Roll bar Help!

[JohnQ]

I'm having a roll bar built for my comanche. I need your guy's help deciding on how to do it. I need Pictures to show the fabricator so he knows how to make it. I'm thinking something more like Pete's than factory, but I do like the look of the factory.

[Car RamRod]

can't help you with the roll bar so much, but I friggin love the way your rig looks, you have any better pictures you could share?

[Pete M]

Are you asking for how to bend it up? Or how to attach it to the truck?

[DirtyComanche]

I think he's asking both.

 

 

Build one like the rear half of my exo. Bolt it to the bed with plates, but on the other side have another plate and tube to tie it into the frame.

 

 

Then it won't come off.

[JOMJ87]

:agree: with dirty. Try to tie it in to the frame somehow. I like the look of one that goes over the wheelwells but that is me. Also make it so that the upper portion in the front is the same width as the bed then notches inward to attach so that it looks like it fits the truck better. Really you should probably go outside with some PVC or something and semi layout portion to your liking then take those ideas to the guy. Take plenty of pics I would really like to see the finished product.

 

Cole

[Pete M]

Electrical conduit works good for fleshing out your plans on the truck. I didn't do the typical bend-out-above-the-bed like most bars because of cost reasons and strength concerns. Mine was made to be a real rollbar so I wanted to avoid weak points. I'm sure you've seen my photos, but for anyone that hasn't, I put the bar right through the bed floor and this is how I tied the front into the frame. the bar comes down and is welded to a cut cection of 2x6 rectangle tube which is welded to a broad 1/4" plate (to spread out the forces on the sheetmetal) and that plate is welded to my frame. I even nipped off the corners of the plate so as to not create a stress point.

 

And this is the rear. Same sort of deal, but he plate isn't welded to the frame, rather it is bolted through the frame with a 3/4" bolt. Some day I plan to add the same size bolt to the front.

 

The one thing I regret not doing was adding a diagonal to the main hoop right away. I had planed on doing it later and only after the bar was in did I realize how hard it'll be. :( Oh well. I'll figure something out.

[Pete M]

As to bending the bar up, I kept my design nice and simple. There's 4 bends and 2 fishmouth cuts in the basic bar.

 

 

[TNT]

As to bending the bar up, I kept my design nice and simple. There's 4 bends and 2 fishmouth cuts in the basic bar.

 

 

 

Thats nice, but I prefer the hoop to bend out and follow the cabs profile above the box. Some triangulation would be great also.

[Pete M]

Thats nice, but I prefer the hoop to bend out and follow the cabs profile above the box.

 

In theory that weakens the system. I did at one time consider adding on a couple loops to the outside of my design to get the same aesthetics without giving up the strength of the straight column, but opted out becasue it would have been a lot of work to fit it into the top corner.

 

Some triangulation would be great also.

 

I do regret not adding more. :(

[TNT]

Thats nice, but I prefer the hoop to bend out and follow the cabs profile above the box.

 

In theory that weakens the system. I did at one time consider adding on a couple loops to the outside of my design to get the same aesthetics without giving up the strength of the straight column, but opted out becasue it would have been a lot of work to fit it into the top corner.

 

Some triangulation would be great also.

 

I do regret not adding more. :(

 

I would add a cross brace where the tubes bend outward to add some strength. It would tie into the node from the triangulation. This is what I have in mind for my MJ.