SilverGhost Rises

Welcome bud. Here to help whenever I can.

 

just looking for ideas now. I'm easily at least a year away from starting a cage. Need to acquire a dd first and then save up for materials.

 

I started on the cab cage mounts. I pretty much am following how @Cr250jumper did his. This is what I have done so far. I will still add plate gussets to each side of the tube to make it one whole piece that connects the plates.

Started with marking all the spots where I'm going to have the tube running to. Using a 1 7/8 hole saw I cut all four holes. I ended up cutting 6"X6" squares around where the mounts are going to go to give me room to work with. I was planing on welding back in the cut out plates but after doing the "A" pillar mounts I'm just going to get new steel and make new plates because the mounts didn't line up where I was hoping. Improvising is my specialty. I was only able to get the "A" pillar mounts done today. I'll do the "B" pillar tomorrow.

Driver side "A" pillar cut out.




Passenger side "A" pillar cut out.




Driver side "B" pillar cut out.




Passenger side "B" pillar cut out.




Made a stincle for the top plates. This is the driver side.


Fitted the top plate. This top plate is only going to be tac on until the whole cage is built.


Top plate with side plate.


Since there is a bend in the frame I had to tac weld the inside, closer to the front of the truck first and use a pry bar to push the plate closer to the frame and tac welded it in place. Once I had the plate tac welded all around I welded the hole plate in.


Side plate welded all the way around.


To figure out how to cut the tube for the gusset. I used foam board and traced where I wanted the outer side of the tube to land.


Then I traced it over onto the tube and cut it with a 6" cutting wheel. When you cut it leave about 1/8" larger because your going to need to buff it with a flap wheel (sandpaper wheel) to make it perfect.


I tac the tube gusset in place first because I wanted to weld from top to bottom so the heat of welding wouldn't pull the tube down if I welded uphill.


Tube gusset welded in place.






Driver side.


I cut this piece out too because it was in the way of the "C" pillar upper tube.

 

Next thing on the list. Saving this for later. Dam bud I'm stealing all your ideas. I will bring you some whiskey next time I drive though to visit family in SD.


Edit: Well shit that didn’t take long. Since Barb is asleep I figure might as well pull the steering wheel now. 15 mins max to get it done since the truck is apart any how.

 

I did finish the B pillar mounts. I pre fab them. I didn’t weld in the tube because I want to make sure I’m able to drop the cage through the floor to 360 weld the cab. I’ll tac the parts in when I need to. I did weld in the fame plates for the B pillar though. No pics. I also painted and taped off the floor hoes.

 

Does your wife know about the floor hoes?

That's really smart, the part about dropping the cage through the floor to weld it. I was actually wondering about that. I've wondered every time I've seen a full cage how they welded it. Not enough to put any serious thought to it, but it's been at the back of my mind.

 

Yeah she seen it right after I cut it. She's still convinced that I'm planing on rolling my truck. She keeps asking me "your putting in a roll cage?" I say yes but it's more for the support of the shocks then to plan on rolling the truck. After the whole 4x4 stuff with the truck she trust me with what I'm doing. Just don't go telling her I really don't know what I'm doing.

Yup on the 360 cage welding. Some guys cut the top of the cab off, others cut the floor out. Some cut the middle of the "A" pillar to lean it forward. They add a sleve inside the cut to weld it back together. There are different ways to do it for sure. I chose to cut large holes in the floor.

 

Shit, I just caught that.

 

Next thing up is going to be the engine cage mock up. The goal is to have everything from the back of the cab to the front bumper mocked up and built. Ready to be welded in by the 4th of July. I usually get a few days off durning that time so I’ll be able to down the truck tear it all apart and get everything done. Hours at work are going to be picking up a lot soon so I have a lot to do before the 4th.

 

https://youtu.be/cvrKzmkdBTI

 

@TMFF what was that air flow needed for the 3.4 again. I forgot what you told me bud.

 

Thank you sir.

 

I started the mock up on the engine cage. I’m starting to realize I won’t be able to down the truck long enough to do what I want to the engine compartment so I will push the engine cage build to winter where I can have the truck down for a couple of weeks to do the job right. There is just to many little things to take in account for this project. I’ll be adding a new air filter system and adding a pelican box to put my blue sea fuse box and added electrical connection in. But here is a pic of how I will be doing the upper part of the cage. I will add a crossover tube to tie in the coil buckets and secondaries. I will build tie in points to the cab cage that I can weld to later.

 

The PVC Pirate rises...

 

Welcome Mike!

HA! for sure. You get that supercharger in yet. I haven't told my wife that I'm plaining on getting one She had a little bit of an over reaction on the cost of the new seats, harness, spare tire strap and a couple of handles. So I'll mention the supercharger later

 

Just don't let her drive it after you get it installed. I traded the gf for her 4Runner today so I could get her windows tinted and as soon as she got to work driving my truck I get this.

I told her I can save to get her a s/c or a ring lol. She said the s/c can wait

 

Not yet, Daryl said he could ship it on Monday... that said the engine won't be plumbed in until June at the earliest lol.

Something to consider - it would take less time and tools to learn how to make a ring than it would a sc.

 

HA! Yeah them girls love diamonds.

 

That they do. At least I found a keeper.