Cage welding? Holes in the roof?

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Cope

Cope

Fusing with fire
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I got a 14 point cage and driver compartment for my.dart and wonder how to finish weld the tops of the rear bars?
I plan on cuttin out the floor and dropping the cage to weld the tops of the main cage but i dont see how to drop the cage once its all in to weld the top of the rear bars? (through the trunk and firewall)

should I stop the front bars and end/start them with plates? what about the rear bars?
 
We used to cut the top off and then weld it back on with a full cage install.
 
im guessing you jig saw the roof off?

thats a lot of stich welds and warping.. even with my TIG.

i was thinking.of.cutting holes above each connection, i got a stubby TIG torch.

no matter what looks like i will be skim coating the full roof...and dollying..

I got a nice plazma but it leaves slag sometimes and i wont be able to clean the bottom once the cage is in. not planning on a headliner so what ever i do WILL be seen.

How bout the front bars? plates or make covers for the holes?
 
I'm not a pro chassis guy, but I tack the cage together with the plates over the holes cut in the floors. The holes in the floors are bigger and allow the cage to be moved around a little. I don't tack weld the rear bars to the trunk floor plates, again leave the holes a little "big" and the bars a little "long". Then take out the floor plates, drop it down, weld the tops, and then lift the cage back in place. Get the plates back in under the hoop, and fit/weld the rear bars in the trunk.
 
I tucked mine really tight to the roof but I used one of those aluminum/mesh heat shields for stick welding and put as big of a socket as I could between the bar and the shield to make room and protect the head liner. Your headliner droops a lot so putting something in there to protect from heat and push it up helped.
 
I'm not gonna run a headliner.

I still don't see how with the rear bars tacked I can lower the cage with out huge holes?

Maybe it will be clear when I start welding..
 
Also, I don't remember the exact percentage but you can get away with only welding like 80% of the tube.
 
I check the new rule book tonight, I thought it said full welds..
 
moper said:
I'm not a pro chassis guy, but I tack the cage together with the plates over the holes cut in the floors. The holes in the floors are bigger and allow the cage to be moved around a little. I don't tack weld the rear bars to the trunk floor plates, again leave the holes a little "big" and the bars a little "long". Then take out the floor plates, drop it down, weld the tops, and then lift the cage back in place. Get the plates back in under the hoop, and fit/weld the rear bars in the trunk.
Click to expand...
Yup, same thing I do. Doing a cage or roll bar is one of those tasks where you don't want to charge in and get ahead of yourself. Planning and sequence are the keys to not getting stuck with welds that are a problem. I've never cut holes in or cut off a roof. I also have a mini TIG torch by Weld Craft. Its very small so and compact to get into tight spaces when needed. Every rule book I've seen said all tubes must be welded 100% and even if the rules permitted less than that, I'd weld them 100%. If you do opt to buy a mini tig torch you have to turn the gas flow WAY down when you use it. Turn it down to where you can't even see the ball in the flow gauge and hold the torch to your ear and set the flow to where you can just hear the gas coming out. Test it on scrap before you weld on the cage to make sure you're not getting a pourus, crappy weld.
 
I do have a mini tig torch.

And yeah at the speeds I want to reach I'm taking this cage build very seriously. ..
 
Dam, this is gonna be way harder than I thought...


Oh well such is life...

Main hoop mock up, 20 more bars to go..

 
Gussets and tie into the body where you can. Tie the main hoop into the door jamb where the striker is. The down bars to the A pillars. The rear bars to the package tray. You get the idea.
 
Cope said:
Dam, this is gonna be way harder than I thought...
LOL, yup, no one knows until they attempt it. I do them for other guys occasionally. Lots of guys inquire and are shell shocked when I give them a price. One of the worst mistakes guys make is shopping around and looking for the lowest price. I've cut out a few of those hack jobs and re-did them right. Its akin to building a ship in a bottle and is really tough on your body. Take your time, measure three or four times, cut once and with each tube you tack in place look at it from different angles and check to make sure it will clear any parts that have to go back in the car.

Oh well such is life...

Main hoop mock up, 20 more bars to go..

Click to expand...
 
Thanks, i will be gusseting the piss out of it. on one hand i like that look and pops is crazy for dimple dies and on the other I want as much weld touching steel as i can get...

where i wanted the main hoop (or where it fit best wont pass tech and wont allow the rear windows cranks to function..

I hope the main hoop is the hardest..

oh yeah i gotta pull the front windshield to pull the dash, so may as well pull all the wireing and fix any rust in the pinchweld as well..

so new gasket and windshield.. yeah i could just cut.the gasket but my.front windshield is already cracke so more cash in the fire....

Thank god im building a reace car so what ever gets in the way is going bye bye... (if it can)

im not even sure if the factory dash will go back in. it may just be easier to fab one out of aluminum that fits the cage..
 
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Who needs rear windows to crank? Why isnt the hoop legal? Looks fine to me. If your going all out,who needs a dash? Who needs a stock windshield? Lexan. Cheaper? Lighter.
 
My chassis guy tacks the bars together on the main hoop before he attaches them to the floor(everything mocked up in car & held with magnets/ clamps). Then he drops one of the front legs of the bars out of the car, tilting the rear bars, main hoop, roof bars & front legs so he then can weld the top side of all the joints. Does one side then tilts it out of the car & does the other side. Then he puts it all back in place & finishes the joints inside the car as you would normally see them. It's still tight working but you aren't cutting the roof off or cutting holes in the floor.
 
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