BX25 Full Cage Rollbar

[swick1]

Sounds great. I'll build one too after my grapple bucket project is done.

 

[swick1]

Sounds great. I'll build one too after my grapple bucket project is done.

 

[ssrfenton]

Thanx for the input lutt. Were down to less than 3 weeks and I should
have the canopy and serious thought / design will begin.

Another reverse engineer option is to visit a few ATV/UTV dealers and check out the Polaris/Yamaha/Kawasaki....brands that have all the various ROPS design as OEM certified product. The steel gauge you select can be reversed per vehicle weight comparison...just a thought

Now having suggested this I have also seen if they work via YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. as there are a few destructive but unintentional crashes of MOVING vehicles. For a slow moving/stationary vehicle with an unknown falling load that may have to be compensated for. eg If a large tree limb falls horizontal vs vertical. Slight difference in surface pressure. Most if not all high impact auto systems use triangulation cross technique, again something to consider overhead for a vertical or concentrated weight fall. Something like an X shape across the roof welded to the vertical supports.

Good luck.

 

[ssrfenton]

Thinking about the high impact vertical load, maybe a cone style roof design that will deflect the overhead moving object to the side rather a flat roof design that must sustain all force and hopefully hold up??

 

[jim_wilson]

Another reverse engineer option is to visit a few ATV/UTV dealers and check out the Polaris/Yamaha/Kawasaki....brands that have all the various ROPS design as OEM certified product. The steel gauge you select can be reversed per vehicle weight comparison...just a thought

Now having suggested this I have also seen if they work via YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. as there are a few destructive but unintentional crashes of MOVING vehicles. For a slow moving/stationary vehicle with an unknown falling load that may have to be compensated for. eg If a large tree limb falls horizontal vs vertical. Slight difference in surface pressure. Most if not all high impact auto systems use triangulation cross technique, again something to consider overhead for a vertical or concentrated weight fall. Something like an X shape across the roof welded to the vertical supports.

Good luck.

If I had to make one suggestion for this whole project - it would be to spend some time studying how rollcages are designed for race cars. These cages are designed to handle the forces of an automobile - at high speed - making impact at any angle. I would think that following the general design tips you would use for an automotive rollcage would work just fine for a rollcage on your tractor that is designed to protect you from rollover (at relatively low speed) - and falling tree limbs.

The biggest thing you're going to have to try to figure out - is how to attach the rollcage successfully to the frame of the tractor so that it doesn't rip off somehow like the ROPS in that earlier post where the tractor flipped over backwards.

I have a tubing bender - and have built a couple of cages for street cars that built (hot rods) . For a rollcage for your tractor I would start looking at suppliers of cages for cars that have pre-bent tubing and all the other assorted brackets and reinforcements etc. that are generally used. If you can find a supplier of pre-bent tubing (rollcage tubing in general is 2" or 1 3/4" DOM ) . The DOM part is important - the welded tubing can crack and split on impact which compromises the safety of the cage.

Inspectors in the race world look at weld quality and tubing thickness. The SCCA rule books specify holes drilled thru tubing so the inspectors can check the wall thickness.

Triangulation is important. If you are creative you could triangulate the thing pretty nicely without infringing on the convenience and access points.

 

[Artisan]

Yea...shouldn't be too awfully hard to attach to the tractor. I have a
few ideas but till I have that canopy in hand I wait on most designing.
Were down to 13 days and I hit 54 /BD and I should have the 1133
canopy in hand.
I have built a few different roll bar parts. I own a tubing bender w/ hydraulic.
I have BEND TECH software as well.
I have some 1.75" tube in stock "if" I go that route. I still
have not rulled out getting a second BX25 ROPS and hangin' it off
the FEL uprights...I can draw in CAD so I can do a lot. Not going to
hurry...

I do remember that 1133 canapy as having a substancial support system.
I really can't wait to have it in hand.

 

[jim_wilson]

Yea...shouldn't be too awfully hard to attach to the tractor. I have a
few ideas but till I have that canopy in hand I wait on most designing.
Were down to 13 days and I hit 54 /BD and I should have the 1133
canopy in hand.
I have built a few different roll bar parts. I own a tubing bender w/ hydraulic.
I have BEND TECH software as well.
I have some 1.75" tube in stock "if" I go that route. I still
have not rulled out getting a second BX25 ROPS and hangin' it off
the FEL uprights...I can draw in CAD so I can do a lot. Not going to
hurry...

I do remember that 1133 canapy as having a substancial support system.
I really can't wait to have it in hand.

Sounds like you have it under control!

 

[ssrfenton]

If I had to make one suggestion for this whole project - it would be to spend some time studying Inspectors in the race world look at weld quality and tubing thickness. The SCCA rule books specify holes drilled thru tubing so the inspectors can check the wall thickness...............

Triangulation is important. If you are creative you could triangulate the thing pretty nicely without infringing on the convenience and access points.

Good point, and also one item that is continually overlooked on a rollover situation is the occupant restaint system PLUS cage netting to prevent arms, hands being thrown outside the gage and potentially being crushed...or worse. Watching those side by side UTV rollovers on youtube just goes to show you how fast and unexpected things can happen.