so this summer i will be buying a cherokee. and for my high school senior project im going to design and build an exo cage for it, mainly because i like how they look but in the off chanced event that i roll (since im only going with a 3 inch lift on 31s i wont be doing super hardcore wheeling so i will most likely live) i want my jeep to be safe, and i guess it would be nice if i didnt get hurt either haha , i wanted to see some exos to help with my design also maybe some input on what i have already drawn, also if anyone knows where i could get a cheap bender that can bend 1.75" .120 wall hrew that would be awesome, or where i could get a decent cheap tubing notcher that would be great,

heres what i have








the drawings are a little bad because i did them with a photo editor on my phone.


also if this is posted in the wrong place or if its all jumbled and out of order sorry its kinda late and im just posting this right before i go to sleep

 

so you're going to add a ton of weight, time, and money that you'll never get any use out of? you're better off building some decent tube bumpers and some rock sliders if you like playing with a welder.

 

Agreed. Seems like a waste to me. My xj is currently sitting on a 2-2.5 inch lift. Budget lift. But will be going 3 shortly. I dont wheel often. And never rock climb or anything like that. So I wouldn't waste my time. Even just for looks its a huge waste. Just make 2 bumpers, rock sliders, and maybe a rear tire carrier. I think that would make way more sense. Even a roof rack would be cool as well.

 

An Hrew exo is retarded. One dent and it loses strength. If you do build it, you should use dom.

 

ANY tubing loses strength when it dents. Even soda cans, lol

 

EXACTLY.

 

I am sure HREW would be fine. My friend made his entire cage out of 1 1/4 schedule 40 pipe and he beats the living hell out of it and only one minor dent in the back rolling down a decent sized hill and no brakes into a tree. Even rolled it a few times with nothing but some scuffs.

 

A dented piece of dom is stronger than a dented piece of hrew. That's fact. Sure, hrew is probably fine for most people most of the time but when it comes to something that's supposed to keep me and the people on my rig alive when **** hits the fan I'm not gonna cheap out.

Even without a cage a stock xj will hold up in an easy rollover, I've seen it plenty of times. I'd rather have the piece of mind.

 

Personally I think jungle gym exos look tacky. Some nice roof sliders, and a top hat, with some a pillars that go through the front fender to some sliders looks nice, and is functional. Tie that into a well built inner cage and you are good.

but hey, if you like jungle gyms, then its your jeep!

 

Here's mine. I know the haters will say it needs more triangulation, needs more tie-ins, shouldn't be bolted through the floor, blah, blah, blah. This is my DD and this is a hell of a lot better than no cage at all. Pretty much what ktmracer is talking about I think. It's tied into the sliders at the front, 6 x 6 sandwich plates plates through the floor in 6 locations and ties in through the roof with sandwich plates as well. It's not a hardcore or go fast cage, but for what I do, which is moderate wheeling on the weekends and drive it home, it's plenty IMO. If I want to add triangulation inside or go full exo, I can add to what I already have. I've actually had non-Jeep types ask if it's stock, so I don't think looks "tacky" at all. My wife may disagree, but that's ok.

 

^^that's not half bad. I like that. Looks better with it just on the roof and around your windshield. It would still help in case of a roll over. Not sure how much but it looks like it would help a little. But I like it!

 

I like it A lot!!!!

 

yea after i looked around and did some more thinking (the idea was basically a last minute idea so i could turn i my project proposal) ive basically decided to go a whole different route and a 1000lbs of exo just is not in the plans, not to mention tube benders are expensive, as for my school project im just going to do bumpers and rock sliders, but for the rest of my build ive basically changed most of what i was planning due to the fact that i want to go do the rubicon trail this summer or next, and i dont think 3 inches and 31s are gonna cut it, so ive decided to go low COG on 33x12.5 r15 tires im not 100% sure if im going to do 3 inches or 4.5, anyone got pictures of 33s and 3" or 33s and 4.5''?

 

go to the cherokee chat section and check out the first thread

 

You can flop a rig on stock height and stock tires.

Ignoring safety isn't something I would suggest. Nor would I claim that safety equipmemt is a waste.

I am on a 3" lift and, if life hadn't interrupted, would be caged and hybrid exo'd.