Rear cage from sq tube?

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Wondering if anybody has ever made or seen rollbars/cage made from sq instead of round tube. This would be mostly for the inside back section of a topless 4runner.
I just like the look of sq better - and much easier to seam/weld at joints.
Pros? cons?
 
Them make square dies for tube benders.
 
Steve_Kibbe said:
How are you going to bend it?
Click to expand...

Not planning to.
What i'm thinking will be a very basic frame for the back area of a Runner - all the lines are pretty much straight and sharp angles. I'll cut/ weld the joints - don't own a bender.

After some reading though, I see there is a big idference in the per-foot weight for sq vs tube. That might be a deal-breaker.
What i really want to do is design it so that portions (behind cab) are bolted-in in pieces and can be removed. I often use this as a "truck" and have the need for all the space - I'd just put the frame in for things like the 4x4Cross.
I was thinking that sq qould be alot easier to make the removable mating pieces, but weight is a serious factor.
 
I agree that bent round tube would be the stronger solution, but a lot of heavy equipment like tow motors and bobcats, ect, use square tube cages with good results. You may have to replace it after every time you use it though.
 
Square is fine as long as its built correctly and braced properly. You should use a bearing plate between miter cuts, this will greatly increase the strength of the welded joint.

check out the hydrodynamic build on Pirate, its 100% square stainless tube and all miter cut. Its pretty cool, not pratical, but cool.
 
JeffB will disagree with you on the strength of bent round vs. mitered square. I for one think if bent round tube is strong enough for Nascar then its strong enough for me.

Also, ask Sgtbriangreen about square tube. he tubed the whole back of his taco in square tubing.
 
I agree with rockcity. Triangle gussets and or fish plates at all joints. The biggest concern with welded joints is not just strength it's also the sharp edges you end up with if something comes apart. I would assume that being impaled by 3 in square tube cut at a 45 degree angle would not be a lot of fun. If it were me I would do a small triangle fish plate on both sides of your joints with 1/2" holes to be plug welded.
 
Square is strong but for the weight, a round tube cage will be stronger. I understand where your coming from though.
 
Depending on the material strength of the square tubing & process of the welding & prep before you weld it you would be fine with square tubing. Roll bars in heavy equipment are about 80% built from square BUT are also ROPS tested in an secure environment at a certain temp. somewhere below -20 degrees I think.

I think you would be fine with a square tubing cage if you had rockwells to hold the weight or a ton of money to buy high tinsel tubing to remove the weight.

But with any cage no matter what you build it with if you can't weld don't bother.
 
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