****EDIT****

I didn't feel like leaving my original post up as the problem was solved and the roll cage was installed. There were several other issues when installing the cage, but River Raider was (generally) helpful to try and remedy the solution. Overall, I'm pleased with the way it turned out, even with the difficulties.

 

Hahaha. You should see what happened to a 2015 Ford F150 test truck. It caught fire on a highway in the desert and literally burned to the ground in minutes leaving a frame and pile of molten aluminum on the ground. Downside to aluminum in vehicles

I wouldn't say what you discovered is metal 101, but it is somewhat well known. I think it isn't an issue as most people aren't working with aluminum and steel.

 

IIRC isn't the dash support magnesium?

 

After seeing the fireball and debunking my ridiculous foam theory, that's what I first thought, it burned exactly like Mg. I couldn't find much on that topic, then found the whole steel aluminum thing which seems more reasonable. I don't know for sure though.

 

Magnesium powder can be very flammable as well. I remember making explosives with it back in high school.

http://www.mtrl.ubc.ca/faculty_&_sta...isc/mg_use.pdf

Jason

 

Yeah we messed with magnesium in high school as well and several older cars, mostly VWs IIRC, had magnesium components in the dash. Apparently they are safe from burning up like you and I recall due to an oxidation coating or something like that. I feel like if that support did have a significant amount of Mg then manufacturers would give some kind of warning when cutting or grinding it. Especially on a vehicle that's so widely modified like the JK.

Then again I'm also the person who thinks there should be a warning for the whole steel and aluminum thing, especially given the fact that the RR cage instructions call for you to grind out the aluminum, then go straight to installing the steel cage. Then again if you have the competency to install a weld in cage yourself you probably don't need to be given that warning, but when it comes to protecting yourself from liability I was always taught to assume the product user has no background knowledge at all.

Again, I cannot stress enough that I am NOT calling out River Raider for any reason. In fact the sole reason I have yet to contact them directly is because I know they played no part in all of this. If it was me I would like to hear about any potential issues relating to a product no matter how uncommon. If I don't end up hearing from them I'll contact them directly, but I'm not the kind of person to automatically blame the manufacturer for anything and everything. Unfortunately there are people out there who will pass the blame whenever possible, and giving RR a heads up is the right thing to do. I posted all of this because I couldn't find any threads of this happening to anyone else, and I'd gladly air out my vast stupidity on the forum if it meant potentially saving someone else's Jeep from getting accidentally torched.

 

Yeah, I'm sure this would have happened if you were trying to install any cage.

Never would have crossed my mind. But from now on when grinding and cutting, please have a nice abc extinguisher with ya haha

 

And the same thing would have happened to me. Haha

 

What you did is make yourself some home made Thermite by mixing the Aluminum with the steel.