Bedcage thread

@Taconator_
For whatever it’s worth, I was determined to make my own cage and did a tremendous amount of reading on this sight and others, and lots of photo espionage of different builds, especially DMZ. Not lots of examples to go off of in Jersey.

It was a decent investment in tools and equipment beyond what I already had (which was substantial to begin with), but every time I take something like this on, the money I save in labor goes into tools I’ll likely have forever and I’ll keep finding new things to get into. I learned a lot doing this project.

The cage I worked on a little everyday for a week in the driveway and took everything apart and put it back together like a puzzle each time.

The DMZ and frame boxing took lots of work and was a decent undertaking unto itself. I just planned and wrote everything down in steps and figured out all the material I needed ahead of time. Made friends with everyone at the local Fastenal I was there so much.

Started with the sandwich plates.


Used angle as falsework






Tacked it all with flux core and brought it inside for gas MIG.




This was a surprising pain in the ass. Burned out my cordless, broke all my 1” hole saws and busted out the Milwaukee wrist breaker to get these bungs in.

An afterthought when @ARCHIVE saw my progress and thought it needed tightening up.




Back from powder

 

I’ve posted on this thread before but I thought I could weigh in again and share some of the things I’ve wasted time and money on.

To have something custom fabbed i’d estimate between $1000 and $2500 depending on complexity and who does it.

Welding is a lot more involved than welds “looking good”. I’ve seen bed cages break off frame rails due to poor fab work.

Like others said, have a general idea of where you want to stop building. I wasted thousands on half steps. It’s a slippery slope.

Much respect to everyone who geared up on tools and built their own, that’s what I’m able to do now but back a few years it would have made zero sense to try and do metal fabrication in an apartment complex parking lot

Longer shocks aren’t always better. I ran 2.5x14” bypasses and cycled o15” with the DMZ kit.

I never boxed my frame, so much effort for marginal stiffness increases and a lot of risk to make it worse.

Don’t be afraid to have somebody help you, getting into welding with zero training isn’t easy. These trucks take a village.

I didn’t make mine, but it was very simple which is what I suggest. Bolts in to factory bed bolts. And only needed two 4”x4” holes to clear the shock tops.


Still could carry 2 bikes and gear.

 

If you were to go back, would you still have done the DMZ kit before links, or would have gone straight to links?

 

Straight to links but that’s easy to say in hindsight. I always planned to go cage and link and was collecting parts for years before I used them.

But leafs can be awesome if you’re dedicated to getting the proper weight balance to have them ride smooth. I’ve seen leaf trucks kick ass compared to a budget link build.

 

I also did every little half step.. first it was the Bilstein 5100s, then icon midtravel and uppers, then I did the long travel kit, then it wasn’t enough so I added a bypass, then the rear was dead and stock so I did the bed cage and leafs, then it wasn’t enough so I had to do air bumps and replace the “super bumps” haha going back in time I could have saved thousands and thousands

 

I went that same route as well, but you have to realize that those people that go straight to Links and Race kits sometimes are the guys who end up wadding up their trucks fast. Almost like the "Ford Raptor" mentality. I feel like people learn how to "drive" a truck when you start with midtravel then LT then links. IMO

Ive burned thousands of $$$ as well ROFL

 

Totally agree^ it was nice to gradually get to know the truck through the upgrades and see the progression first hand. I know exactly how hard I can drive it before stuff really breaks haha

 

Wish I had the fabrication skills to build some of the ones I’ve seen on this thread...had SOLO build a simple bed saver cage.

 

Simple and effective

 

Did solo build it than ship it to you? I’m in the Bay Area also and am looking for help with a bed cage...

 

No, I brought the truck to them. Left it down there for a week and they did the bed cage as well as my front bumper. Don’t know what your schedules like but it wasn’t too bad travel expense wise. Flights were $50 a piece and the hour uber was about the same.

 

Pretty much a copy of how DMZ does their bed cage, I build this from scratch for my DMZ kit.

 

Not a cage... but a brace in my daily.

 

super clean

 

Crazy question and just thinking out loud. What are the thoughts of a bed cage that will still allow truck vault and shell. I'm thinking something like Marlin's RCLT with 40s, but a touch of 'overland'.

 

Simple bed cage for the coil overs, fuel cell mount and ugly evap.

 

With the holes cut for the shocks to pass through, how bad does dirt and water get on a bad day?

 

.

 

so much inspiration