Safety Devices Roll Cage Source?

[roverboy]

Anyone have a good source for Safety Devices roll cages here in the US? I need a new one for the 110.

[Buckon37s]

Support your local fab guy. Cheaper, better, bacon.

[roverboy]

I agree completely. Plus, when you're dealing with a local guy with a welder, you can always think of about 20 more things you can get him to make. ;-)

The only reservations that I have going this route are the way that the roll bar will attach to the vehicle. As you know, the NAS rack has little rubber "booties" that fit around the bottoms of the bars where they come in contact with the vehicle. Besides providing a more finished look, I would think that they help to firm the roll bar up once it's tightened down. Is there an alternative to this that a fab guy would know about? Or is there a source just for those rubber boots? Or is it not a big deal?

The only other problem I might have is just piece of mind in knowing that a locally fabricated roll bar is safe enough to survive a roll over. I got rid of the 90 and got the 110 because I have a 15 month old and I needed an enclosed vehicle with a place for a car seat. It has to be safe, and I have to feel good about it. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but I'm sure the safety devices rack must adhere to some US crash testing standards and a locally fabbed one would not. A roll bar is a roll bar, and the truck should be safer with one than it is without one. I just want to feel good about it. Make sense? I've seen several of you guys on here that have had roll bars made, and they all look great. I'd really rather go the fabbed route, but I just need some moral support.

David, yours look awesome. Can you post some close up pics of it especially where it bolts to the body/frame? I know it'll be a pain in the ass, but I'll buy you a beer the next time you're in Tampa. :toast

Thanks fellas, and anyone with an opinion, feel free to chime in.

[JohnC]

Check with Chris Cox, he purchased one directly from SD and we shipped it here for him. I know Scorpion has some of the cages leftover from SD but I'm not sure if they have what you need. Just a thought.

[roverboy]

thanks...

Who's Chris Cox?

[Maine 110]

Safetey Devices is currently in recievership (bankrupcy)

George at RDS bought up the last of the NAS 110 cages about two months ago. Not sure if he still has any, and he is out of commission for at least a few more weeks.

I would not hestiate to have a cage fabbed up. I would look for a local race car shop that is building race car frames to meet racing sanctions.

Jesse

[JohnC]

thanks...

Who's Chris Cox?
Chris is on this board, he has a nicely restored D90 TDi.

[m.michaels]

. I got rid of the 90 and got the 110 because I have a 15 month old and I needed an enclosed vehicle with a place for a car seat. It has to be safe, and I have to feel good about it. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but I'm sure the safety devices rack must adhere to some US crash testing standards and a locally fabbed one would not. A roll bar is a roll bar, and the truck should be safer with one than it is without one. I just want to feel good about it. Make sense? I've seen several of you guys on here that have had roll bars made, and they all look great. I'd really rather go the fabbed route, but I just need some moral support.

I have an opinion . . .

Now maybe I am taking too many risks, but my 6 year old and 2 year old ride in the SW all the time. I am sure sitting in the jump seats is a no go safety-wise. I would also say I have never put too much faith in the safety devices roll-cage anyway!! It kind of seems like when the FAA was suggesting the madatory use of specially approved car-seats in airlines - augering into the ground at 300+mph will still have the same effect. I believe a high speed roll over in the D90 would be catastrophic anyway (not that I get mine going that fast!). I wouldn't count on the US crash standards to make a decision (isn't there a picture of a rolled D90 with the safety devices cage somewhere in the forum - didn't look like it faired too well . . .)

I always hoped the thing would protect me when I slowly tipped over on my side due to poor judgement off-road - I never thought it would help otherwise.

I think getting a fabbed one at a race shop or other local facility would probably be way better than the bolt-on deal from safety devices.

Good luck

[roverboy]

Matt,
you're right about the roll over protection factor, or lack thereof. Point taken. I'll try and find a shop to build one locally. I'll keep you guys posted as I get further into this. I would still appreciate some close up pics of where the roll cage bolts to the body/frame. Both NAS versions AND home fabricated ones. It will be a big help when I visit my local fabricators. Thanks guys, this forum rules.

[JohnC]

BTW, the SD cages will be made in Poland (really, I'm not kidding) from now on. At least that's what the folks over in the UK told us.

[Kev Baldwin]

SD is back in business as Safety Devices International. Company has the same owners, but production has now been shifted out of the UK to Poland.
http://www.safetydevices.com/

[mikeslandrover]

Whoopee for the EEC more jobs head out of GB :angry

[Buckon37s]

I agree completely. Plus, when you're dealing with a local guy with a welder, you can always think of about 20 more things you can get him to make. ;-)

The only reservations that I have going this route are the way that the roll bar will attach to the vehicle. As you know, the NAS rack has little rubber "booties" that fit around the bottoms of the bars where they come in contact with the vehicle. Besides providing a more finished look, I would think that they help to firm the roll bar up once it's tightened down. Is there an alternative to this that a fab guy would know about? Or is there a source just for those rubber boots? Or is it not a big deal?

The only other problem I might have is just piece of mind in knowing that a locally fabricated roll bar is safe enough to survive a roll over. I got rid of the 90 and got the 110 because I have a 15 month old and I needed an enclosed vehicle with a place for a car seat. It has to be safe, and I have to feel good about it. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but I'm sure the safety devices rack must adhere to some US crash testing standards and a locally fabbed one would not. A roll bar is a roll bar, and the truck should be safer with one than it is without one. I just want to feel good about it. Make sense? I've seen several of you guys on here that have had roll bars made, and they all look great. I'd really rather go the fabbed route, but I just need some moral support.

David, yours look awesome. Can you post some close up pics of it especially where it bolts to the body/frame? I know it'll be a pain in the ass, but I'll buy you a beer the next time you're in Tampa. :toast

Thanks fellas, and anyone with an opinion, feel free to chime in.

Holy Crap! Free Beer. Here are your pics! You'll have to forgive the rock rash. I wait to long to repaint after a scrape and it rusts up pretty quick. I hope this helps you. I think you are doing the right thing. I know that a lot of people don't agree with me but I think the SD cages are not good at all. They are the bare minimum to make the Defender US crash certified. If you find a good fab shop they will make you one that looks just like you want it to and is way stronger. Congrats on the baby! A little late.

[roverboy]

David,
thanks for the pics, bro. :thumbs They're going to help me with the fabricator for sure. Thanks for doing your part in helping keep a cute little girl safe. LOL...

Oh, and yes...free beer, my man, free beer.

[Buckon37s]

Cute :)

[gtg067i]

As far as a full external cage, what is the consensus on how much cheaper it would be? I haven't had anything fabricated yet for my d90 and wanted to weigh the options. I would like an external cage for the added protection similar to the safety devices model. Another company, evans uk, has similar products but I have yet to price them out. I guess all in all what I'm curious about is whether there are substantial savings and if so approximately how much?

[Buckon37s]

As far as a full external cage, what is the consensus on how much cheaper it would be? I haven't had anything fabricated yet for my d90 and wanted to weigh the options. I would like an external cage for the added protection similar to the safety devices model. Another company, evans uk, has similar products but I have yet to price them out. I guess all in all what I'm curious about is whether there are substantial savings and if so approximately how much?

The Pictures I put here was my original cage. This was just like the SD exo cage. The price was the same to go through the body on tghe way down or on the outside so I went outside for more protection. This cage was about $1500 I believe. That price was installed of course. At the time, there was a company in Europe offering a similare cage for 600 Pounds in a magazine from like 2001. So add price increase, conversion, shipping, and assuming your intalling it yourself, and you hit the $2000 area pretty easily. Plus, there is no substitute for good Ol USA .120 wall chromo. Anyway, hope that helps.

[gtg067i]

Yea that's awesome, I really appreciate the information and timely response. It seems like the SD cage would cost around 2000 probably without shipping to my door. Then, even if I install it myself I am not getting any price break. Do you think the best place to go is something like a race shop or custom car shop?

[Buckon37s]

Well,

I don't know how far you are willing to go, but this place in Alabama has some of the cleanest and baddest work I have ever seen. Don't know price, but check it out http://www.bluetorchfab.com/ I can find some others for you, but I would stick with 4-wheeling fab. They should know how to properly build a cage and not be as expensive as the hotrod guys.

[gtg067i]

Yea, I went to Florida a couple weekends back and you drive right past their shop on the way through Dothan, Alabama. I wanted to stop but my buddy was driving and the rover was not our means of transport. I will certainly give them a call. They had a ridiculous tubed crawler in the front.