How to reinforce your cage on the cheap

Posts: 1163

Welding the cross bars will help. Welding the corners may help a little, but I think they would help most in an ened over end flip, which is the least likely flip unless your name is Tom. (inside joke which most people that have been on for a couple of years will get). You have to think in terms of bracing from sisd to side. While you are doing the gussets get an X in behind the seat.

Posts: 417

End over end is what we did last same as tom did nose dive and back end came over. Gussets would reinforce the side elbow bars too.

Posts: 5

Darren,
One thing to consider is the impact absorption of the roll cage. Roll cages are meant to absorb the impact of a crash or rollover. If you fill your roll bar up with concrete you are changing the ductilty of the section. Instead of the steel bending and deforming thus absorbing the impact, your composite section (what we call it in the enginering field) will be less ductile thereby causing a catistrophic failure. I would say that the failure mechanism would be a shear in the section at the point of impact. This could be deadly if the impact zone is next to you. Instead of a deformed roll bar, you will have 2 spears coming at you. I agree with Steeda, use gussets. When we want to reinforce steel members in structures we will use gussets for stiffening, although it is not exactly new (sorry Steeda). Gussets were probably invented about the same time as iron. Hope this helps.

Posts: 417

I never claimed to have invented the Gusset... It was just a simple solution to a weak roll cage. I strongly disagree that these where intentionally made weak to bend and squash.. Last time my bro went over it was end over end and his helmet got pounded into the ground ... Good thing he had one on.. So if your saying they designed it so your head and neck take the impact rather then a replaceable bar I strongly disagree. These where built in china for a reason.. Cost. Let's not forget a few years back the recall on seat belts because they would not hold you in. You never see race cars with a flexible roll cage. Cars have crumple zones before the cabin.. We have only a cabin here no room for crumple zones. Ever seen that video of a smart car impact into a brick wall at like 80 mph? You would think nothing would be left.. But the cabin is built strong not to flex. The cage must be strong to be of good use or it would be like wearing a bicycle helmet on a race bike. If you truly need the cage your going to wish it worked. This is my main fear when wanting to go for big power on these.

Posts: 2589

Posts: 5

Sorry, being a newbie, maybe I should avoid humor until I have few more posts under my belt. All I'm saying is stick with the steel and avoid the concrete. I have seen many concrete structures fail because they are too stiff, whereas steel will go with the flow and bounce back. BTW, cool video.