New Roll Cage & Headliner
- Thread starter pamo61
- Start date
We bought this truck new and it was my daily driver with some trail time. Then it became my wife's daily driver with a little more trail time. Then it got promoted to toy status for even more trail time. We usually go on very hard trail runs and always bring the kids with us, which now number 3. These trucks are very strong with the only area of concern being the a-pillar area. I have seen a couple snap right off in that area. That is how this started, to strengthen that area. Then came all of the "might-as-wells".
As far as triangulation goes, my friends and I build race cars from scratch (literally a pile of tubing) that have to be built and inspected to SFI certifications that insure that we can walk away when things go bad at over 200mph. We definitely know about triangulation. We added gussets and plating where needed, but I didn't want the thing to look like a trophy truck, and I didn't want to have to climb around things to get in and out of the truck. Since the truck never sees over 70 mph, we did make some concessions in the form vs. function department. Could it be stronger, sure. Would it be ugly and a pain in the ass and weigh even more than it already does, you bet!
As for the headliner, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We like it because it is different, and DEAD SEXY. Plus our 3 & 5 year old girls like it too! I could have gone with stock, but it was just so much work and hassle to be boring like that.
Thanks for all the comments, even the guys who don't like it! Getting ready to head out for an easy Thanksgiving trip and can't wait to get out of town!
As far as triangulation goes, my friends and I build race cars from scratch (literally a pile of tubing) that have to be built and inspected to SFI certifications that insure that we can walk away when things go bad at over 200mph. We definitely know about triangulation. We added gussets and plating where needed, but I didn't want the thing to look like a trophy truck, and I didn't want to have to climb around things to get in and out of the truck. Since the truck never sees over 70 mph, we did make some concessions in the form vs. function department. Could it be stronger, sure. Would it be ugly and a pain in the ass and weigh even more than it already does, you bet!
As for the headliner, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We like it because it is different, and DEAD SEXY. Plus our 3 & 5 year old girls like it too! I could have gone with stock, but it was just so much work and hassle to be boring like that.
Thanks for all the comments, even the guys who don't like it! Getting ready to head out for an easy Thanksgiving trip and can't wait to get out of town!
Just out of curiosity, where are you located? And did I miss the pictures of the full rig somewhere?
Nice work but... how do you plan to keep your kids heads off the tube in front of them? They will probably be ok if they're well belted in to really good car seats. But after that.... then what? You're really going to put them in 5 point harnesses, tightly, 100% of the time?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not an anti-cage-on-the-street Nazi, but... When I put the cage in my car, I took the back seat out. No more back seat passengers.
No matter what you do, put some SFI/FIA rollbar padding on those things! Not the shitty pipe insulation lots of people use.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not an anti-cage-on-the-street Nazi, but... When I put the cage in my car, I took the back seat out. No more back seat passengers.
No matter what you do, put some SFI/FIA rollbar padding on those things! Not the shitty pipe insulation lots of people use.
Yes, we do keep our kids in car seats, it is generally a good idea. It is actually in a very good place when you sit back there, becasue of the stadium back seat. You have to sit back there to understand, but I am average height and it is about 6 inches above my knee. Nowhere near anyone, in or out of a car seat.
I put a couple of pictures of the truck on the blog page:
http://www.fusionmoto.com/
We are north of Los Angeles.
-p
I put a couple of pictures of the truck on the blog page:
http://www.fusionmoto.com/
We are north of Los Angeles.
-p
So... no foam anywhere on that thing, even for yourself up front? It's a well built cage, but I wouldn't put my family in that thing.
Here's my bolt in cage with foam. I tend to follow motorsports regulations, because these things are generally well thought out.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/robertlefebvre/pics/LG06.jpg
Here's my bolt in cage with foam. I tend to follow motorsports regulations, because these things are generally well thought out.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/robertlefebvre/pics/LG06.jpg