Roll Cage Repair

[jcarius]

I managed to pretty severly bend a couple bars in the the roll cage on our buggy. What is the correct way to repair? How about cracks in roll cage tubing?

My first impulse is to cut back to solid, straight tubing, install an internal sleeve, replace the bent/cracked tube and then rosette weld the sleeve and 360 weld the tube. I know some folks just bend the tube back or weld up the cracks, but it gives me the willies ... especially since my wife drives the car.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Jim

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[matt_helton]

yes, deffinetly sleeve and rossette the tubing.

when i repair cracks i allways drill a hole at each end of the crack, then take my die grinder and v-cut the crack, then weld from hole to hole.

[Hellfire]

Drilling a hole doesn't really do much, because often cracks extend past their visible ends. Meaning you have a hairline crack that you can't see because it hasn't pulled apart (yet).
V grind the crack, but go past the visible ends of the crack say and inch or so to make sure you got it all.

[ShaneR]

If you keep getting a crack in the same location you might want to gusset plate the area to spread the load, or X brace, so it will stop cracking and fix the problem for good!

[larry placido]

Shoot...everyone said what I wanted to say!....especially if you've got family driving it, don't re-bend...do eveything the right way. Don't skimp on safety stuff...

[roach]

hay larry, they didnt say it all.........you forgot one. ok, so you are going to cut the tubes off (the bent ones) and install new ones.......dont forget to weld in a brace to keep the frame from moving when you cut it. you know, a support bar that you will cut off after you have made your repairs. if not, you know.....you are on the saw-zal and all of a sudden "BAMM", the bar you just cut in two is an inch off where it was originally!! hate when that happens!!

[hxckidd]

how would you place a new tube where one has been cut out??? Say you have a 2 ft section and cut out a foot in the middle. how do you get the sleave in boths sides when you put that foot section back in???

[FABRICATOR]

....you are on the saw-zal and all of a sudden "BAMM", the bar you just cut in two is an inch off where it was originally!!

For structures that have NOT been in a wreck or twisted, that is by leaps and bounds what stress relieving a chassis is meant to address. Sorry for the hijack.

[partybarge_pilot]

how would you place a new tube where one has been cut out??? Say you have a 2 ft section and cut out a foot in the middle. how do you get the sleave in boths sides when you put that foot section back in???

Make sure your sleeve will slide nicely inside the outer tube. Slid them in till there flush, put in place and use a small screwdriver or pointed object through the rosette holes to move them into place.

[matt_helton]

Make sure your sleeve will slide nicely inside the outer tube. Slid them in till there flush, put in place and use a small screwdriver or pointed object through the rosette holes to move them into place.

hey, i was gonna say that.......