angelfly said:
anybody else hello please hook me up with oh great words of wisdom
Don't know if there is any wisdom in these words but I’ll toss em in anyway.
Fullsize frames flex a bunch by design and if you solid mount that cage to the frame you are just setting your self up for cracks, in the attachment welds or in the frame rails.
A Toy or Heep is fairly easy to do what you are thinking successfully, not so easy on a Fullsize; you ether let it flex or add so much tube that it can’t.
An Exo capable of taking serious abuse on a Fullsize needs to be 2†tube and to account for all of the flex it needs to be at least 1 inch from the sheet metal. You just “supersized†a full size truck!
Build the bed so that the front hoop of the bed cage is part of the bed and solid mounts frame where you have it pinched in at the bottom in your first picture but extend you stiffening tubes in the center all the way down to the mounting points so that is makes an “Xâ€. Leave enough space between the hoop and the cab so that when it gets all flexed up it will not hit the cab. Sounds like a bomb going off when it hits at speed!
Mount the kicker tubes (the diagonal tubes going back & down) and the mid bed mount in spring eye bushings about half way back on the bed.
Do not solidly mount the rear bed mounts; use a flat Poly bushing between the bed and the frame mount and on the underside use heavy washers and a valve spring that is just tight enough so that things don’t rattle and a NyLoc nut or tack weld a regular nut. This will allow the frame to move somewhat freely without putting stress into the bed, bar or frame. This flex can come in real handy if you like twisting it up in rocks. Do not extend the bed cage into the cab.
Gut the cab and offset plate (top and bottom of the sheet metal) the mounting points with 10-GA MS. Offset stitch weld these plates top and bottom. That is a total PITA to do! Build a solid 6-PT in-cab cage and mount the seats (and Belts) to and inside the cage. Remount the cab to the frame using Poly mounts in the rear and the OE Rubber mounts in the front using all new bolts. Generally you do not need an engine cage on a trail toy so there is no need to attach it to the cab cage. Just built a stout front bumper and call it done.
Like I say'd, may not be wisdom, sure is opinion!
Chris
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