Datsun 620 roll cage ?

[fixfix620]

Custom roll cage a cost an arm and leg. I was thinking about a jegs.com roll cage. A 4 or 6 point cage Inside and/or a 4 point truck bed cage. 

 

Has anyone done one? What have they use? Are there any other cages (Nissan, toyota,Chevy etc) that are close to the same dimensions as the datsun 620?

 

Jegs Chevy s10 cage

https://www.jegs.com/i/Competition+Engineering/247/3234/10002/-1?gclid=CjwKCAiAm-2BBhANEiwAe7eyFEeqJCS_ruHE2PEjMaUor6rFIheXb-gQF5hvV0ClHzofByDvf63FKRoCYVYQAvD_BwE

 

[datzenmike]

Takes up way too much space in a 620 cab making the cab almost useless. Pay $250 for hard to get in and out of, less foot room, bang head on bars. You planning to roll that puppy? Or just for show??? Some things are just not worth the discomfort and bother. Get a really good roll bar that is anchored to the frame, it'll do the same job and looks better.

 

[fixfix620]

I'm mostly thinking safety. That A pillar is made of paper.

[demo243]

Without a helmet a roll cage in one of these trucks would be much more dangerous - almost guaranteed to smack your head into one of the bars in any sort of accident and no amount of padding short of a proper race helmet will protect your head. 

If you really want something a proper designed bed bar that ties into the frame as datzenmike said would be a better bet - but now you are back at the custom route which costs $$$

End of the day you just need to realize these are old cars and avoid any accident possible, and understand that there is a risk to driving them.

Edited March 2, 2021 by demo243

[datzenmike]

23 minutes ago, demo243 said:

End of the day you just need to realize these are old cars and avoid any accident possible, and understand that there is a risk to driving them.

 

There is no ABS, no reactive suspension, no crumple zones, no collapsible steering column, no lane departure warning, no blind zone camera or warning, no power steering. You are naked out there an up against other drivers that have only known these safety devices and falsely believe they can't even have an accident. I advise driving carefully, develop your 'situational awareness, keep your distance' and be seen. 

[distributorguy]

The Jegs Ford Ranger cage is a good place to start, but will require 4x6 mounting plates to the cab floor/sills along with a lot of custom trimming, coping, etc...  I tied mine into the frame directly, along with adding 2 rear points, helmet restraint, etc...  For a street vehicle you'll find that an adequate cage not only takes up precious real estate, but if not done properly can cause more harm than good.  

[datzenmike]

Hard to see around A pillar and you have to lean forward to see under the top one to see if the traffic light has changed. Good for 130 MPH rollover though.

[EDM620]

Realizing that you'll still be restricted to space limitations, a rollbar behind the cab is plenty adequate. Base your hoop height on the line from bar to front of the truck, and make sure it is well supported to the frame or you're wasting your time. My '75 CJ5 factory roll bar was simply bolted to the body - would have punched right through had I rolled it.

[yenpit]

5 hours ago, distributorguy said:

The Jegs Ford Ranger cage is a good place to start, but will require 4x6 mounting plates to the cab floor/sills along with a lot of custom trimming, coping, etc...  I tied mine into the frame directly, along with adding 2 rear points, helmet restraint, etc...  For a street vehicle you'll find that an adequate cage not only takes up precious real estate, but if not done properly can cause more harm than good.  

 

 

'Sup Jeff!! 😎 So this is his race truck......bad ass, but it is a full blown race truck.  Look how much room it takes up.............like datzenmike & demo said, there is no good way to cage the cab of a Datsun truck for road use.  And yes, the tight confines of a cage inside the cab makes it MUCH more dangerous in an accident, of a head injury.  Now, I always loved the look of a nice roll bar hoop & legs in the BED of the mini trucks, but that will not help you if you get hit in the cab!  Drive AWARE of all of the other idiots around you!!

 

TJ

Denver CO 

[Turbosauce74]

Cage is on the list for me, these trucks are tin cans, with a capable top speed of 180mph I don't trust this thing one bit.It's not hard to fit a decent tight fitting cage in these trucks if you're a good fabricator, and even easier if you have a king cab. 1.5" 1.20 or even 0.95 DOM tubing would be lots and fit nice. Good fitting hoop, halo and a pillar bars would save you in a rollover. The only people afraid of hitting their heads usually have cages with massive gaps. Hire a proper builder and do it right.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Turbosauce74

[datzenmike]

On 3/2/2021 at 10:33 AM, fixfix620 said:

I'm mostly thinking safety. That A pillar is made of paper.

 

On a non racing street vehicle????? A roll bar will make it uncomfortable to get into and drive. Without a 5 point harness, seat and a helmet you're at greater risk in an accident with all that pipe in there. Drive more carefully.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

On 3/3/2021 at 7:41 AM, EDM620 said:

Realizing that you'll still be restricted to space limitations, a rollbar behind the cab is plenty adequate. Base your hoop height on the line from bar to front of the truck, and make sure it is well supported to the frame or you're wasting your time. My '75 CJ5 factory roll bar was simply bolted to the body - would have punched right through had I rolled it.

Manufacturers are now careful to not call them a roll bar anymore. I think the term light bar is used most often now.

 

Many here have said it, a cage for street use can be dangerous. Unless you can bend one up that fits tightly to the corners and there are no bars to hit your head on.

 

One trick for squeezing a cage into tight spaces is to build it short, then lift it up and weld extensions to the legs. A port-a-power can also be used to push the tubing into shape in tight spaces.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Just had another thought, you could do a bed cage/roll bar and extend through the rear of the cab to have door bars that go all the way to the footwell. Tie across the two with a piece of tubing for a place to attach harness style seat belts.

 

The most difficult part of this exercise is sealing it where it goes into the cab.

[Turbosauce74]

35 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

One trick for squeezing a cage into tight spaces is to build it short, then lift it up and weld extensions to the legs. A port-a-power can also be used to push the tubing into shape in tight spaces.

Do not "weld extensions" to your cage especially the main hoop 🙄. I don't think anyone commenting has an idea how to build a certified cage cause for one your main hoop must be one piece. It's not even hard to do and it should follow the shape of the cab and be stitch welded to the cab structure where possible.

 

And no a it does not put you at a greater risk in an accident unless you build a garbage cage. If you think a 40 year old tin can is safer without a cage you're delusional.

 

Like I said before, hire the right person because safety is worth every penny.

[datzenmike]

For a 620 put it on the outside where it belongs.

[distributorguy]

Hey Turbosauce, "I don't think anyone commenting has an idea how to build a certified cage cause for one your main hoop must be one piece."

 

Ummmm.... mine is certified for 200 mph+ at Bonneville...  Must be junk because your guy didn't build it?  They refuse NHRA and NASCAR cages because they aren't safe enough without modifications.  Yours wouldn't pass either.  There are different rules for different types of racing.  Street is altogether different and doesn't need to meet any rule book, but does need to be made safely.  

 

To weld the top of the cage, drop it through holes in the floor, then lift it back up onto plate or boxes to fit the body.  

 

I still wouldn't fit a cage to a street truck, unless you're 5'2" tall or shorter, or you have an extended cab.    

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Very diplomatic @Turbosauce74

 

There are ways to get your point across without calling everybody an idiot.

 

I think the point you missed by a mile is that a cage is unsafe on the street because you're not wearing a helmet while street driving, and if you bounce around and hit your head on a piece of tubing, that's worse than having no cage at all.