need structure advice.

[Bronzewyrm]

last weekend my windsheild cracked. not a rock or a extreme flex out. just driving. i have a rack on top and was loadded with a feiw camping idems.
the truck had ben dammaged befor i got it. the DS rocker was extreamly distorted, the DS "B" pillar is a little crinkled then i came down on a big rock smashing the PS rocker hard directly under the "A" pillar. got the floor real good and smashed the rocker completely flat.

Thats the Red Flag for unibody issues. i had a new MJ in my grasps yesterday but got totaly hosed. now im looking to strengthen the xj up and keep her "most likely".

Roof rack is going bye bye. its a great rack and i love it to death, but for this perticular xj its a no go no more...

where i need help is deciding wether frame stiffys, or a cage is the most bang for the buck. and how far the stiffeners would get me alone. or how much a cage might cost me. im on a buget and im at the point of no return with this rig.

i need to do the work befor replaceing the windsheild but i dont have the $ to check my structure with a fresh windsheild each time. so i turn to u all. any help or exp in this area would be awsome its my DD and i need to keep her going.

Thx Guies/Gals
Bronze.

 

[TerraHauler]

I'm in the same boat as you, I'm gonna go for the cage because it will pay for itself in windshields and possibly saving my life if rolled on or off the road... not sure how much stiffeners cost but might be worth a try and then they would give you a good spot to tie the cage into if they don't do the trick.

 

[2xtreme]

If your unibody already has significant damage, the frame stifeners are not going to be as affective as they would be if the unibody was still strait.

The cage "could" provide much more structure as long as it was designed and built with this in mind. Do you have this experience or does the person who is going to build/help with the cage?

Personally, I would do either of the above. The XJ is a "disposable" vehicle. Find a great donor body to put your running gear in or find a new XJ to replace yours and take the best from each. I suspect you would find yourself much farther ahead for much less time/money to end up with a decent dd/trail rig.

Michael

 

[Bronzewyrm]

yeah i was kinda thinking the same thing.

i have fixed the rockers on both sides. and installed some sliders. my thaughts are that because the current windsheild was installed with the dammage to the body. possably when i streched everything back into origonal place that ; that may have ben enough to do it.combined with it being looaded up.

with everything fixed "besides the DS "B" pilar" im wondering if stiffeners up front and along the uniframe would do it. i was hoping somewon would pipe in with some 1st hand exp.im shure this isnt the 1st time theres ben a unibody issue here.

as far as my cage building exp. i have never built one, altough i have lots of structural exp. i just dont have the tube,bender, or welding exp to have "Total" faith in my 1st cage. dont get me wrong, i can weld when i have to and understand all parts of the process. i just have never "first hand" built one. id be a feel my way throo it kinda deal.

thx for the help michael.
john.

 

[Goatman]

I built my first cage after I rolled mine and the entire roof needed to be replaced. I wanted rigidity, safety, and to protect the body work to join the new roof. Think it through and go for it. A cage will defintely add more rigidity, if you want a cage anyway. Otherwise, think about some major frame stiffening, adding some tube along the frame sections or something and not just adding plate to the frame.

As far as a cage, it can be pretty simple and still add plenty of safety and rigidity especially if you tie it into the body, like attaching it to the shoulder belt bolts inside. You do need to consider how to add cage or good reinforcement forward of the A pillar. Internal cages that end in front of the dash don't even reach the lower control arm mounts, so no front rigidity is added.