What type of top for YJ cage???

[Metalbender]

I am looking to put a top on my YJ roll cage, it has been damn cold and wet this winter.
I thought about cutting a windshield frame soft top rail and fastening it to the A pillar, but that would leave 4 to 6 inches of extra top material hanging over the sides.
Or should I weld or bolt a piece of aluminum, or steel over the top of the roll cage? I think a thin sheet of steel would rattle like hell.
The blue tarp sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KarlVP]

You could weld a piece of sheet metal to the cage. As long as it was welded in enough, it won't rattle.

Or you could go to an upholstry shop and have them make you a custom top.

 

[Hip]

i welded skin on my old cage and didnt rattle. sounded a little tin canish when the doors closed but totally doable.

 

[Not Jobless]

I'd vote for aluminum but it may be more work than just welding in steel.

 

[Metalbender]

I was thinking aluminum would be cool, I would need to weld in tabs bent the aluminum sheet and cut it to fit, not to mention the cost of a sheet of aluminum. I bet having a custom canvis top would be cheeper....

 

[79chevy39.5's]

i say bust out the sewwing machine and make a whole soft top/sides:stirpot:

 

[Metalbender]

I can weld, grind, torch, even run that thing in the house with the 4 burners on top, but I draw the line at that knot making finger poking piss me off to no fu**ing end sewing machine.

 

[KarlVP]

Steal a big road sign and rivet it to the top.

Preferrably a cool one that says "ROCKS" or Has a picture of a fire truck or something cool like that.

 

[Not Jobless]

I was thinking aluminum would be cool, I would need to weld in tabs bent the aluminum sheet and cut it to fit, not to mention the cost of a sheet of aluminum. I bet having a custom canvis top would be cheeper....

Canvas will not last if you wheel it.

 

[TTF Fabrication]

and sheet metal does?

 

[Hip]

my next top will be a sheet of aluminium bolted to tabs. its the side of a bread truck. i make take the part that says WONDER its aboput the right size.:clappy:

 

[79chevy39.5's]

well then give him the bread part

 

[Metalbender]

I think I like the idea of a bolt on top, how thick of material???

 

[bobracing]

Most I've seen have a piece of AL/ST pop rivited to the top. It's kinda of a bitch when rain runs down between the windshield and cage but still think it's the best way to go. There are some advantages to doing this, rollover protection, ties the cage together for strenght, top doesn't get ripped on trees, and a good place to sit at lunch. Ridden in quite a few Jeeps like this and it is quieter than a soft top.
If your worried about a "tin" sound, spray it with a bed liner.
As for thickness, seen everything from 18ga to .375, really not sure how he got that 3/8 to form fit correctly but did. Personally thinking that 1/8 AL would probably work the best.

 

[Metalbender]

I was also thinking possibly a .25" polycarbonate might be cool....

 

[Hip]

but would the poly carbonite fracture/crumble if you rolled over a rock?

i would go with metal either 20 ga steel or 1/8" aluminium.

you could always get a little bikini top to cover the gap between the windshield and the rollcagetop.


kinda like a little G string for your jeep.....

 

[Metalbender]

No, polycarbonate AKA Lexan is pretty much literally bullet proof. It would scratch like hell though, some of the pro rockcrawlers use polycarbonate side panels on their buggies…

 

[79chevy39.5's]

go with lexan youd have the biggest sun room ever:flipoff:

 

[Metalbender]

i would go with tinted gray P.C.

I just talked to Tacoma Plastic Supply a 4x8 sheet of .25" PC is $224.01
And Online Metals out of Seattle wants $224.75 for a 4x8 sheet of .125" aluminum. No cheeper to go with the pc.

 

[JOOP]

I need to figure out something for my cage too. My soft top is hanging on by fishing string.