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Poly Cage Install with Special Sauce

29K views 60 replies 31 participants last post by  Co4Lo 
#1 ·
In an effort to expedite the last phase of my build to get the Jeep ready for 2011 EJS, I opted to purchase a weld-in cage kit instead of building a full custom cage.
After researching all of the kits available, I decided to go with the Poly Performance cage kit. Funny thing is, I ran into so many other issues trying to get the Jeep ready, that I never even installed the Poly cage.

EJS passed and I came home to the boxed up Poly cage still sitting in the garage. Now I had the time to do my custom cage, but thought I’d pull the Poly out and have a look. I was very impressed with the quality of the cage and decided to stick with it.
However, the disappointments with the JK’s design came quickly as I started prepping for the install.

The first thing that I had a problem with is the OEM B-Pillar area. The door headers simply bolt to the crossmember with some thin triangular gussets. After removing these gussets, I discovered that the crossmember is merely spot welded to some sheetmetal, which is then welded to the main fore-aft roll bar hoops. This explains why the OEM cages always seem to fold sideways when they roll over. No way was I going to allow this to be the foundation of my cage.


My Solution:
I hacked out the OEM B-Pillar Crossmember and replaced it with a fully welded 2x4” 3/16” wall rectangular tubing. I then cut off the bolt-on triangle gussets from the door headers and welded them directly to the new crossmember. Solid!





 
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#2 ·
The second issue came up when I was drilling the holes for the A-Pillar floor plates. The body is very thin and flimsy. And although Poly was smart to position the plates in an area where the body has a channel under it, there is about 2” of dead space between the 2 layers of sheetmetal. I’m pretty confident that the floor would collapse down to the bottom of the channel in the event of a rollover.


My Solution:
I cut a hole through the floor under the floor plate. I then welded a piece of tubing to the under-side of the plates that pass through the floor and tie in to brackets on the frame using bushings at the frame. I still bolted the plates to the floor since I had already drilled the holes, but the main support comes from the frame.




 
#3 ·
The third thing I disliked was the only geometric flaw I saw in the cage’s design. The weld-in dash bar starts at the A-pillar bars and then goes forward about 6” before making a nearly 90* bend at the windshield. Although the dash bar looks cool, I’m not so sure it really adds enough lateral support to the A-Pillar and windshield frame to do much good. The dash bar and the header bar above the windshield basically create a rectangle, which can easily deform or fold when side-loaded.
My Solution:
The obvious solution was to add some triangulation to the rectangle. So I added 2 angled spreaders that run down the windshield. I also added gussets between the A-pillar and the dash bar, since it protrudes forward so far.




 
#4 ·
I then added a harness bar and some various gussets throughout the cage.



The A and C pillars are now all tied to the frame. Still to come are some B pillar tie-ins which will intersect the harness bar, and then off to Line-X to do the tub.
A matching Mastercraft bench seat will take the place of the fuel cell, and the cell will be moved all the way back to the rear.
 
#20 ·
Pretty sick ideas CO4LO... like the fact you bent the tubing around the dash and into the floor. Not a bad way of creating an A pillar.

The B Pillar overhead tie in was an obvious must do. What a shitty design. But why did you use the mount that you fabbed up on the frame tie in of the A pillar. I'm guessing because you didn't want to just weld it to the frame. Looks good, looks real good.

I'll be interested in what your rear seat area looks like when you bolt the tank in and move everything around. Not much room back there.

I'm also assuming that your going to move your spare to the outside of your tailgate...Or create some cool deal to mount your tire to the rear of the cage with keeping in mind the soft top.

Kick Ass! I can't wait to build my cage.
 
#21 ·
But why did you use the mount that you fabbed up on the frame tie in of the A pillar. I'm guessing because you didn't want to just weld it to the frame. Looks good, looks real good.

I'm also assuming that your going to move your spare to the outside of your tailgate...Or create some cool deal to mount your tire to the rear of the cage with keeping in mind the soft top.
You have to use bushings when tying a body-mounted cage to the frame because the body is mounted with bushings. If you just run the tubing through the tub and weld it to the frame, the body won't be able to flex on the frame the way it is intended to.

The spare will be on a custom removeable carrier that will bolt on to the rear of the cage with tube clamps. This would hinder the use of the rear window in the soft top, but who cares.
Otherwise maybe a swing down carrier?? Not sure yet.

The rear will be a tight squeeze. I moved the fuel cell all the way back to the gate and will be installing a single Mastercraft Rubicon seat in the middle. Just enough room. :beer:
 
#33 ·
The color matches quite well, but I wasn't able to get much gloss because I painted it in my garage and the overspray would just settle on itself. So it has a bit of a semi-flat look to it.
I was gonna shoot some clear on it to shine things up, but I kinda like how it turned out. Looks more hardcore this way.:laughing:

The only person that will be using the back seat is my kid, so there is plenty of room. My only concern is where the front harness bar will line up with his head.
His harness will keep him from hitting his body on the bar, but I would hate for his head to snap forward and have him hit his face on it it there was an accident. It will be padded, but still a concern.

If it's in the way, I'll cut the center out of the bar and run triangulated spreaders from the B-pillar crossmember, out to to the floor. This would open up the center in front of the back seat.:)
 
#38 ·
Looks sweet. I think by throwing some black on the hood with that certain thing you got coming will round out the whole rig. I think red fenders, if you had them would be too much.

Shoot your ride looks sick!
 
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