I’m glad you guys talked about exo cages. I’ve hated them since the moment I saw one. Ian nailed it explaining it, as always!

@callmesomething1425

Жыл бұрын

A well planned hybrid cage works well, but like Ian said if you can't weld the whole way around its only half of a roll cage. You have to make it removable to insure you get it good enough to bet your life on.

@TrailTime.

Жыл бұрын

I hear the argument, I just feel that too many EXO cages are done because of either laziness or lack of skill. Of course, there’s reasons to have bars outside of the body I.E. rock rails. But the moment somebody makes the decision to run bars outside they go overboard 90% of the time and think it’s going to do them good

@KevinHalliburton

Жыл бұрын

Yes!

@christopherhiggins5409

Жыл бұрын

Xo cages are the worst. I agree completely. You can even take a solid nice looking truck and totally ruin it with one of those things

@DirtDogGarage

Жыл бұрын

​@@callmesomething1425 wouldn't it be easier to weld all the way around an exo. Tac all together remove weld all around and re install. Just my opinion but if u had let's say a ranger unless u can drop the cage through the floor u won't be able to weld against the cab either. In this video it's easy for him to build this cage because there is no top. But an actual internal cage in a truck is much harder to weld all the way. Plus he talks about head clearance. A ranger has a much shorter roof than that sami unless ur sitting on the floor.

I'm surprised more people don't wear mountain bike helmets to protect there heads from the cage incase of a rollover.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

I'm going to keep helmets in this zuk for sure. I won't need them 99% of the time but on real sketchy stuff I want to keep one near by

@tacotots_132

Жыл бұрын

It’s fairly common with dedicated rock buggy’s and such!

@nicholascooper1193

Жыл бұрын

I like skateboard helmets. less bulky and goober looking than a mtn bike helmet

@betoborba3329

Жыл бұрын

Open face helmets like the ones for rally cars our trail bikes work really good! That’s what I use on my utv on slow ride’s our any type of crawling! You are able to see all around with some fairly good proration!

@punk46664

Жыл бұрын

I have a Bell one piece full face mtb helmet. Weighs less than a kilo but still certified.

Honest opinion: I wasn’t very interested at the beginning of this build because I’m not much of a samurai fan. But as the videos went along, I found myself heavily invested in this series now and I’m loving how this is turning out. Great video!

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Understandable 👍. I'm glad you can enjoy the videos even though you aren't a zuk fan. I try to make these builds interesting to anyone! But it's tough...

@josiahdegroot5341

Жыл бұрын

I felt the same way, learning lots but wasn’t super into dedicated rock crawlers. Now I’m in it to win it

@afarmer1062

Жыл бұрын

Why not tie the seats in to the cage? Kinda threw me for a loop after you talked about ultra 4 spec several times.

@roachwerks3043

Жыл бұрын

I can 2nd this. Nate really knows how to put a vehicle together

I dont get out of bed until 10:55 on sundays just because I dont want to do anything until I watch the new DL video, this is my church service haha

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Lol thanks brother

Safety first! It's priority. I have built a couple monster trucks, and followed feld racing specs. Same thing you did, just different side. Lol. But egos have to go. Can't stand someone with a foolish ego. Great job and explanation! Love this video.

@mikemorgan4670

Жыл бұрын

Awesome video Dude. Hectic and productive, really fun to watch.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, man! Unfortunately, many people think they know better. Especially if they are a recreational user and never have to pass tech inspection. But these details are life and death! Hopefully, this video will point people in the right direction.

@MooreFabWorks

Жыл бұрын

@@DirtLifestyle for sure! I'd rather someone tell me I put a tube in a wrong spot than someone get injured or worse. I'm glad you said what you said.

I chuckle every time I see the Bender sticker on your tubing bender!

Dude how much of a dream come true is it to for one to be able to call Ian your friend and two have is whole knowlage base at the end of a phone call. Green with envy lol

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

I'm very fortunate 🙌

Exo cage or internal cage. They can both be properly done or poorly done. A properly done XO cage can protect you and your glass. A properly done internal cage will protect you but your windows and even door function are at the mercy of the trail. Just me thinking out loud. Thumbs up to Nate and Ian thank you for being great ambassadors for our sport.

Loving all the folks coming into the shop to lend a hand. It's great to see you delegate some of the work and see new faces. Great stuff as always, Nate! Thanks for always keeping safety in focus.

Amazing work! I really look forward to these episodes. Listing to you explain how and more importantly why your building things at every stage is a great value to your subscribers. Thanks for these.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man! I appreciate the positive comment 🙌

I love David's tercel and suburban cool to see you bring in other bad ass builders.

As someone who was rolled off the highway in a TJ at 75 courtesy of a wrong way drunk driver, I appreciate your attention to detail with the roll cage. My TJ roll cage was tweaked sideways but still saved my life!

@OntarioFreshwaterFishing

5 ай бұрын

I rolled a TJ with the factory sport bar and snapped the main hoop right above my head, folded both rear bars over and the windshield ended up flush with the dash. The TJ factory bar is absolute garbage

FINALLY someone with a known voice is saying what I have been saying for YEARS!!! Ive done a ton of different racing, Ive seen a ton of shitty cage designs, bad welds, people not fitting properly inside cages or belts etc..Improper design and set up can literally kill you. The most stringent tech Ive ever dealt with has been the SCTA..When it comes to land speed racing, those people DO NOT mess around.

Watching you draw your layout on the shop floor brought back a memory. Many years ago I had done the same thing. I was in the Navy at the time and had to take a little sea cruise. While I was gone the wife decided to help and she cleaned the floor. Thankfully I had written down my measurements in my notebook

Nate, I know you harped a lot on how your Zuk's cage isn't going to be "the best looking", but man, I think the thing looks PHENOMINAL. lol Great job!

Very glad to hear you promoting the building of fit for purpose cages.

“Because Pretty Ain’t Tough!” D&C Extreme, Colorado Springs, CO.

Nobody's chiming in on Ivan Stewart's super offroad challenge arcade machine in Ian's back ground. Best arcade game ever!! Dude.

Amazing work! Well thought out nate. Always cool watching a local fabricate!

I love the fact we both live in Washington. It’s nice to feel like we could run into each other one day

Cage is looking awesome! Those struggles of indecisiveness are signs of a true craftsman and someone that takes real pride in their work and understands that shortcuts are flaws.

Nate, you have taught me more than you ever understand. Given me inspiration to tackle a driveway build myself and I still have so much to learn, but I am no longer waiting. Thanks for all the great videos, keep up the good work my friend.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man!

Thank you for sharing.

Dave's going to join you. I follow him in KZread and he's an amazing fabricator.

@WillometMotorFab

Жыл бұрын

I don't know about amazing, but I've ruined enough stuff to know how to generally avoid it.

Can you add the high density foam rollbar padding in areas where your head and legs may contact the roll cage. They have the half circle stick on foam.

Nate, we must both be using the same royalty-free music platform because I swear every time I release a video, yours comes out with the same songs! Of course yours are much better, but always cracks me up. As always, awesome video dude.

Lol, "go to Google", opens Bing. Loving this build though.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Lol

Screemon Deemon Fab. I have watched several videos of yours.. You Have to admit lots of envy and respect for your skill. I am working on my first build You, Ian and the late Jesse Combs have been helpful from the beginning. Thanks for the well explained and samples of the work.

Build is really coming along Nate! This is a really fun series!

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man!

This is where I’ll chime in. Having a vehicle with a “hybrid” cage. It’s the strongest and best choice of cages. Especially for a unibody vehicle. For many reasons. 1. The cage is physically welded to the body of the vehicle where it goes through the roof, so the cage and body combine to become a even more rigid structure. 2. You have way more interior head clearance for safety 3 you get to maintain a mostly stock interior 4 in the event of a rollover you don’t smash up the body of the vehicle. Important on a unibody because that’s not something you can easily replace

Love the updates on this beautiful build. I can’t wait to see it finished

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

A tip for using the bender too...measure the ram extension when making your bends, don't base your measurements of the degree dial, it's wildly inaccurate and inconsistent if trying to repeat bends to be symmetrical

Wow waiting for this vid all morning

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

I'm honored and I hope you enjoyed it 👍

It’s really looking great….the balance of performance and eye candy is great!! 👍🏻. As always awesome video. Having Dave there is awesome….I miss his fabrication videos

@WillometMotorFab

Жыл бұрын

Hey Paul. There's a freshie on the channel, with more in the hopper.

@PaulKaiser42

Жыл бұрын

@@WillometMotorFab that’s outstanding

Samurai's coming along great!!!

Fast back was definitely the way to go .

Nate, your show absolutely rocks. I watch it all the time. I was wondering, would you ever be able to do a video on how to design a off-road suspension as in how to design a three link or a four-link?.... Keep up the good work man. I've learned so much from your channel and I can't wait to see the end of the Suzuki build... Higgi from North Carolina

Really liked the dive into the roll cage spec. I've always wondered how people knew what to build.

Congrats on SEMA! Learned a lot about exo-cages, makes sense now. 😬👍🇨🇦

Holy good info here!!! I ❣Love the cage info and your cage advice!

I'm in for this series!

This is probably my favorite tube work project you’ve ever had on the channel. And seeing david was a nice surprise, I’ve been following his burb build pretty much since he started KZread. Great super underrated channel in its own right

sammy is looking good cant wait to see it done but Im also enjoying the videos between now and then

Hi Nate, I am enjoying your practical approach and how you strive to do it right or look for info to help get there. You share valuable advice. Thank you.

I have a partial exo cage on my 85 4runner around the cab. The A pillers punch through the front fenders and tie into the sliders. Not ideal, I have thought about adding another tube to tie them into the frame as well. Then I have the exo B pillar that is welded to the slider. Then I have a bed rub rail running from the B piller back to to tail lights. Its bolted into the very back corner. But has 3 welded tie in points with holes through the body. I added an internal B hoop which is bolted through the body, and attached to the frame. The internal B pillar hoop is then tied into the factory cage. The rub rails are attached to the internal B piller, and 2 points on the factory cage. The exo is also pretty tight to the body. The main point of my exo to keep from cracking my windshield against a tree, or denting the cab around the door frames.

@wesc4054

Жыл бұрын

Right on, I have an 85 4Runner as well! Your hybrid sounds pretty close to what I would ideally go for, but I would absolutely add tie ins back to the frame. What are you doing for cross bars? I was thinking if I did this I would add a diagonal from behind the driver b pillar to the passenger floor to triangulate somewhere thru the pop top window.

Job well done as always. Also really love that you are bringing in your friends to help with this build, that’s way cool!

Thanks for doing this. I think your videos are making the industry better and safer.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks brother, I appreciate it!

Cage looks killer.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks dude!

That cage is wicked! A suggestion for the upper support off the seatbelt bar...mimic the lower arch. I'm really enjoying the collaborations and awesome fab work. Ill be patiently waiting for next weeks video. 👍

Nate, Around the 2:26 mark you show a pic of a BMW cage I built. This cage is extremely well engineered and fabricated. Those gussets are fabricated on top of 1.75"x.095 DOM, the tubing legal for the weight of the car in SCCA cage specs. You took a single pic(actually stolen from my social media without credit) not showing the rest of the cage in its complete state. These gussets were used by BMW for many model iterations as they raced cars in the 2000's, including this chassis, an E46. Time for you to also learn!

21:25 thank you for immediately answering the first question that popped into my head seeing that. Looks beautiful, cant wait to see the end result!!!

The cage looks great so far and structurally very sound.

Amazing looking cage and design. Love it.

Great looking and functional cage.

I have see exocages for Jeep Cherokee xj. The supports go through the body but, give you head room inside. They look good but, holes in the roof. Great information in this video.

SFI roll cage padding is a must for anything that you can touch.

The info you and Ian from #bigtiregarage had about EXO cages, you two made some valid points and I dont think I will doing a EXO anymore on my ZJ. Thanks for the info!!

Your videos give me the motivation, after a long week, to get out and work on my rig. Thank you Nate, you are an inspiration to myself and others. Keep up the great work.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Good! Get out there and build!

Another OUTSTANDING video Nate!

My Grandfather used to always say, "Overkill is underrated!"

Loving this Suzuki build. Thanks for the great content…!!!

I had to laugh with you lamenting over function vs beauty especially, after seeing the really cool cage you've created. You definitely have a very creative side. On many of your videos you speak of designing as you go. I am the same way. I hardly ever draw something out. Granted, I've made some turds but that's half the fun. Further, I'm a "functional is beautiful " kind of guy anyway so many times, my stuff looks so plain Jane. You've definitely inspired me to raise my game.

Thank you Nate. You given me a new perspective on roll cages. Thing I thought I knew I really didn't . I think this was one of your best videos. Safety first! Keep up the good work 👍

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, man. I'm glad you enjoyed it 👊

Your fab skills are unreal. You really do need to open a fab shop

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! We are working on opening a shop later this year. Lots of details need to be ironed out but it's a big goal for me in 2023 👍

The cage looks Rad!! Great job. Everything is coming along very nicely!! Can't wait till next week!

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Have you ever thought of doing a podcast? Having all these people come on and other KZreadrs would be a good listen

Awesome video!!

Absolutely love your channel and as always eagerly await your next episode.Kind regards from Swakopmund, Namibia......which is where you would a ton of fun in the dunes with this build.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Namibia might go on the list of places to visit 👍

Structural, I agree now and a exo cage for me would be more or a rub rail then for a serious roll over. You and Ian made perfect points about roll cage and exo cage

Great job

I don’t know squat. But if you’re going to have an exocage, might as well forgo the body and go for the full tube frame and no body.

That was a great video. Very informative about cages. Great to see Ian involved in the build for sure even if he was just on a vid call. Keep up the great work .R

Please be informed as you get the aluminum body blasted. Blasting aluminum with media that has previously blasted steel can lead to corrosion issues in the aluminum. The microscopic pieces of steel will embed themselves in the aluminum. This can cause severe galvanic corrosion. Keep up the AWESOME work!!

It’s looking pretty darn cool

I have followed you for a few years now and to see your skill improve and evolve is impressive to say the least. Dave is a great guy and also a impressive fabricator. I have a 1ton Suburban that I have started to do some fab work on like bumpers and a roof rack. I’m not building a full on crawler but just a fun trail rig/ tow pig for my wife’s TJ. Keep up the great work Nate. I’m loving the collaboration with other channels

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the continued support, my friend 👊

Looking good!!!

I love this! As a fabricator who builds Formula Drift Spec cages, its very important to follow the rules.

Really enjoyed the exo cage discussion! I built a full cage into my Samurai, but now plan on removing the rear tub and rebuilding it with tube. Thinking about merging a tube rear tub into the interior cage. Weight is always a concern too with my setup as I currently sit about 2700 lbs which is heavier than I want. Love the progress!

I’ve work Nate! The build is looking excellent! I can’t wait to see it finished! 👍👍

I think vehicles like the land rover defender are probably the only exo style cage that can get approval and work. They get to the chassis via the "shoulder" of the body so overall width isn't increased and on a 90 pickup you can have the 6 points of contact and triangulation required via the windscreen hoop, behind cab hoop and rear stays.

Like the attention to detail regarding the rules. I've done a couple of 24hr of lemons cages and their rule book is super easy to understand and is quite safe. I'd double check your harness angle behind the seat. Looks a little steep.

The bender sticker is perfect lmao

Love where you went with the cage design and how well thought-out and purpose built it is. One point I want to address is DOM tubing IS a welded tube. It starts life exactly like HREW and CREW, then is drawn over [a] mandrel (DOM). True seamless tubing is pretty uncommon for typical fabrication work.

I always liked the look of a exo cage on a xj for example.

If you are building a land cruiser later in the year rather then an exo cage why don’t you do more of an Australian style barwork setup with front and rear scrub bars tied in to the front and rear bumpers and if your keen a set of roof sliders to protect the roof from rubbing against trees? Looks good and protects the vehicle well enough during hard wheeling. Cheers mate love the videos!

Awesome content as always

That top center bar will also solve the sagging soft top issue. Had a couple Samurai and we were using CJ7 bikini tops for a little more length/shade than a Samurai specific one.

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

That was something I wish I had explained lol. After many years of jeep ownership I knew a little extra softop support in the center would be a good idea

Ohhh so pretty!

This was a killer episode!

Been watching your build video's and it's looking good. Your discussion about whether or not you would bump your helmet into the vertical side hoop I have a suggestion you may have already thought of. Look at road racing seats. Besides lower side bolsters they also have wrap around shoulder bolsters. And these come in many degrees of wrapping. Once strapped in with a full harness the these bolsters help hold your upper torso in the center of the seat along with your head. Maybe you use your current seats for SEMA and true race seat for your rock crawling. Just a thought.

I like it .

You should check out a custom column for that thing - there’s a company here that makes them. Flaming River Industries. I do not work for them, and am not paid by them. They just make some really high end food quality columns. It would look awesome in that thing!! Great work so far man. Really love watching build progress videos like this.

Love this build man, I’m excited for the completed rig

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

the cage is looking great so far Nate!

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Just a comment on the cage rules you referenced. Last time I looked at the book a full frame vehicle as per NHRA can only have the main hoop land on the body if there are diagonal bars going directly to the chassis as well. I always thought this was an odd rule until I began running into the circumstance this was exactly written for simply because that limit the bend amount in a main hoop.

Yay!!

Ya I agree, ixnay on the exo.

Lots of good points. I personally will do a hybrid with some rub bars. I'm not scared about dilling holes. 😄

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Hybrid is the only way I would run an exo 👍. The hydrid cages are a nice compromise for unibody rigs, and I think they have some big benefits.

Great vid

@DirtLifestyle

Жыл бұрын

Thanks 👊

Seeing your cage and having our European cages in mind, yours looks overly complicated, the tubes in the section under the B pillar doesn't seem to make much sense and the "cross" to the C pillar points seems to overly complicated as well but I keep on watching and I'm curious to see it finished! Great build anyway and no judgment!