Exo cage roll cage Im building on a k1500
August 9th, 2012, 12:37 AM
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Exo cage roll cage Im building on a k1500
So sunday I started a project with 60 ft (x3- 20ft) of 3/16" x 1-1/2", a 12 ton hydrolic pipe bender, a cut off grinder and a 110V mig welder (30amp). I'm building an exocage on my 1988 K1500. I spent nearly all of sunday working on getting the one peice bar on behind the cab. It took about 50 bends and when I got it near done I had to take the rear wheels off to slide if over the rear of the truck into place (about 20 times getting the final bends in perfect). I used about 19 ft for the one piece. I had to take it to a welding shop to have them use their big welder attaching the pipe to a couple 1/4" thick 5"x5" plates that I am bolting to the frame. The 110V welder I have wouldn't do it.
Monday I used another 20 ft pipe and made the angles from the big rear pipe and the above the windshield one. This is where I fuct up and now I am going to have to replace my passenger window. The slag from the welder melts glass. so my passenger side window got it bad. I realized my mistake and went to the dollar general and bought a couple rubber floor matts. I set them on fire a few dozen times welding the pipes together.
Next day off I get I'm going to run a pipe up from the frame behind the wheel well straight up, then one from the top of the bumper along the top of the fender to the pipe that is there now, and also a pipe that rides just above the wheel well from the front bumper to the pipe that I'm going to put coming up from the frame.
Monday I used another 20 ft pipe and made the angles from the big rear pipe and the above the windshield one. This is where I fuct up and now I am going to have to replace my passenger window. The slag from the welder melts glass. so my passenger side window got it bad. I realized my mistake and went to the dollar general and bought a couple rubber floor matts. I set them on fire a few dozen times welding the pipes together.
Next day off I get I'm going to run a pipe up from the frame behind the wheel well straight up, then one from the top of the bumper along the top of the fender to the pipe that is there now, and also a pipe that rides just above the wheel well from the front bumper to the pipe that I'm going to put coming up from the frame.
August 9th, 2012, 10:02 PM
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wouldnt be the first time ive rolled a truck over, would be the first time with a exocage. i've rolled a f350 dually, jeep commanche, suzuki samerai, and a couple ford feistas, all when I was younger. in the past 10 years I haven't rolled anything over though
August 12th, 2012, 8:33 PM
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I found this handy little tool for notching the ends of the pipes, should save a lot of run around trying to get the pipes to line up perfectly, Tube Coping Calculator
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