Making a rollcage out of exhaust tubing...?
30-04-2010, 02:53 PM
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Making a rollcage out of exhaust tubing...?
Now i'm not going to start interforum wars but wanted to know whats everyones opinions of making a rollcage out of new exhaust tubing?
A lad on a local forum has had his local 'custom exhaust dealer' make up all the parts out of new exhaust tubing and they have been fitted by welded in/together by someone who fits cages for a living so I believe.
Some quotes from the progress blog:
So whats your thoughts on this? As said I dont want to cause arguments but i'm wondering whether its dangerous or not, surely proper roll cage manufacturers go through lots of research and development when theyre designing a proper roll cage so it helps protect the occupants in an accident aswell as adding tothe overall strength of the vehicle....not a few lads designing a cage on the back of a fag packet in their lunch break?
By the way the vehicle in question is a 1.7 DTi Astravan on 18's, cambered to the hilt
A lad on a local forum has had his local 'custom exhaust dealer' make up all the parts out of new exhaust tubing and they have been fitted by welded in/together by someone who fits cages for a living so I believe.
Some quotes from the progress blog:
rofl, yeah its not proper roll cage tube, its moe for rigidity and looks 
ok after having a chat with the lads, basically the difference between exhaust pipe and roll cage tubing is the thickness (obviously) and the alloy-steel ratio in the pipe,, but ill gurantee you its not exhaust pipe
ok after having a chat with the lads, basically the difference between exhaust pipe and roll cage tubing is the thickness (obviously) and the alloy-steel ratio in the pipe,, but ill gurantee you its not exhaust pipe
Just been to ????? and saw your car!
As much as i love you mate, but that's a disaster waiting to happen!!
The tube is too big as in diameter, it's not thick enough, that headbar (i called it a headbar cos that's what it'll have imprinted in it) should be further down towards the window.
As much as you say ????? has motor sport experience that stuff will bend with a slight prang.
As much as i love you mate, but that's a disaster waiting to happen!!
The tube is too big as in diameter, it's not thick enough, that headbar (i called it a headbar cos that's what it'll have imprinted in it) should be further down towards the window.
As much as you say ????? has motor sport experience that stuff will bend with a slight prang.
as said higher up its for rigity and looks, tbf i dont give 2 shits about it other than that
its made it no more dangerous, and trust me, it wont bend,
its made it no more dangerous, and trust me, it wont bend,
You really shouldn't be able to hit you head on it. If you are going to hit it wearing a helmet then you'll still feel it, which is why any place you will bounce off it in an accident is covered in padding, but to have it close by in the event of a day to day accident it will cause you severe injury.
When I was stopped by VOSA, the first questions were "Who made the Cage?" and "Who installed the cage?"
When I was stopped by VOSA, the first questions were "Who made the Cage?" and "Who installed the cage?"
dont worry about the cage people, it looks cool as fuck and will never be as dangerous as the pug
btw an omp cage is made of the same size tubing as mine and only has a fractionally higher steel grade, so i think everyone should stop jumping to conclusions over the quality and workmanship of this cage, as firstly none of u are qualified to make these statements, and secondly from what iv seen the 'custom exhaust place' are doing a bang up job.
thanku.
thanku.
???? says the diameter of the tubing is too big but yet its the same size as an actual OMP cage, so why is there an issue with my cage behind of 2" diameter??
and to suggest that the cage will bend with a slight prang is pretty much ludicrous.
and to suggest that the cage will bend with a slight prang is pretty much ludicrous.
Looks Dangerous.
Oh well, just dont crash it and you'll be ok..... right?
Oh well, just dont crash it and you'll be ok..... right?
Dude, im not doubting the workmanship or the hours gone into the cage. It looks cool as fuck.
I'm only looking at it from previous experience at looking at cages in the flesh and into depths about them when i wanted to buy one/get one made.
And also, are you sure OMP cages are of 2inch diameter? If so, then yours certainly isn't 2inch.
An OMP cage is the same as mine (safety devices) and i'm pretty sure it's about an inch and half, and if it is 2, then yours must be bigger. Plus fractionally higher steel grade could be a massive difference in tubing, and i don't see OMP cages with seams in the bends either!!
I'm only looking at it from previous experience at looking at cages in the flesh and into depths about them when i wanted to buy one/get one made.
And also, are you sure OMP cages are of 2inch diameter? If so, then yours certainly isn't 2inch.
An OMP cage is the same as mine (safety devices) and i'm pretty sure it's about an inch and half, and if it is 2, then yours must be bigger. Plus fractionally higher steel grade could be a massive difference in tubing, and i don't see OMP cages with seams in the bends either!!
omp cages are 45 mm (i rang demon tweeks earlier)
my cage is 50 mm
also ill just leave this here
i think you'll see the diameter of this cage is pretty similar to mine, btw this cage costs £1700 i am not looking at spending this amount
one difference from this cage to mine is this one has box sections where it mounts to the floor, mine are being done with plates, also my rear diagonals are being welded down to the arches, and then a strut brace will be welded between the arches.
so your main concern is the seam in my tubes, as this picture shows the diameter is of no issue, i will ring ?????? tomorrow for some advice, but im quite sure, there will be no issues with what iv had done for what ill be using it for.
my cage is 50 mm
also ill just leave this here
i think you'll see the diameter of this cage is pretty similar to mine, btw this cage costs £1700 i am not looking at spending this amount
one difference from this cage to mine is this one has box sections where it mounts to the floor, mine are being done with plates, also my rear diagonals are being welded down to the arches, and then a strut brace will be welded between the arches.
so your main concern is the seam in my tubes, as this picture shows the diameter is of no issue, i will ring ?????? tomorrow for some advice, but im quite sure, there will be no issues with what iv had done for what ill be using it for.
The cage above is a completely different design, the front box section, the bit which takes the impact with a tyre wall is completely different.
Those curves in the upright don't look like they would protect you in an impact and that is the main concern, its not slating the 'custom exhaust place' but this isn't what they do. They aren't a motorsport prep place.
The cage isn't comparable to ???s, but then I guess that isn't the intention, however to say that its only slightly different in diameter and material but not accept that SD and Omp chose those specs after spending a great deal on r and d is slightly worrying if you then expect it to do the same job when/if you need it.
The cage looks good, but please get in your buckets and wave your arms & legs about, throw your self forward and get it padded. It won't look so good when you are eating through s straw and dribling down yourself.
Those curves in the upright don't look like they would protect you in an impact and that is the main concern, its not slating the 'custom exhaust place' but this isn't what they do. They aren't a motorsport prep place.
The cage isn't comparable to ???s, but then I guess that isn't the intention, however to say that its only slightly different in diameter and material but not accept that SD and Omp chose those specs after spending a great deal on r and d is slightly worrying if you then expect it to do the same job when/if you need it.
The cage looks good, but please get in your buckets and wave your arms & legs about, throw your self forward and get it padded. It won't look so good when you are eating through s straw and dribling down yourself.
oh no im not comparing my cage to that one, just the tube diameter, bottom line is all manner of comments can be made, but there is only one way to test the cage, and when that happens ill be more conerned for my rear bumper
its being gusseted to the A and B pillars so body twist will be minimilized and it looks pimp so im happy, next up will be some uprated anti roll bars.
its being gusseted to the A and B pillars so body twist will be minimilized and it looks pimp so im happy, next up will be some uprated anti roll bars.
By the way the vehicle in question is a 1.7 DTi Astravan on 18's, cambered to the hilt
Last edited by CoupeUK; 30-04-2010 at 06:33 PM.
30-04-2010, 03:08 PM
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it would be as much point as a show cage would it not but as other have said id rather it was a full strength number not somethin else to impale yourself on should the wost happen
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30-04-2010, 03:23 PM
#9
proper rollcage tubing is CDS, Cold Drawn Seamless tube.
exhaust tubing, and the stuff in that car, is not, you can clearly see the seams in the first picture. its just rolled plate welded up.
i can just imagine the dash bar for example, kinking in the middle when someone runs into the door, splitting at the weld, and stabbing someone in the guts
not to mention the gauge of the steel.
exhaust tubing, and the stuff in that car, is not, you can clearly see the seams in the first picture. its just rolled plate welded up.
i can just imagine the dash bar for example, kinking in the middle when someone runs into the door, splitting at the weld, and stabbing someone in the guts
not to mention the gauge of the steel.
30-04-2010, 03:38 PM
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30-04-2010, 03:47 PM
#14
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30-04-2010, 06:12 PM
#17
Just mad you should really notify your insurance company about this, so this will up your insurance premiums, but if you crash your car with your exhaust cage you wont get no extra protection from your exhaust cage! so being a total waste of time and money.
Surely it would of been cheaper just to buy a bolt in cage.
you should really notify your insurance company about this, so this will up your insurance premiums, but if you crash your car with your exhaust cage you wont get no extra protection from your exhaust cage! so being a total waste of time and money.Surely it would of been cheaper just to buy a bolt in cage.
30-04-2010, 06:20 PM
#18
This guy has me split on two on my OWN opinion . I'm having a roll hoop made for my cortina next week, its not going to be made of exhaust granted, but it won't be structural, just something i'm going to paint red and have it look good in place of the rear seats.
the guy says a few times its not structural, but does say "rigitdity" and looks, so doesn't really help himself. however i don't see how it can make the car that much more dangerous. if you have a crash violent enough to thrash you around in an old peugeot, an exhaust tube rollcage wouldn't be the most dangerous thing there i'd imagine.
Still a pleb though i think. make a roll hoop for show, not a full cage. ( or am i just trying to justify my own cage)
. I'm having a roll hoop made for my cortina next week, its not going to be made of exhaust granted, but it won't be structural, just something i'm going to paint red and have it look good in place of the rear seats. the guy says a few times its not structural, but does say "rigitdity" and looks, so doesn't really help himself. however i don't see how it can make the car that much more dangerous. if you have a crash violent enough to thrash you around in an old peugeot, an exhaust tube rollcage wouldn't be the most dangerous thing there i'd imagine.
Still a pleb though i think. make a roll hoop for show, not a full cage. ( or am i just trying to justify my own cage
)
30-04-2010, 06:21 PM
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Actually on the strength side, the MSA/blue bock states you can use 2" 2mm wall pipe. Normal exhaust tube is 2" 16 gauge. Which is 1.6mm so its not really "that" bad.
I'd be more concerned with the bends, they look pretty crushed in places, your only allowed to go 10% oval IIRC.
I'd be more concerned with the bends, they look pretty crushed in places, your only allowed to go 10% oval IIRC.
30-04-2010, 11:11 PM
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01-05-2010, 12:11 AM
#25
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Oh well, one less dangerous retard in the world to worry about 
The guy clearly won't listen so sit back and watch him dig his own grave, he's going to need it soon
I've seen the way "show" cages react in a crash so that shit is a real no no, I would feel safer in a car with no cage than that shit
The guy clearly won't listen so sit back and watch him dig his own grave, he's going to need it soon I've seen the way "show" cages react in a crash so that shit is a real no no, I would feel safer in a car with no cage than that shit
01-05-2010, 03:20 AM
#26
i make exhaost at my work and have done for many years i use 2mm thick 304 stainless and i know if a bend aint quite thick enough instead of walking back to the bender i jam one end to the floor and bend the other end a peice of piss till it fits i qwould massivley fear for my life if i was to use this for a cage, a mate once asked me to make one for me, i showed him the bend difference between cds and 04 of the same wall thickness and basically at 6 ft and 17 stone i can hang of a piece of cds and it hardly bends whearas t304 will almost bend in half lol! so in short antone makig a cage out of exhaust tube will die should the worst happen
01-05-2010, 07:19 AM
#27
proper rollcage tubing is CDS, Cold Drawn Seamless tube.
exhaust tubing, and the stuff in that car, is not, you can clearly see the seams in the first picture. its just rolled plate welded up.
i can just imagine the dash bar for example, kinking in the middle when someone runs into the door, splitting at the weld, and stabbing someone in the guts
not to mention the gauge of the steel.
exhaust tubing, and the stuff in that car, is not, you can clearly see the seams in the first picture. its just rolled plate welded up.
i can just imagine the dash bar for example, kinking in the middle when someone runs into the door, splitting at the weld, and stabbing someone in the guts
not to mention the gauge of the steel.
i'd know what the name of it was
i'd got here first
that's a deathtrap waiting to happen because he'll think it's much safer when in actual fact it's making it more unsafe than wihtout the cage in it
01-05-2010, 08:14 AM
#29
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If he went from exhaust manifold into the front of the cage, then out the back of the cage to a silencer then;
1, It would save a considerable amount of weight being able to loose the front half of the exhaust.
2, It would save even more weight as he could bin the heater and use the heat off the tube to keep warm.
Hang on better idea, just pipe the exhaust straight inside the car that'll keep the gene pool clear of idiots like these.
.
1, It would save a considerable amount of weight being able to loose the front half of the exhaust.
2, It would save even more weight as he could bin the heater and use the heat off the tube to keep warm.
Hang on better idea, just pipe the exhaust straight inside the car that'll keep the gene pool clear of idiots like these.
.
01-05-2010, 09:53 AM
#38
Testing the future
proper rollcage tubing is CDS, Cold Drawn Seamless tube.
exhaust tubing, and the stuff in that car, is not, you can clearly see the seams in the first picture. its just rolled plate welded up.
i can just imagine the dash bar for example, kinking in the middle when someone runs into the door, splitting at the weld, and stabbing someone in the guts
not to mention the gauge of the steel.
exhaust tubing, and the stuff in that car, is not, you can clearly see the seams in the first picture. its just rolled plate welded up.
i can just imagine the dash bar for example, kinking in the middle when someone runs into the door, splitting at the weld, and stabbing someone in the guts
not to mention the gauge of the steel.
01-05-2010, 10:50 AM
#40
Vans are stripped out in the back, no heavy glass etc, no real disadvantage to the shape either as proved by the T5 touring cars, when you are talking about a van like that astra which is just an estate with no windows basically.
Last edited by Chip; 01-05-2010 at 10:51 AM.