I am looking to get an external roll cage fabbed by a local shop for my 109 3-door similar to the Safety Devices L190 cage in the pictures below. I like the idea of having an external cage to allow a roof rack with a soft top at some point in the future, and so am kind of set on the external cage as opposed to an internal one. (Plus I could still put the pickup top back on and have the cage plus a roof rack even though I am not likely to run around in that config.) Otherwise I would be looking at an internal one which has advantages such as being able to have the shop add shoulder seat belt mounts instead of having to come up with other ways to do that especially with the soft top.
The question is, which top should I put on when it goes to the offroad shop? Which one, canvas vs. tropical, is taller? If I fit the taller one while the cage is made, then the cage should then give enough room for the other top. (It is indeed a tropical top.)
Then there is the question of how much extra space should I have the shop build in to give me a bit of room for changing tops? Taking off the tropical top would seem to require less space - just unbolt the roof and it should slide out the back w/o any extra height being required, and the side panels should come out easily after that. Fitting the canvas top would seem to need a bit more space between the cage above and the hoop set below. But how much? Would an extra 2" of clearance do it? Less? More? Trying to visualize the install of the canvas top (I am working with Les to buy one) and looking at the videos everyone posted in that the top install thread, I am guessing that a determined person could get the canvas to slide over the hoops without a whole lot of clearance. I don't intend on switching tops very often, maybe once or twice a year, so would be willing to trade off a little extra hassle in favor of a closer fit so it doesn't get too tall.
Any recommendations on things to watch out for with a soft top such as clearance to the cage bar that goes at the top of the wind screen, i.e.- to clear the front canvas fasteners? I am not sure if the windscreen could be folded down with that bar where it is in this SD design, but that would be another consideration. I don't see doing that really (without wearing goggles but as long as I am thinking this through might as well be thorough...
Or any thoughts on the B pillar of the cage, to clear the canvas attachment bits there in order to make it easier to roll up the canvas side panels? Or move the horizontal bar upwards an inch or two higher above the bed cappings to make it easier to roll up the side canvas panels?
While the Safety Devices bolt-in cage below could have various bars unbolted to make top swapping easier, I am hoping thinking these sorts of things through now can make that unnecessary or at least only necessary for a full top swap out (i.e.- not needed for rolling up the canvas sides).
The question is, which top should I put on when it goes to the offroad shop? Which one, canvas vs. tropical, is taller? If I fit the taller one while the cage is made, then the cage should then give enough room for the other top. (It is indeed a tropical top.)
Then there is the question of how much extra space should I have the shop build in to give me a bit of room for changing tops? Taking off the tropical top would seem to require less space - just unbolt the roof and it should slide out the back w/o any extra height being required, and the side panels should come out easily after that. Fitting the canvas top would seem to need a bit more space between the cage above and the hoop set below. But how much? Would an extra 2" of clearance do it? Less? More? Trying to visualize the install of the canvas top (I am working with Les to buy one) and looking at the videos everyone posted in that the top install thread, I am guessing that a determined person could get the canvas to slide over the hoops without a whole lot of clearance. I don't intend on switching tops very often, maybe once or twice a year, so would be willing to trade off a little extra hassle in favor of a closer fit so it doesn't get too tall.
Any recommendations on things to watch out for with a soft top such as clearance to the cage bar that goes at the top of the wind screen, i.e.- to clear the front canvas fasteners? I am not sure if the windscreen could be folded down with that bar where it is in this SD design, but that would be another consideration. I don't see doing that really (without wearing goggles but as long as I am thinking this through might as well be thorough...
Or any thoughts on the B pillar of the cage, to clear the canvas attachment bits there in order to make it easier to roll up the canvas side panels? Or move the horizontal bar upwards an inch or two higher above the bed cappings to make it easier to roll up the side canvas panels?
While the Safety Devices bolt-in cage below could have various bars unbolted to make top swapping easier, I am hoping thinking these sorts of things through now can make that unnecessary or at least only necessary for a full top swap out (i.e.- not needed for rolling up the canvas sides).
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