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Jk in a Cage...

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Old May 18, 2011 | 06:33 AM
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Default Jk in a Cage...

Ok, I'm gonna throw this out there...
I'm sure there has been a few posts about cages, but I'm just too lazy to search any more....
I have looked at many aftermarket designs from most of the manufacturers, from River Raider and OR Fab and others... I just want real world input from you guys here on the forum....

What brand did you go with? or did you custom make one??
Weld in or bolt in? or a little of both??
Are you happy with how it fit?
Was it super difficult to install?
Now that you have done it, would you go with something else??
Pics would be nice...

I am primarily looking at it from a safety standpoint rather than from a "looks" standpoint! I want something that is not real restrictive, not looking to put in a full, rock crawler style cage so as to still be able to use my back seat and stuff. But "IF" I should ever need to "test" the roll over strength of my roll bars, I want to know that my family and I have a good chance to walk away!!!
I hope I never find out, but you just never know!!!!
We all play at something that is potentially dangerous and we can all make mistakes when out wheeling!! And this is something that the little voice in my head keeps telling me!!! so I should maybe do it??!!

Thanks for the input....
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Old May 18, 2011 | 06:53 AM
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because most people use their jeeps as a daily driver, real world experience has shown me that a vast majority of people play cautiously and if they get into a situation where their jeeps goes over, it usually ends up being a flop on its side. for this, the factory roll bars are more than adequate. even for people who do play harder and end up on their lid or actually make a roll, i have still seen where the factory roll bars do a pretty good job of protecting the occupants. sure, the jeep may look real bad but, the important thing is that the occupants were okay. having said all that, any sport cage you install will offer more protection that what you already have and for that, i have a rock hard cage in my white jk and an or-fab cage in my orange one.

rock hard







or-fab





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Old May 18, 2011 | 08:23 AM
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Originally Posted by wayoflife
because most people use their jeeps as a daily driver, real world experience has shown me that a vast majority of people play cautiously and if they get into a situation where their jeeps goes over, it usually ends up being a flop on its side. for this, the factory roll bars are more than adequate. even for people who do play harder and end up on their lid or actually make a roll, i have still seen where the factory roll bars do a pretty good job of protecting the occupants. sure, the jeep may look real bad but, the important thing is that the occupants were okay. having said all that, any sport cage you install will offer more protection that what you already have and for that, i have a rock hard cage in my white jk and an or-fab cage in my orange one.

rock hard







or-fab





How are these with the hard top?
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Old May 18, 2011 | 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by JKred
How are these with the hard top?
perfectly fine. it's the soft tops that can give you a bit of grief. with the rock hard cage, you will need to trim your front door surrounds a bit to make them work and on the or-fab cage, you need have everything lined up just right.
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Old May 18, 2011 | 08:45 AM
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Thanks WOL...
Out of the two, which one do you think works/fits the best?

I think I like the idea of the OR Fab unit going all the way down to the floor.
Seems like it would be just a little stronger and better support.

How long did it take to install both of these?
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Old May 18, 2011 | 08:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Dex1
Thanks WOL...
Out of the two, which one do you think works/fits the best?

I think I like the idea of the OR Fab unit going all the way down to the floor.
Seems like it would be just a little stronger and better support.

How long did it take to install both of these?
to be completely honest, neither fit "perfectly" especially along the sides of the dash. i could be wrong but, it seems to me that with a little more effort, something could have been done to make the door supports fit more cleanly here.

as far as install goes, the rock hard was definitely easier to install - maybe took me a day including pics and taking notes. the or-fab took me a full two days but, i was able to get it with floor mounts and the finished look is less bulky.

Last edited by wayoflife; May 18, 2011 at 08:52 AM.
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Old May 18, 2011 | 08:56 AM
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I have the OR-Fab with the floor kit.

Attachment 161811
Attachment 161814
Attachment 161812
Attachment 161813

It took me a little bit of time, but I did the install 100% by myself (and I am by no means a seasoned wrench.) I am very happy with the cage and, while I certainly hope to never use it, I am confident that it should provide me and my family significantly more protection over stock. As for my hartop, so far I have had no issues with leaks or wind noise and I have been through some decent rain and several commercial carwashes.

Having never seen the rockhard cage in person, I can't offer you a comparison.

Last edited by Sharkey; May 18, 2011 at 09:00 AM.
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Old May 18, 2011 | 01:02 PM
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I've never noticed, but from the pictures it looks like the Rock Hard does not replace the front roll bar and the OR-Fab does. For the OR-Fab do you have to drill holes for your soft top surrounds?
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Old May 18, 2011 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Sharkey
I have the OR-Fab with the floor kit.

It took me a little bit of time, but I did the install 100% by myself (and I am by no means a seasoned wrench.) I am very happy with the cage and, while I certainly hope to never use it, I am confident that it should provide me and my family significantly more protection over stock. As for my hartop, so far I have had no issues with leaks or wind noise and I have been through some decent rain and several commercial carwashes.

Having never seen the rockhard cage in person, I can't offer you a comparison.
i so wish i had talked to you before installing mine - would have save me some headaches

Originally Posted by TheKid25
I've never noticed, but from the pictures it looks like the Rock Hard does not replace the front roll bar and the OR-Fab does. For the OR-Fab do you have to drill holes for your soft top surrounds?
you are correct, the rock hard does not replace the windshield support bars but rather incorporates their cage onto it. the or-fab replaces them. you do not need to drill holes for your soft top surrounds.
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Old May 19, 2011 | 03:43 AM
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Thanks all... the input is valuable when it comes from actual use of a product, and not just an opinion...
I will continue to look at these two products along with some others, I intend to do an install some time yet this year, I just need to decide which way to go...
Thanks again...
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