Rollcage suggestions

[A.I.I.Raciing]

Don't put a cage in unless you plan to make the truck for mostly offroad use. While the idea is great, it will make the truck useless for day to day use. There are many things you have to add like race seats, harnesses, etc. Plus it will be less safe for street driving unless you want everyone to always be wearing a helmet.

You're probably looking at $10k-$15k

You couldn't be further from the truth with your opinion! There are many ways to build a very safe cage while keeping stock seats and belts, no need for helmets either. I've driven fully caged trucks for many many years and NEVER worn a helmet on the street! Plus having a cage is much safer on the street than not having one, that is unless you put the contraption above in your truck!
Did you happen to see how the outlaw cage held up and the cab collapsed, it was a perfect example of what happens to a stock cab

Nice edit to your post! A cage should never cost 10-15k, there are hundreds of guys that can do a better job for much less than that

 

[Raptizzle]

I don't think a cage makes the truck useless for street driving by any means. I drive my caged raptor fairly often and went more along the lines of a race style cage as opposed to a minimalist design. The safety factor on the street comes down to the B pillar placement and it's proximity to your head. For me, it's rearward of the front seats and there's plenty of room where I couldn't see my head hitting it in a side impact.

Jarrett (former RPG) built a great minimalist design that allows him to run all his stock seats and hid the majority of the tubes.

I for one think cages are a wise investment for anyone pushing their trucks hard in the dezert. I am personally not comfortable riding or driving uncaged raptors at the speeds a lot of guys are driving.

Couple pics of mine for reference:

 

[Bigg50]

You couldn't be further from the truth with your opinion! There are many ways to build a very safe cage while keeping stock seats and belts, no need for helmets either. I've driven fully caged trucks for many many years and NEVER worn a helmet on the street! Plus having a cage is much safer on the street than not having one, that is unless you put the contraption above in your truck!
Did you happen to see how the outlaw cage held up and the cab collapsed, it was a perfect example of what happens to a stock cab

Nice edit to your post! A cage should never cost 10-15k, there are hundreds of guys that can do a better job for much less than that

You're cool. You seem to know it all...

BTW who cares how long you've been driving them on the street. I'd like to know how many side impacts you've been in or how many rollovers you've been in with these caged trucks. Plus I'd love to see picks of these affordable cages of which you speak of.

I don't think a cage makes the truck useless for street driving by any means. I drive my caged raptor fairly often and went more along the lines of a race style cage as opposed to a minimalist design. The safety factor on the street comes down to the B pillar placement and it's proximity to your head. For me, it's rearward of the front seats and there's plenty of room where I couldn't see my head hitting it in a side impact.

Jarrett (former RPG) built a great minimalist design that allows him to run all his stock seats and hid the majority of the tubes.

I for one think cages are a wise investment for anyone pushing their trucks hard in the dezert. I am personally not comfortable riding or driving uncaged raptors at the speeds a lot of guys are driving.

Couple pics of mine for reference:

Very nice setup indeed. I assume you spent at least $10k on that

I'm with you, I'm very uneasy now about taking my truck out without a cage in some ways. I've learned from personal experience how quickly something can go wrong when doing something you've done 100 times before.

I never said it would be useless but when you put in the context of the op's situation I think it probably would be. Maybe I'm extrapolating to much from his posts.

 

[GBrown1867]

As a member of the rollover club I am a big fan of cages. However, I think a stock truck is safer on the street with out one if you retain your stock seats. When we rolled, we had all 5 points of the harnesses attached and tight, plus with the master craft seats we did not move and were along for the ride. Stock seats would have been a disaster.

A properly built cage looses the airbags and unless it's a score cage you have very little side impact protection for when driving on the street

The bolt in cages are an absolute joke and a waste of money.

Just my opinion.

 

[GoMuscles]

Answered my own question...

 

[Cleave]

The bolts are the weak points, in a track car the likelyhood and forces involved in a roll are completely different, offroad rolls you have foliage and rocks as well as changes in the landscape that can add to the forces involved, this kind of stress can shear those bolts and turn the cage into just another projectile in the cab

---------- Post added at 09:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------

Bolt in roll cages for track cars are less for protection and more for chassis rigidity in reality as well

 

[Raptizzle]

The bolts are the weak points, in a track car the likelyhood and forces involved in a roll are completely different, offroad rolls you have foliage and rocks as well as changes in the landscape that can add to the forces involved, this kind of stress can shear those bolts and turn the cage into just another projectile in the cab

---------- Post added at 09:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------

Bolt in roll cages for track cars are less for protection and more for chassis rigidity in reality as well

I'd be just as worried about the lack of triangulation and amount of tube bends in said bolt in cage.

 

[GoMuscles]

The bolts are the weak points, in a track car the likelyhood and forces involved in a roll are completely different, offroad rolls you have foliage and rocks as well as changes in the landscape that can add to the forces involved, this kind of stress can shear those bolts and turn the cage into just another projectile in the cab

---------- Post added at 09:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------

Bolt in roll cages for track cars are less for protection and more for chassis rigidity in reality as well

Right on good point

 

[GBrown1867]

Rap your cage looks great. When we rebuild my truck, I am going with a third racing seat in the back also and probably more cross bracing like you.

 

[Ruger]

Actually there is considerable wisdom in what Bigg50 says, especially about the helmet. I worked with a man whose daughter was in an auto accident that nearly killed her. What did nearly all the damage was the B-pillar right behind the driver's seat. The nature of the accident was that the B-pillar beat her skull to the point that it was like corn flakes. She barely survived and she'll never have a life.

Any roll cage you put in a Raptor will have a tube right where it will pose risk to the skulls of both driver and passenger - a greatly increased risk because it intrudes into the passenger compartment, is in closer proximity to human occupants, and is hardened steel instead of plastic.

Heed Bigg's comments. He's quite right, and there is a beautiful young woman with scrambled brains in north Alabama to prove it.