I am planning on bending my own rollcage but am wondering if I fab my front down tubes to go through the front part of the floor and weld the tube to the front subframe then to the main hoop and weld my rear downtubes to a similar area in the rear would I need to put subframe connectors in too? I plan on using proper mounting plates and slugging the tubes that go through the floor Any reply is greatly appreciated Thanks It is a t top car too

 

Sub frame connectors would be a must with a cage. While you may think that since you are connecting the frame anyway with the cage the SFC are not needed, that is hardly the case. SFC should be the first install then the cage. Be sure anywhere that you land a cage point on that you have a good piece of plate to lane it onto. The NHRA rule book is a great wealth of information about putting a cage in and what should be done.

If you just putting the cage in for show it is not as important but it is important to think that if you sell you car to someone else they may not know that it is a show cage and not for function.

 

Install SFC first. They tie the front and rear subframes together. A roll cage/bar helps to stiffen up the car but doesn't do the same job as SFC do.

If you're making your own cage, what are you using to bend the tubes? Are you aware of what size tubes are required in each location?

 

I am using a hydraulic tubing bender not a pipe bender and I am not aware of the proper size .I was going to use 1.75 DOM tubing, my buddy is a IMCA mod stock car racer and recommended that size since that is what the main chassis its made of your reply is greatly appreciated Thanks
PS Iwas just going to do a 6 point cage

 

Sounds fine. Just making sure you're not heading in the wrong direction and need to replace it all because you did something wrong.

A 6 point bar needs all 1-3/4" tubing. A full cage uses different sizes with the largest at 1-5/8". Use tubing that's about .134" wall thickness so that it will still be thick enough around the bends.

Just as long as you're using a tubing bender and not a pipe bender. I've seen guys try to make a roll bar with a pipe bender. It would be fine for a 4x4 but not if it needs to pass a tech inspection. The tubing bender makes mandrel bends. A pipe bender pinches the tubing to make a bend.

 

Huh… I haven’t seen a tech inspector that can tell (a friend of mine’s cage in his LT1 powered Z car):




You just have to support the ends of the tube to keep things from getting crushed, you could see the bushings he used to support it sitting on the floor

 

How long are the bushings he uses and what is the diameter of them for 1.75 tubing

 

Just whatever size threaded coupler that fit over the tubing as close as possible… If I remember right the closest die that the HF bender has to a 1-5/8 or 1-3/4” tube is the 2” die…

 

Good info here (since I'll probably be doing this over the winter), thanks guys!

 

So those bushings basically fit in the pipe rollers and slide along the tubing? Interesting modification. As long as it doesn't pinch the tube like a traditional pipe bender would do, there's no reason you couldn't do it that way. The press die doesn't distort the tube?

There's still a lot to understand about angles and alignment to properly bend a cage. Over time and a few mistakes, it wouldn't take long to get it right.

Just be aware that tubing sizes and pipe sizes are not the same.

 

Tubing vs Pipe size is one of the reasons to support it with the bushings, as far as pinching/crushing the tube, you see shots from multiple angles of a bend done that way. It’s not perfect but it is damned good, if not as good as something done with like a JD^2 bender. I’m not sure how thin wall tube it will work well with, but it works well with the typical .120” wall stuff.

 

83 that is a cool mod to one of those benders. I have never been impressed with the hf bender. I used to have a JD model 3 bender but when I started doing more work the model 4 was well worth the extra cash. Both the model 3 & 4 bender bend just about the same... The 4 just makes it easier when I have built some of my friend 4wd stuff. I have bent tubing as thin as .035 4130 and as thick as 1 3/4" steel dom tube that is .165

In the picture attached I am bending 1 3/4" .135 wall dom for my SFC.

 

Forgot the picture

 

Very good info here! I like finding a way to manhandle/inginuity-ize the cheaper method and get it to work. Now THAT impresses me!

that JD bender is not hydraulic, just man power eh?
I figured you're talking about some crazy expensive tubing bender... what's that (pipe?) bender worth anyway?

Crossfires hydraulic pipe bender is a somewhat cheap model of pipe bender... so what's a "tubing" bender (the "right way") cost? (a "JD" bender?)

 

The first JD bender that I had (Model 3) was not hydraulic. It was quite a bit of work to bend roll cages. That bender was about $300.00 plus die sets that run around $115 to $350 depending on size.

The new bender that I purchased was a Model 4. I have had it over a year and wish I would have ourchased this one first. This bender is air over hydraulic (the way I purchased it they have other options). That was about $1500.00 plus the die sets. The die sets run from about $115 up to over $450.00

I my opinion if your building a cage where you need precision bends Crossfires bender is not a good option. I am sure it will work but your probably going to pull that tube out quite a few times to get it to bend exactly where you want it. The JD & HF benders are both nice mandrel benders. I am sure that Crossfires is too. I will say that I have bent and also seen quite a bit of bent tubing. I have never seen a pipe bender do as nice as a job as crossfire made his do. Great Job with the mods.

Everyone has a different idea of what expensive is. I do quite a bit of work out of my hobby shop. To me scrapping a bunch of tubing with incorrect bends justifies purchasing the correct bender for the job. As I am sure lost of people know with the price if materials sky rocketing mistakes are getting more expensive. Most of the tubing that I bend is 4130.

If you interested in a bender or tube fabrication equipment I like to shop at Metal Fabricating Tools - Metal Fabricating Equipment at Van Sant Enterprises' Trick Tools.com they have been very fair to me and are great people to deal with. Quite often Bruce Van Sant (owner) will answer the phone and also take orders. They are racers and also have some great bending software that makes designing role cages pretty easy.

 

i have made my owne pipe benders befor and am in the prosess of findeing one taht can do what i want it to do, i want to be able to bend u bends lol

 

Well what type of material do you want to bend into u-bends? If your looking at doing steel or 4130 tubing there are lots that will do u-bends. With mine I have made driveshaft loops, shock hoops, and stingers for the front of 4wd jeeps.

Now if your talking about doing muffler tubing into u-bends your talking some real big money.

 

that is what i was thinking was doing muffler, because i have bought and made some realy nice custome cold air intakes for my camaro in the past i realy wish i had some pics of the one i made for my high rise dome and holly dubble pumper, there was no need for a scoop to compensate for clearence and it cleand up the engine bay nicely. i had it on for 2 days after it was done and a guy herd about it and bought it for 300 bucks. lol i jumped on that sence it only cost me 50 to make lol. but i would like to be able to bend atleast close to a u bend as i could but i am starting to relise that it is going to be realy hard to make. and more $ than i have at my disposel