OK, I have posted a little bit of idea on the bed rack/cage on here in other threads, it has been a project in progress for a few months for Tiki_Yota and I, we have just been brainstorming ideas, scouring the net for ideas, and designing it. Well we finally have it on the way. Here are some pics. We were doing Tiki_Yota's first, and since im the one with the camera, all the pics of his cage, there will be pics of mine as well later on. We are pushing to have the rack/cage completed with canvas and lights and all for the Pismo trip in August.

Here is Tiki_Yota's truck with the two main hoops on, and one of the front-back braces in. Notice the exhaust as well




Sweet fish-mouths


YT Sticker

My Baby

Both trucks

 

My dads '72 FJ-40 piled in crap. Has a '70 Chevy 307 in it, needs new/rebuilt carb.

My 4Crawler sliders awaiting time to be mounted.

Main hoops for my cage

FJ-40


Air tanks, compressors, hoses, and more random crap.

 

Robert (Tiki_Yota) drilling the fish-mouths for his rack/cage supports


(Note: It was hot outside, so the sunbrella was nice)


Tiki_Yota's Jeep Recovery Vehicle Sticker

Tiki_Yota both front-back supports in...

 

lol stacks ... right on looks good. how does it sound?

 

It sounds really awesome... Its LOUD... It runs from the cat to a flowmaster 40-series, then is split into two pipes as it comes into the bed. With the rear slider window at highway speeds it is almost painful, with the rear slider closed its still loud, somewhat annoying after a while, but bearable. And when he is coming over to my house, i know because i can hear him from a block away when hes at WOT.

Im sure he will chime in soon too...

 

Looks nice.

 

Just wondering what type of bender you used on that tube? What type and size of tube is that?

 

Harbor Freight bender. Came out nice, but you have to PACK (and i mean pack tight) the tubes full of sand and plug the ends with wood plugs (closet bar wood poles cut into about 4" sections). Then empty the sand out when the bends are done.

The tubing is 1.5" .120" wall mild steel tubing. Was $40 for 20-feet, so it works out to be $2 a foot.

 

ya the exhaust is awsome, i thought i would go with something different, that no one would have, lol, works great also. Thanks for the compliment.

 

Ok, we had the cages welded up last night, and they came out awesome. Yet they are still not completely done, here are some pics of mine. I will snap some shots of Tiki's next time his truck is over here.






Welds

 

What kind of welder did you use? Looks great!

 

Haha i wish i did those welds... My buddies dad did them, hes a professional welder, and has been welding as a career since 1979. He was just using a little cheapo welder, dont remember the brand., but its not a nice one like a lincoln or anything, and its a 110v, not 220.

 

so how strong will those racks be when done? are you planning a full exo later on down the road?

i like it, though im not sure what your future plans are is all.

wade

 

Nah, i don't think full exo are in the works for later on, pretty sure of that for the both of us. Although after the pismo run in august we are going to start the fabrication of the rear bumpers, we are still rushing with the racks as it is and the canvas to get them done in time. We also need to get the dang rodger brown sliders mounted, lol, i can't wait, although time is in high demand right now, lol. I'm probably goin to end up doing some side armor but just to cover the fender in the back for now, but maybe do something like full side armor like 4Runr's rig, i love that look.

 

Yeah, time is a major issue at the moment... We both work, and have other committments just as im sure everybody here does... and we end up doing most of our work after work at odd hours of the night.

As for plans, no i dont want a ful exo, i do have a partial exo in mind though, basically like 4rnr's where the tubing goes from the front bumper along the fender and down to the sliders, then from the sliders along the fender and to the rear bumper.

The cage that we are doing now is NOT a roll cage, it is attached to the bed rails. It is more of a utility rack, and will serve as a can-back style cage, and have a roof rack with lights facing forward, back, and to the sides. And its going to be able to have a hi-lift and shovel mounted to it, and our air systems as well. Anybody who goes to pismo will get to see it, we are trying our best to get them finished for pismo.

 

cool, sounds like it will be sick.


wade