Roll cage questions.

Zadi

New member
Hello all,
I have a question regarding roll cages. Which is best? Bolt on sport cages like the PSC product or full weld in cages like the Genright cage? I know there are several options out there and people may choose based on function or appearance. My goal is to make my jeep as safe as possible on and off the road. I am inclined to go with the full weld in cage based on the experience of a friend that had complete collapse of the rear segment of his stock roll cage while running a sport cage with no rear support. All that being said, I have also heard that full weld in cages can make the jeep less safe on the road; something to do with alteration of factory crumple zones. Can anyone shed some light on this topic for me? Which cage is best for on and off road use?
Thank you
Zadi
 
Genright's full cage is no joke. If I had the dough I would burn that together in a heartbeat.
 
Full weld in cage will obviously be stronger due to it mounting to the frame.

As far as your friend goes, what did the front end of his jeep look like with that having the extra bolt in part there? I bet it held up just great compared to the rear section. That being said I would suggest a bolt in cage from Rock Hard and make sure you get the rear section especially if you have a 4 door.
 
I had a friend that wrecked there JKU with the smitty bolt in. 2 rolls and 2 end over ends at 70 on interstate. She walked away sore but not hurt. I put a RH4x4 shortly after seeing how it held up. Since our rig isn't a DD we have added the PS c pillar along with some additional bracing and a DIY b pillar and harness bar.
 

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This is my buddies jeep after the 60 mph roll over. I believe he rolled 2.5 times. Luckily because of the bolt in cage the front section remained intact enough to protect him. At 6'5" he was very lucky he had the cage! My big concern is the rear segment. I have seen c pillar add ons by PSC. Would that be sufficient to prevent that collapse? Again, my concern is the safety of the occupants. This is not an area I'm willing to skimp on. If you guys think the full weld in cage is best, I will not hesitate. Also, is there any merit to the claims that a full cage could increase risk on the road due to alteration of crumple zone mechanics? I'm not an engineer and it seems counterintuitive that adding a strong cage could make on road driving more dangerous. I will look into the RH4x4 cages. Thank you all for your replies.
Zadi
 
After researching and on your recommendations, I have decided to go with the RH 4x4 cage with rear section for my four door and adding the PSC C pillar kit. I believe this will provide all the support that I need without messing with factory crumple zones! I decided on the RH cage over the PSC because the windshield is supported by the cage. I have read that because the PSC cage does not support the windshield it's noisy and I wouldn't want the windshield flopping around if there was a rollover situation.
Thanks again guys.
 
The windshield is critical during a roll over accident since it absorbs energy and is structural to the body. Just something to think about.
 
Thanks for your reply. I agree the windshield is an important to consider during a roll over. RH 4x4 has considered this and that's why I feel confident in their product. I now have a new concern; my soft top. I have an Off Road Hero/California tops combination top and the header hardware has a bolt that goes through to factory roll bar. I need to call and make sure the cage will work with my top.
Thanks again all
Zadi
 
Well, turns out the RH cage will not work with my current top. So, does anyone know what cages are compatible with my ORH top? If not, anyone want to buy my ORH combo tops?[emoji30]
 
Thanks for your reply. I agree the windshield is an important to consider during a roll over. RH 4x4 has considered this and that's why I feel confident in their product. I now have a new concern; my soft top. I have an Off Road Hero/California tops combination top and the header hardware has a bolt that goes through to factory roll bar. I need to call and make sure the cage will work with my top.
Thanks again all
Zadi

Why don't you just drill the hole where you need to? Does the hole have to be drilled through a clamp or something?
 
Benito,
The problem is that there a knuckle clamp on the RH cage that would probably interfere with the mounting of the header piece of the ORH top.
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Zadi
 
Drill another hole further back as needed and re-clamp it.
With a little ingenuity, most anything can be made to work.
I have the new Bestop Sunrider for Hardtop, RH roll cage and Spider Web shade. All 3 want to occupy the same place in various spots. You CAN make this work.
 
Thanks for your reply. I agree the windshield is an important to consider during a roll over. RH 4x4 has considered this and that's why I feel confident in their product. I now have a new concern; my soft top. I have an Off Road Hero/California tops combination top and the header hardware has a bolt that goes through to factory roll bar. I need to call and make sure the cage will work with my top.
Thanks again all
Zadi

The PSC c-pillar will not work with the portion of the top that makes it look like a truck.
 
How much top weight does this add to the rig?
What is the weight of these cages?
Any light weight ones?
Also is there a cage or does any of them replace the stock one instead of adding to it. Would like to either replace weight or reduce instead instead of adding to.
Trying to educate myself on adding a cage down the road.
Thanks.
 
There are weld in options that replace the stock cage and require some cutting. Weight savings and better cage are not usually words used in the same sentence (for obvious reasons).

ORH is a dishonest, piece of shit company. I'd set the top on fire and then buy a Rock Hard sport cage.
 
Sharky,
I set it on fire and I shot it, then I pissed on it.
Actually, I did not have a bad experience with the company and the top and components are well made. That being said, I'm tired of the slant back look and the lack of space. So I went and got the oem twill top and installed it today.
As far as the cages go, I was initially set to go the Genright full weld in cage. That would be great for off road but no good on road. It was put to me in terms that I could understand by an engineer (yes I thoroughly research) that making the structure to ridged and not taking advantage of the crumple zones that are built into a vehicle will transmit the full force of an impact to the occupants! This applies to on road driving with the possibility of high speed collisions and rollovers. Not to mention that there is new tubing all over the place that could crack your head wide open. Probably best to run those badass full cages with harnesses.
Long story short, Rock Hard has been making their cages for a long time and have learned to reinforce the factory cage while maintaining the factory crumple zones. Also, they tie into the windshield, something other cages do not do. This can lead to a few problems. First, the cage will likely be noisy and second, I wouldn't want the windshield flapping around throwing glass in my face if I were involved in a rollover and lastly per my engineer acquaintance the windshield is structurally significant vertical support, so why not integrate this into your reinforcement strategy?
 
There are weld in options that replace the stock cage and require some cutting. Weight savings and better cage are not usually words used in the same sentence (for obvious reasons).

ORH is a dishonest, piece of shit company. I'd set the top on fire and then buy a Rock Hard sport cage.

Never mind been drinking carry on.
 
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What if this was a trail rig that only sees dirt. Would you go full cage or reinforce?

Won't be going fast, but want something that will take a few flops
 
I have zero experience with the RH cage but from everything I've seen and read, they are good ones to buy. I plan on getting on myself. They will take you a long way.

If you don't plan on flopping it over then I wouldn't worry about a full cage. The RH cage should stand up to a lot and do it's job of protecting the occupants.

I'm workin on another toy and plan on flopping it. Not really but I know it's gonna happen. I'm goin full exo cage on it for that reason and the fact that it will probably be a full size Chevy cab and I will use the exo cage against trail obstacles since it is full size.
 
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