dent. Bending strength of the larger diameter tubing is higher however if you dent it on a rock the bending resistance goes in the craper. You're better off with a light rig to just stick with a ~1.5" OD like 1-1/2 tube or 1-1/4" SCH40 pipe.

I'm not quite sure what you're doing with those 'sliders' so I'll hold my remarks and thoughts until you're done.

[silverado_nolan]

Ok, pipe vs tube is not an arguement worth having. I could give you a grade of pipe that is stronger in yeild and ultimate tensile strength than quite a few grades of tube. You need to pick the material, then the manufacturing process of the material. Pipe vs. tube is only how they are measured.

No exhaust pipe bender will bend thick enough material to not dent easily, the only saving grace is the weight of your Sami.

2" is huge, especially for a Samurai. The issue here though more importantly is the thin wall thickness and the large diameter. Given similiar wall thicknesses larger diameter tubing is much easier to dent. Bending strength of the larger diameter tubing is higher however if you dent it on a rock the bending resistance goes in the craper. You're better off with a light rig to just stick with a ~1.5" OD like 1-1/2 tube or 1-1/4" SCH40 pipe.

I'm not quite sure what you're doing with those 'sliders' so I'll hold my remarks and thoughts until you're done.


lol thank you for holding out on the sliders for now :cool:


Thanks for the info... as of right now I doubt I will hit it on a rock to dent it, but who knows where I may take it in the future I guess.....


how much do you think I could pick 1.5" OD tube for?

this 2" was free from my uncle so that is my reasoning.... I may then just go and get other tube and pay for it if need be

[chevytaHOE5674]

Remember if you go buy tubing you will need to find a tubing bender. Many machine shops have them but will charge by the bend for tubing. Find a local offroad club and see if somebody has a bender than you can borrow or that will do some bends for you.

[Underpowered]

Ive never been to an exhaust shop with a tubing bender.....

the guy that does my exhaust (or used to) uses a rigid tubing bender. it is an industrial unit made for bending tubing, not jsut exhaust pipe.


but yeah, nto sure on the sliders till you are done with them. but will say, if they are "sliders" they won't slid to well with teh supports under them. they need a piece ran across them to make a smooth, solid surface the length of the slider.

[bggrnchvy]

lol thank you for holding out on the sliders for now :cool:


Thanks for the info... as of right now I doubt I will hit it on a rock to dent it, but who knows where I may take it in the future I guess.....


how much do you think I could pick 1.5" OD tube for?

this 2" was free from my uncle so that is my reasoning.... I may then just go and get other tube and pay for it if need be

I buy 1-1/2" .120 wall 1018-1020 HREW for ~$1/ft in 10ft lengths at the local steel place from their 'scrap' yard. New they sell it for $40/20ft stick.

[silverado_nolan]

the guy that does my exhaust (or used to) uses a rigid tubing bender. it is an industrial unit made for bending tubing, not jsut exhaust pipe.


what does a tube bender look like in comparison? his machine is huge.... what is the major difference?



but yeah, nto sure on the sliders till you are done with them. but will say, if they are "sliders" they won't slid to well with teh supports under them. they need a piece ran across them to make a smooth, solid surface the length of the slider.

yeah for sure... Ill do something to make it smooth/flat once it is all said and done... may have to loose just a little ground clearnace but then again maybe not

[silverado_nolan]

I buy 1-1/2" .120 wall 1018-1020 HREW for ~$1/ft in 10ft lengths at the local steel place from their 'scrap' yard. New they sell it for $40/20ft stick.

a dollar a foot wouldn't be too bad at all... Ill go to our usually overpriced scrap yard and see what they say for price

[silverado_nolan]

Remember if you go buy tubing you will need to find a tubing bender. Many machine shops have them but will charge by the bend for tubing. Find a local offroad club and see if somebody has a bender than you can borrow or that will do some bends for you.

There really arent any offroad clubs besides this really rich business man with an amazing rock crawler that my dad is friends with.... maybe I could talk to him

[CaliHoe]

Heres my buddys rig (http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611997) for some ideas. I would look into chopping that up. But being in a colder climate that may not be an option. Either way propane injection is a slick option for those wee little baby engines.

[GarnerZ]

good luck either way man, ive never tryed a exo cage, if its anything like and interior cage, get ready!!!

[silverado_nolan]

I still haven't done anything about the sliders.... but we made a little bit of progress on it.... but NO where near even close to being finished....


here are a few updates... tell me if it is good or bad or what you guys think.....


sorry for the dark pictures (but you get the idea)


http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030148.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030149.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030150.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030151.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030152.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030154.jpg




nolan

[KickAss89chev]

i would tuck it closer to the body but thats just me.

[silverado_nolan]

I would have, but my first screw up is where I located the mounting slider thing.... I did it way too far out, and that was dumb, secondly I wanted it to be a little higher than the soft top so I could still easily remove and replace the top when the summer comes.... I do agree with you and know what your saying

[chevytaHOE5674]

That looks scary. Those bends look like crush bent in a pipe kinker. The material also looks like the ends were flared so that then interlock? If so that material isn't strong enough.

[silverado_nolan]

That looks scary. Those bends look like crush bent in a pipe kinker. The material also looks like the ends were flared so that then interlock? If so that material isn't strong enough.

I think just in case I will use actuall material that is strong, and build it from the inside.... if it isn't strong enough I guess it will be for looks and then a stronger one will be for real

[bggrnchvy]

Preface: I'm not trying to say you're stupid, your work sucks or that you should go torch it.

I think you have good intentions but the material just isn't right and neither is the means of bending for a structural cage. The material is just too thin and the actual composition is just too soft. Even if you just lay it over your going to crush the exhaust and most likely force it into the body.

If you're going to build an interior cage with the right stuff, meaning you have a means to bend mechanical tubing or mechanical grade pipe, then just cut that off and do it right on the exterior.

I know you put a lot of work into that cage but it's really not a cage. It's a step above surrounding it in PVC really.

[KADILLACKID]

So today I started on the exo cage.... I am not sure if it will be really strong or not, and I hope it looks cool...



tell me what you guys think / suggest.....


http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/silverado_nolan/P1030146.jpg


here is a sort of blue print (but not exactly) (and not yellow)





I swear thats a sledgehammer....WTF??? Most people would probly use that mount to carry an axe or shovel :dunno:

[KickAss89chev]

I swear thats a sledgehammer....WTF??? Most people would probly use that mount to carry an axe or shovel :dunno:
his shovels on his hood, lol

[DarkCharisma]

That looks scary. Those bends look like crush bent in a pipe kinker. The material also looks like the ends were flared so that then interlock? If so that material isn't strong enough.
Yeah, I don't think I'd trust my own/passenger's lives with that tubing. If it's strictly for looks, full speed ahead, but if it's for safety, you'd better rethink your approach a bit.

[tsijohn]

I don't think I'd even do an exo for looks.

If you can get better materials, and tools and such I say start over man, better to get it done the safer way than to actually use it the way it is and it mess something up.

[silverado_nolan]

true that.... I will probably search for materials (not free ones) and do it right.....

[tsijohn]

Keep at it though and keep updating it's good to see other younger folks trying their hand at stuff like this.

[KADILLACKID]

please tell us about the sledgehammer???

[GreaseDog]

wow... just wow :whyme:

why would you even think to proceed if you know your sliders wont slide? :whatever:

[ShotgunFacelift]

wow... just wow :whyme:

why would you even think to proceed if you know your sliders wont slide? :whatever:

hey jackass, read about 10 posts back

I still haven't done anything about the sliders.... but we made a little bit of progress on it.... but NO where near even close to being finished....

[ZachSB3]

um yeh that doesnt look very strong, id cut all that off and start over with some better materials. maybe try a cheap harbor freight bender, ive seen some people use that with pretty decent results.

[GreaseDog]

hey jackass, read about 10 posts back
hey jackass, would you build a house on top of a foundation that you knew wasnt right? NO. those sliders are the base of the exocage, thus the foundation.

he might as well put aluminum running boards on it.

[GreaseDog]

um yeh that doesnt look very strong, id cut all that off and start over with some better materials. maybe try a cheap harbor freight bender, ive seen some people use that with pretty decent results.
i've got a buddy with a tracker who built a pair of bumpers out of some C channel he had laying around, and then added some sch 40 pipe to it to mount lights and guard his winch. he added a pair of steps to his 3x3 sliders with pipe as well. actually didnt look too bad with the pipe on there, much better than exhaust pipe.

[Bigburb79]

Dude Nolan we can bend that biotch up at my house
Holler back man -Austin