Re: Roll bars

[tsm1@domain.elided (Tom Mandera)]

NEVER
>NEVER NEVER look at them as a place to mount a fire extinguisher, or a
>shovel or a bikini mount, use them for those yes, but always after

I'll chime in that I almost did exactly that.. though I had sense enough to
NOT call it a "roll bar"..  I wanted to remove the top from my '77 "parts
rig" earlier this summer.. and since I had expected to have my '72 back in
short order, I wasn't interested in sinking any $$$ into the '77 (I still
had delusions of being able to sell it after robbing the 4.09 '44s.. but
alas, now I'm a two Scout man!)..

I wanted something notably flimsy, just to hold the Bikini up.  I had
planned to just commute (if you can call my 5 mile drive across town that)
with my '77, and not wheel..  I was thinking of some "weak" steel channel
(oh, say curtain hanger quality) to just keep the Bikini off my head...

But, Julie wouldn't let me.. seems she just has this fixation with me taking
my Scout for a little game of summersault.. so I finally broke down and
ordered another 5-piece bolt-together UPSable rollbar from Giddum Up.. I
think I mentioned it earlier today/yesterday.. $200 had it delivered to my
door, painted it one night, and the next day at lunch the top came off, and
16 new holes were punched in my body tub. :-)  Fastest rollbar and top
removal I've done.. and I did a *better* job than on the '72.. in fact, my
rear bench seat still folds forward! :-)

In hindsight, it was a good thing.. I feel safer (though I've knocked my
head on it a few times).. it also made a great spot to mount my Hi-Lift
(standing up against the 'bar just behind the driver's seat, with one of the
roll-bar bolts lengthened to go through the jack body).

And of course, now that Julie (following her driving the Scout through the
snow last weekend.. dragging stuff, and ultimately spending a lot more
quality time at the receiving end of a tow strap than we'd liked) has
decided she *will* take the '77 as a wheelin' rig when I get the '72 done..
provided I put a small suspension lift, a front locker, and a V8 in it.. I'm
doubly glad I bought the rollbar.  I also took it one step farther, and
ordered (and now have sitting in the garage) two Smittybilt "SC88" front
roll cage kits.. under $100 each, and they CAN be UPS'd.. despite what the
vendors say.  I drove all the way to Spokane to pick mine up from Central
4Wheel Drive only to find they didn't come up from Sacramento.. but they
eventually UPS'd 'em to me.

I haven't install the front cage kit, though here's a few comments:

It's a 3-piece.  One cross bar, and two bars that go up from the floor, in
front of the dash, and then bend to go back to the roll-bar.  The cross bar
goes across the windshield.

The kit is just some "generic" tubes.. they'll need cut to fit a little bit,
and they definitely need "fish-mouthed" and then welded into place.

I can see problems with the window winders, the light switch, brake release,
and glovebox.  All of which are easily fixable (once you get over the idea
of cutting the corner off your beloved glove box).  I bought an extra glove
box lid just for this. :-)

I can't wait to get the cages installed...

BTW, I've asked before, but is there any reason why I *don't* want to mount
the front legs as close to the door/fender as possible?  I'm only concerned
about clearance for some SSII inserts if/when I decide to go that route..

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'72 and '77 Scout IIs - both have rollbars installed, and both have a roll
cage waiting to go in!