Bed cage Idea

[chadbuckner]

I'm not ready to go all out with a cage yet but I had an Idea that I want to run by more heads than my own..... a bed cage, which could be the start of something more but I really just want to have something that I can throw a canvas tarp over (like a can-back) for camping but have structural stability just incase I flop. also I was wondering about connecting a 4 point harnass to the bed cage through the rear cab wall. the lap belt would be in the stock lap belt bolt holes. I read that 4 points should not be mounted straight down behind the seat but at least 45* off the shoulder.....well in a reg cab thats kinda not possible. So I thought about connecting the belts right behind the shoulders to the cab wall bolted to 1/4 - 3/8" steel plate that sandwiches the cab wall. and then have a chain (heavy duty) welded to the outside plate and then to the tube running across the front of the bed. (this for redundancy) I thought about doing a solid tube welded from one to the other but then I thought about bed/cab flex and hence the chain idea. I could mount my HI lift to the side diagonal brace on the bed too.... my ideas for this are endless but these are just a few. what do ya think.

 

[chadbuckner]

TTT dang this many views and no opinions or input?!?!?

 

[onetuff76]

I'm no cage guru but you might want to make another cross member on your side view so it makes an X. Also for the harness, I believe someone makes a harness that you can connect the shoulder straps to the floor, think I saw it in hotrod magazine. If you can't find those I'd say put some tube in behind the seat and then have that connect to the frame.

 

[K85k03]

Iam not positive but I've heard that if you attach the seat belt to a rollbar or cage that attaches to the frame then when you have body flex it will pinch the driver or rider in the seat belt? just a thought I know I wouldn't want to get pinched by my seatbelt.

 

[Hickey]

I don't think it is a good idea. Your cab and bed are mounted seperately. They will flex different ways at different times. In a hard roll, say your bed gets ripped off and your cab doesn't. Can you say noose?