Roll cage tubing and general stuff tubing

[hoggie101]

whats the best all around tubing size i wanna start to work on the jeep, i wanna do cage rear mounted rad. shocks though the floor more armor bah bah bah, so im wondering whats the best all around tubing size i was thinking 1.75x.120 wall but idk if thatd be to thin what do you guys think? and i need a god place to buy bulk

[Burton58]

zullos buggy is 1.75x.120 wall

[Zullock Holmes]

1.75x.120 wall is the common tube size used in ultra4.
1.5x.120 wall is also a great option, it's alittle less expensive and can be used to make tighter radius bends which makes it perfect for cages that need to be fit to an interior, such as an xj.

If you look on pirate you'll find threads of people arguing for pages over the two, for your application and general rockcrawling either will work great. For reference Clayton's old buggy is made completely of 1.5x.120 wall, and you've seen that thing and the beating it has taken.

The other debate is over the more common 1020 mild steel vs. 4130 chromoly, chromoly has a higher tensile strength, therefore you could technically use .095 wall instead of .120 wall. Both has it's advantages and disadvantages. 1020 can be difficult at times to get a good quality weld on and because of it's general softness over time it flexes more and makes the welds prone to cracking in a racing environment. Chromoly is all around better, no questions about it but you're looking to pay 3-4 times the cost per foot as compared to the mild steel tube.

On my chassis there is a lot of both, all of it being 1020 mild steel, all of the main structural tubes with an exterior surface that could possibly see a direct impact are 1.75x.120. Most of the structural tubes with the chassis are 1.5x.120, it makes the packaging a little easier and it's cheaper.

In terms of cost, I pay around $2.50 per ft of 1.5x.120, a little over $3.00 per foot of 1.75x.120 and for reference, I have been quoted at $7.80 per foot of 1.75x.120 chromoly.

In terms of where to get it from, you're best bet will be Pennsylvania Steel in Naugatuck, I do not know if they are open to the public but they have the best tube prices in the state. Once I get the shop together and moved in I will have an account set up with them and should be able to get you stuff. Also note that the price will vary depending on how much you buy, that's the same anywhere.

[HeavyMetal]

my jeeps cage is primarily 1.75 .120

[CSaddict]

.75 schedule 40 PVC.

[hoggie101]

.75 schedule 40 PVC.

Eh I was think more 3/4 emt its shinny

[Harry]

Good info, Zullo.

How are those XJ cages coming along...?

[Zullock Holmes]

Working on it!! Got a JD2 model 32 and some dies on the way!

[crosbike]

What errybody else said. My cage is 1.75 x.120 wall dom

[Jeepbonehead]

Built my cage out of 1.75x.120 wall. Just finished a customers cage out of the same stuff. It's pretty much the standard.