EXO'ed 84

[sabenson82]

So, my little brother rolled his 84 standard cab long bed last summer near buck island on the rubicon and tweaked the cab so bad a new windshield would not go in.  Solution..... we put an extended cab on his standard cab frame, chopped the bed from the front and are now working on an exo-cage so it wont happen again.... here are some pics......tell us what y'all think so far.



ive got more pics also from after we did a little bit more... ill post them shortly, but here is what he's got so far

[sabenson82]

Forgot to mention that this is all being done with a HF 12 ton bender!! it seems to work just fine

[unclejpl4x4]

Forgot to mention that this is all being done with a HF 12 ton bender!! it seems to work just fine

   

looks 2 me the bar that come off the roof  should be higher on the front fender bars.

[DTB]

looks like theres some pretty big gaps in there.....what kinda tube did you use?

[BLACKDOG]

looks like theres some pretty big gaps in there.....what kinda tube did you use?

and some other spots where the cage is touching the sheetmetal? 

  I don't think it looks all that great.  Functional, sure, once you finish it, but it definitely doesn't follow the body lines very well, and isn't real tight to the body in most areas, and appears to be too close in others.  It looks kinda like you figured out what you wanted to do as you went along, instead of planning and drawing, and measuring it out beforehand

[krawlz]

and some other spots where the cage is touching the sheetmetal? 

  I don't think it looks all that great.  Functional, sure, once you finish it, but it definitely doesn't follow the body lines very well, and isn't real tight to the body in most areas, and appears to be too close in others.  It looks kinda like you figured out what you wanted to do as you went along, instead of planning and drawing, and measuring it out beforehand

OUCH!!

[DTB]

OUCH!!

He did ask for opinions! 


Did you solid mount the cab?

[BLACKDOG]

OUCH!!

I've been part of those, do first, then step back and think about it builds (some of my truck is that way ) so I know how it goes. 

Like I said it looks functional enough, but if you're trying to protect the cab, having the cage up against the body isn't going to do a lot to help that

I want to see the end results

[booger weldz]

and some other spots where the cage is touching the sheetmetal? 

  I don't think it looks all that great.  Functional, sure, once you finish it, but it definitely doesn't follow the body lines very well, and isn't real tight to the body in most areas, and appears to be too close in others.  It looks kinda like you figured out what you wanted to do as you went along, instead of planning and drawing, and measuring it out beforehand

i think you really need to post up some pics of something youve built that would lead us to believe you have reasons or the skills to justify such a responce. until you prove that youre a better fabricator than this guy, or have the skills to give such suggestions, i would find it terribly rude to give such a negaitve opinion of his work...just my opinion...

[KDXSR5]

I am siding with BLACKDOG on this one... It doesn't look like it will protect much of the cab, and from what I have seen on Pirate about building exocages, the cage is pretty close in some areas and will damage the cab if flopped. Plus I have NO EXPERIENCE at all!!! Does that make my opinion less valid? Probably, but who cares. If the guy is happy with his exo, then thats good. Nobody else has to like it as long as it is safe and the fabricator likes it. Also, it does need more trianglation before it is complete.

[jimbo74]

it basically looks like a slider... there isnt much cage to it at all.....

[KDXSR5]

it basically looks like a slider... there isnt much cage to it at all.....

There we go... thats pretty much what I was thinking.

[BLACKDOG]

Nobody else has to like it as long as it is safe and the fabricator likes it. Also, it does need more trianglation before it is complete.

Thats also why I want to see complete pictures, that definitely needs triangulation as it sits now, but he said they weren't done. 

it basically looks like a slider... there isnt much cage to it at all.....

I like the fender bars running to the sliders, it looks good

[DTB]

i would find it terribly rude to give such a negaitve opinion of his work...just my opinion...

What was negative about it? Blackdog just noticed as did I that there are large gaps and tube touching the body. Fab skills dont mean anything. Anyone with two eyes can clearly see.

This isnt Yotatech...people arent going to hold your hand and sing kum-bye yah and tell you that its the bees knees when it really isnt.  We are just having a civil discussion here about cage design and voicing opinions negative and positive. If someone can't handle negative criticism they shouldnt be posting on the world wide intarweb

[unclejpl4x4]

well it is a work in progress guys and there/he are not done.  So maybe the pic we see is everything just tacked 2 gather   also might be their first cage build ( how good where you when you did yours? )

But i agree the cage should not be touching the body and some of the angles are off.   There are a lot of peps between the boards with exos   I would first start there saving picks of different exos   and get my plans/ Ideas there on what will work/look. 

[BigBs84]

To me it just looks like the two main hoops are not following the body, Extra cabs have alot more challanges than a standard cab, but it looks like your getting the concept. Keep working at it and after every bend sit back have a and look at it.

[krawlz]

I've been part of those, do first, then step back and think about it builds (some of my truck is that way ) so I know how it goes. 

Like I said it looks functional enough, but if you're trying to protect the cab, having the cage up against the body isn't going to do a lot to help that

I want to see the end results

Yeah!  Pretty much how I did mine. Printed out a bunch of pictures from the web and just started bending. Turned out OK but not exactly the way I pictured.

This isn't Yotatech...people aren't going to hold your hand and sing kum-bye yah and tell you that its the bees knees when it really isn't. 

A nice round of kum-bye-yah couldn't hurt.

[DTB]

A nice round of kum-bye-yah couldn't hurt.

FAWESOME!!!

[BLACKDOG]

So, my little brother rolled his 84 standard cab long bed last summer near buck island on the rubicon and tweaked the cab so bad a new windshield would not go in.  Solution..... we put an extended cab on his standard cab frame, chopped the bed from the front and are now working on an exo-cage so it wont happen again.... here are some pics......tell us what y'all think so far.ive got more pics also from after we did a little bit more... ill post them shortly, but here is what he's got so far

I'm just doing what he asked

i think you really need to post up some pics of something youve built that would lead us to believe you have reasons or the skills to justify such a responce. until you prove that youre a better fabricator than this guy, or have the skills to give such suggestions, i would find it terribly rude to give such a negaitve opinion of his work...just my opinion...

I think I've got all my picturess up here in different places on the board.  If you check them out, you'll see right where I did the cut/grind/weld first, and look back after     I've helped with a few exo's, one of them turned out ugly as sin, but functional, and the others were pretty nice (wasn't involved with anyof the planning, just the labor).  I'm not saying I'm a master fabricator, or even that I could turn something out that good.  I'm trying to provide some constructive criticism, using the knowledge I've gained helping other people with their cages, and seeing what hapens when cages get tested.  Plus, I'm not a huge of exo's anyway, I like the partial ones much better.   

I give full props to you sabenson, and your brother, for stepping out there and building a cage.  and as I said, in my original post, it looks like it will be structurally sound when its done, and thats the real important thing.  And like KDX said, if you like it, thats what matters  

I really would like to see the finished pics, you said you had more to post? 

[booger weldz]

i guess i sounded more like a dik than was intended?   it wasnt meant that way, i just figured if you aint got nothin good to say, keep it to yourself...like my momma used to say:D  it seems EXOcages are becoming fashionable, and people put one on just cause they look cool? i think they look like poop, but theyve saved my ass/cab a lot of times...i wouldnt make anything out of HREW, you can bend/smash it with a normal sized hammer...lots of vendors sell sliders made of it, retarded!  itll only last a couple hits before its so bent up you may not be able to open the door...seriously!

[sabenson82]

OK.... nobody on the thread needs to worry about hurting my feelings.... i asked for opinions...y'all are entitled to yours. So ill start by explaining a little more. This is the first exo cage my brother and i have ever tried. He and I both are fairly skilled MIG and stick welders, but never really tried to do much tube bending until now. This is a work in progress that is determined by how much $$$$ my brother has. We started with the hoops that go around the cab, and no, they don't line up quite right. And in response to someone, we are in fact just making it up as we go. My brother has got an idea of what he wants, but thats how we roll.... The best part for me is that when it comes time to cage mine Ill have a better idea of what I'm doing and it will look better than his!
We got some fender bars done and are starting to tie it all together.Keep in mind this thing has got a ways to go yet..... AND NOW FOR MORE PICTURES!





I think we are getting better as we go! More Pics when we get more done....

[sabenson82]

Oh yeah..... its all 1.25 inch .120 wall schedule 40

[BLACKDOG]

i guess i sounded more like a dik than was intended?   it wasnt meant that way, i just figured if you aint got nothin good to say, keep it to yourself...like my momma used to say:D  it seems EXOcages are becoming fashionable, and people put one on just cause they look cool? i think they look like poop, but theyve saved my ass/cab a lot of times...i wouldnt make anything out of HREW, you can bend/smash it with a normal sized hammer...lots of vendors sell sliders made of it, retarded!  itll only last a couple hits before its so bent up you may not be able to open the door...seriously!

no big deal, I think I could say the same thing



I would definitely agree that it looks like you guys are getting better!   Those fender bars look good   How much clearance do you have between the pipe and the sheetmetal? 

[sabenson82]

no big deal, I think I could say the same thing



I would definitely agree that it looks like you guys are getting better!   Those fender bars look good   How much clearance do you have between the pipe and the sheetmetal? 

The tube doesn't touch any of the body as of yet, but it comes pretty darn close in some spots. In between 1/2 and 2 inches in most places... It ain't perfect, but it think that when it is done it will do its part to save the cab....or at least not break anymore windshields. And the way my brother sees it, as long as the glass doesn't break, F***  IT! His rig is still a daily driver as well, and it will see the Rubicon and/or Fordyce at least 15 times this summer.

[unclejpl4x4]

hes gone need some cross bracing bateewn the fender pipes  and rear side window pipes

[sabenson82]

I agree unclejpl.....there is lots more tube to come....$$$$$....There will be a support across the bottom of the windshield, a tube below the back slider window w/ tubes connecting that to the rear cab hoop, tubes connecting the two cab hoops near the rear side windows, tubes connecting the fender bars, and the lil bro is working on something for the roof.... who knows what else. Like i said, we are kind of making it up as we go.

I like the feedback though, keep it coming and Ill post more pics as more gets done

[DTB]

Smart man! Make someone elses rig the guinea pig! 

Lookin better...thanks for understanding that no one here was trying to be an ass...just making observations..



It DOES look better

[94MtnYote]

 Hey looks good to me, props to you guys for learning as you go and making it work. gotta figure it out somehow right!

[THK Matt]

lookin better then when you started... we all live and learn... we dont all start out as master fabricators..
not bad for someone who hasnt bent tube before.

keep it up fellas

[Talon84x4]

I think you're doing well for a first time/by eye/HF bender cage.