Bending roll bar/cage tubing at home?

pcf_mark

pcf_mark

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Has anyone bent roll bar/roll cage material (1 5/8, .130 wall mild steel) at home? What have you used to do this? I am considering building a custom 6 point, building real seat mounts under the floor and adding a fuel cell in a cage.

Any suggestions?
 
I know that any tubing to pass a tech inspection has to be stronger than dirt, and so you need a really good Mandrel bender, not just a exhaust tube bender to make it work right...the machine a hotrod shop near by used to use for that fab work was very powerful....at the time welds didn't have to be xray'd....

:smash:
 
Yellow73SB said:
Some people have had luck with this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-5-8-Tubing-Bender-Tube-Bender-SandRail-Prerunner_W0QQitemZ160322610515QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Automotive_Tools?hash=item160322610515&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

I used a pro tools 105 because thats what my shop neighbor had.

I think it would be .120 wall not .13


http://www.vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2243
Click to expand...

will that enable full tech inspection for NHRA or SCCA, or even NASCAR?? I think they all have basically the same standards, but unsure about that....

:gurney:
 
Thats seem like an inexpensive solution for sure! The 7" radius is a little tough but I guess going smaller it would kink the tubing. I am hoping to squeeze the bars very close to the interior panels verus the generic fit you see.

Anyone else have any tools they want to share?

Thanks

FYI - I picked .130 wall tubing because the mill varaince for .120 wall is .116 - .128 and it can fail inspection...
 
Yellow73SB said:
Garys 68 said:
As with most things from HF, might be worth trying if you're only going to use it once or twice.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32888
Click to expand...

Never use one of these for a roll cage

As for the radius, every 1 5/8 die will have a 6" or 7" radius, I didn't have a problem with it.
Click to expand...

Yellow is correct, that is not a MANDREL bender, just something for exhaust systems, unless you think pipes are pretty, like TT.....:bounce:
 
Sorry dont know much about benders, never used one. Is the HF more likely to kink it, or is 12 ton just not enough pressure.
 
This is cool! I bet I could make one of those...

The kinks are when the mandrel is not used or follows the tubing insufficiently to control the shape.
 
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