Beefing up the RCS cage, thoughts?

[sweetdiesel]

Hi everyone,

I'm attempting to beef up my RC-Solutions cage for my Savage by adding a few braces. The first will be an additional cross brace on the rear section. I want to also add a couple braces to the middle section. I am hoping the additional triangulation will help keep the cage from flexing and bending. The last brace I want to add will be in the front, right underneath the body mounts. I'd like to make a combination brace/body mount here since the RCS mounts are very thin. I have a really rough picture of what I'd like to do in the shop tonight (forgive the picture, I have limited computer resources at work)but before I make them , can you give some input or advise to whether or not it will work or what improvements to the cage can be made by additional bracing.

I also have some other ideas for bracing the TVPs, those will come later.

I appreciate any and all input! :smoke:

 

[beason]

that thing looks like a tank anyway.. i dont think the braces your planning on putting in are gonna be worth the trouble of putting them there.. it looks like it would take a major hit to break it. its like this if you crash it hard enough to break that thing those braces are gonna break to.. i would work on other parts of the truck.. just imo..

 

[olds97_lss]

In pics I've seen, the bends happen a lot right on the 90 degree bend over the front shocktower. It gets crumpled there.

Also, the part that covers the engine gets bent sideways. Especially when you go against RCS's guidlines and run without a body.

 

[Nathan_454]

I've got some extra spacers you can have if you pay shipping
i braced mine up about like you want too

 

[sweetdiesel]

In pics I've seen, the bends happen a lot right on the 90 degree bend over the front shocktower. It gets crumpled there.

Also, the part that covers the engine gets bent sideways. Especially when you go against RCS's guidlines and run without a body.

I haven't bent the 90 degree part yet, but I have bent one of the front crossmembers from hitting a pole full speed head on. Maybe adding a second side brace along the cage will help keep it from crumpling.

The engine side I have done many times, it makes the cage look like it has a crooked back. I can add a side brace there also.

Beason, I am not so much concerned with breakage, but more with bending. I know eventually things will bend but if I can lenghten the time between bends it would just add to more run time. More time in the dirt and less on the shelf.



Keep the suggestions coming I really appreciate it.

 

[sweetdiesel]

I've got some extra spacers you can have if you pay shipping
i braced mine up about like you want too

Sweet, I was going to try to make some on the lathe but if you have extras I can always use spares. Can you send me a PM with your paypal addy and how much for shipping.

 

[retarded pilot]

hey sd...

ever see one bend like this LOL

this happened tonight

 

[jon2]

hey sd...

ever see one bend like this LOL

this happened tonight

Notice that the engine is intact though!!!

 

[retarded pilot]

yes very true jon ...i wasn't complaining at all this is a shorter version of a post i made in "show us your pics" i know its doing its job.....just have never seen a pic where one bent in the same way as mine did LOL

 

[jon2]

yes very true jon ...i wasn't complaining at all this is a shorter version of a post i made in "show us your pics" i know its doing its job.....just have never seen a pic where one bent in the same way as mine did LOL

Oh no I was just saying that its a great cage and to beeef it up more would be a great idea.

I know you can do it well Bro.

 

[sweetdiesel]

hey sd...

ever see one bend like this LOL

this happened tonight

Hey that looked my cage after a day of bad jumps lol.

Well I got started on the braces today with the help of my brother. We reexamined the first idea and decided to go different route and eliminate a few of the spacer bars. With the new braces, there is no triangulation needed, it is built into the brace. I'd snap a few pics bt I'm dead dog tired right now. Tommorow we will drill and tap the mounting holes and be done with half of them. I think it will be much harder to have the twisting of the cage as seen by RP's pictures.

 

[sweetdiesel]

Progress Update:

I'm getting closer to finishing all four braces. Three have been cut and two have been drilled and tapped for mounting. I'll try to finish up this weekend with the fourth brace and clean everything up. So far I am having the time of my life learning the basics of machining.

The piece of stock on the left is for the front brace/body mount.

 

[Clintd]

with all that bracing, you're going to need a smallblock chevy to get that truck moving. :jk: . They look awsome. I despratly need a machine shop.

 

[olds97_lss]

Those look really good SD! I'll like to see the finished product!

 

[Diver6127]

Those things would look great after I get my hands on them and put on a mirror finish.

 

[PiErow]

Looks great. By the way i think he still has a small block chevy in there, colari.

 

[sweetdiesel]

Hey diver thanks for the offer, I think these braces will get bashed up during testing and be a waste of your work.

Some more updated pics, getting closer.....


test fitting

rear shot

rough cut of the front brace/body mount

I hope to finish these up by the weekend so I can take her out and test them out.

 

[jon2]

Dom when did you get those CF TVP's? Those are sweet looking!!! If they turn out good , lets talk price.!!

 

[sweetdiesel]

Dom when did you get those CF TVP's? Those are sweet looking!!!

I got the CF TVPs around December/January when Vertigo still had them for 59.99. I got tired of bending my stock ones. So far they are holding up great!

 

[sweetdiesel]

The front brace is ready to go. I decided to make brace that allows the use of the stock body mount for a weak point. I was going to go all aluminum but decided to make a hybrid because all aluminum was VERY heavy, it was unadjustable for different bodies, and having a weak point will be good since the front is going to take some major abuse. I'll be testing everything out this weekend to see if it holds up or makes matter worse!

Please pardon my use of non matching screws on the cage, I ran out of the stainless steel ones.