Outer Limits 4x4 Board

hey guys, as above, im going to make a cage or two for my mq shorty and mabie evil6's lux, im wondering if its legal to weld in the cage to the floor or if it has to be bolted? i have read the vic roads roll cage reg's but it wasnt clear on this subject, but i may have missed some thing in the doc! cheers.

most cages to the floor have a base plate and bolted, it's to sread the weight around and give a bigger base so it doesn't pop thru the floor in rollover most cams approved internal cages are fabbed this way

super jeep wrote:most cages to the floor have a base plate and bolted, it's to sread the weight around and give a bigger base so it doesn't pop thru the floor in rollover most cams approved internal cages are fabbed this way

Normaly they are sandwich plated.

I think you will find he is talking about welding the foot base plate to the floor, i have seen this method used before.

alot of the extreme winch cars (i dont know if it was the CCDA approved cars) have welded in cages. nambour radiators do weld in cages.

STIKA wrote:

super jeep wrote:most cages to the floor have a base plate and bolted, it's to sread the weight around and give a bigger base so it doesn't pop thru the floor in rollover most cams approved internal cages are fabbed this way

Normaly they are sandwich plated.

I think you will find he is talking about welding the foot base plate to the floor, i have seen this method used before.

yeah my half cage i had in my hq was sandwich plated but with bolts and that passed main roads in QLD 10 year ago and still have mates running similar in there street/drag cars as for welding it i wouldn't know

i do prefer to have them bolted in.

I think the weld in method is easier and less time consuming, it does concern me as to how good the floor is after being welded, i would exspect to possibly crack along the edge of the weld over time

STIKA wrote:i do prefer to have them bolted in.

I think the weld in method is easier and less time consuming, it does concern me as to how good the floor is after being welded, i would exspect to possibly crack along the edge of the weld over time

was just thinking the same cause when you weld the top and then the under side how much strength would be left in the floor pan and with bolts you can put a bit of rubber gasket inbetween to absorb the vibrations

if i do bolt it in, it will be sandwich plated. but i was refering to welding in the base plate. cheers

Welding a 6mm plate to a 1mm floor pan...

Personaly I wouldnt


reasons .....

1/
makes removal of the cage harder

2/
welding may cause crystilisation of the material thus weakening it. ( being its going into an MQ then the floorpan is allready 20 + years old so it will be the weakest link allready..... welding it wont add strength )

3/
if a structure is to fail the most likely place for a failure is adjacent to a weld, (we've all seen cracks next to a weld, in this case the crack would be in the floorpan for sure )

4/
Welding in the foot plate area will cause water sealing materials ( applied @ the factory ) to either burn off completely or loose their weathering ability, re-sealing 100% wont be easy ( especially inside the sill panel ) ........ end result will be rust will have an easier time getting hold.... now theres a huge plus, a rusted out area around the rollcage foot plate !



5/
Dont laugh ..... I've seen this happen......
You fit the cage in the wrong place and then decide to move it back 30mm so the seats can be moved back further for driver comfort, but oh shyte the cage is welded in place....
Major work involved ending in an expensive repair before the cage could be refitted properly..... using BOLTS !



So.......

You want to weld in a cage, posiably weakening the floorpan, inducing the likelyhood of rust, adding in the likelyhood of crystilisation of the floorpan material & making it 10 times harder to remove or relocate the cage at a later date....

Versus ......

drilling 8 holes in a 1mm floorpan.





put the welder away & pass me the drill

thanks kingy, she's getting bolted now. theres also a massive seam behind the front seats, rite where i want to put the base plate for the main hoop and ive allready disturbed it to much. thanks guys

hi, i am thinking of doing a cage for my shorty soon, let me no how u go, any probs, materials and the like.