[RideRed04]

I've heard mixed results with ewr. I'm personally going DOM when I get the new front built for mine. If I was doing an exo, where it was more of a protection of the body and structural beefing rather then THE structure.

 

[RideRed04]

I agree, when I first saw that, I though how awsome it looked. After I looked at it for a bit, it didn't appear that it would take a decent roll too well. It's hard to say with the triangulation going right the bend in the b-pillar, it may work. All the stress at that point would be transfered into the diagonal bar behind the seats, going then into the floor support. I may be wrong, but that's my observation.

 

[RideRed04]

There are WAY more and bigger issues as to why that failed then the material choice. If you really know what you are doing, you could probably build a cage to hold up to that roll with pipe. Why, when tube is stronger and lighter is up in the air.

 

[RideRed04]

That, and the poor penetration were the first things I noticed (after the pipe thread..hah!), but look a little closer, the one pipe is cut half way through! I'm not sure what the deal is there...but that's just crazy!

 

[RideRed04]

I have a question. With all this talk about triangulation and hoops collapsing when unsupported, wouldn't that make the CJ and '87-'91 YJ cage superior to the later '92 and up Wranglers? I have this argument on the YJ forum all the time. But it seems to me that the early design is a lot stronger. There is really nothing keeping the '92 and up roll bars from just folding over in a rollover, it would seem to me. Any opinions?

Yup, you are exactly right.

The late YJ cage is much better then the TJ cage though. From straight above, the TJ cage looks like an almost perfect H, where the back to legs of the YJ cage start inboard of the main hoop. Adding in a cross brace wouldn't be triangulation, that would be bracing...but a really wise idea nonetheless.

I have my cage planned out in my head (should be coming in the next year), but I'll be crudely sketching it down here one of these days. I'll post up when it's done.