Front roolbar with a rear one ? ideas...

Hi all

I can buy a stock roll-bar out of a 76 CJ. I would like to adapt it to make a front hoop that will attach to the usual dash location discuss in the other thread.

Any pro / cons you want to share ? I could have this for 75$ (complete roll-bar) And yes I will attach bars to join the back and the front hoop.

 

You could.

Just make sure that the tubing is suitable for a roll bar. And next that the welds are good.-- Gusset welds as suits your good judgement. Also be sure you mount it to the floors/frame in an strong manner. I have a pieced rear bar on my CJ6-- but where I pieced were possible I included inner tubing linings. This means if the weld breaks to the outer tube the thick inner tube lengty will not let the roll bar come apart. Next the knotched tubing that is perpendicular is to have gussets.

A new cage with custom bends are better (of course). Jeepers with custom superior cages often are critical to a pieced bar. It is a realitive situation. There is no doubt that a specially bent and constructed cage is better. But I have seen some adapted and reworked cages save people. On the other hand it was because the welds were good and the connections were gusseted. With this in mind, remember that welds are brittle compared to a continuous length of tubing. An actual 'cage' makes a high speed rolling crash surriviable. A pieced shade tree front and rear set would likely not withstand a highway accident-- but could be a life saver in a slow trail roll.

My brother and Dad were saved by just a homemade rear- wheel well mounted bar on my old Cj3a back in the 1970s-- when they rolled it into a bar-ditch on a Washington State dirt road-- they were going about 20 mph though. It kept the Jeep from crushing them-- and the seat belts (only lap belts) kept them in the Jeep (safe).

 

The front bar I want to add is more to protect me in slow-trail situation. I am well aware that a high-speed crash in my CJ could be un-pleasant. I want also a chance of not tipping over on my hood easily, because I go around with the windshield down on trail ride.