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Roll cage material

I don't have the tools or expertise to fully build my own roll cage so I have looked at other sources for a roll cage. S&W has one for my truck(85) in 1-3/4" x .120" wall DOM or 1-5/8" x .083" wall Chrome Moly tubing and they are the same price. Which is the better material to go with?

Re: Roll cage material

If you're going to weld it yourself and just have a MIG, go with the DOM. 4130 really needs to be TIG welded, and the fitup of each joint is much more critical. IMO the added cost of 4130 isn't justifiable unless you are building a track only vehicle. Usually 4130 is more money, but in this case the added cost would be in the extra time involved in fitup and welding. This is assuming you would have to pay a welder/fabricator to install the cage for you.

Re: Roll cage material

personally i would do it in 1-5/8 DOM

Re: Roll cage material

I will have someone else welding it for the most part, I will weld some and I do have access to a TIG as well.

Re: Roll cage material

Quote:

Originally Posted by softballnrd27 (Post 4308063)

It really depends on what your objective is for the cage (and is this a full cage or a roll bar kit?), and are you going to have this cage NHRA certified? The chromoly (4130) cage kit will be significantly less in weight over the 1.75-Inch .120 wall DOM (around 50% in this case over the 1.75/.120 wall). As Captainfab mentioned, the 4130 will need to be TIG welded.

If this will eventually be a NHRA-certified cage, I would work with a local fabricator to build a custom cage that will fit tighter to the contours of your interior. I've installed many S&W cages for customers, and while they are nicer than most and don't skimp on material, they do not fit as close as the cages I bend myself. Typically, the cost is not much more, if at all.