• bondo
  • Rookie Driver
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  • From: Philadelphia area
  • Registered: 2013-08-12
  • Posts: 12

Topic: What bender for roll cage tubing?

The rules specifically say that the Harbor Freight benders are not up to the task of creating a suitable bend, so my question is this:
What are teams really using to bend bars when fabricating roll cages? I know, these are supposed to be professionally fabricated, but I also know that most teams find ways to save money when they can. Any of you who make your own cages, please share what works or doesn't work for you.
I can cut and fit and weld well enough, and I've added door bars and a dash bar to the cage I have now. I'm doing a new build, and I'd like to be able to bend the hoops myself as well to be able to control the fit, etc., but not if it means shelling out thousands for equipment.
Has anyone used the Speedway hydraulic bender? Are any of the manual tyoes up to it? Figuring on 1.75" x .120".

I appreciate any input. Cheers.

bondo's Website

  • Registered: 2015-09-29
  • Posts: 78

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

I borrowed a JD 2 to bend 1.75x0.120 and it worked great. Also there is software called Bendtech 3D (I think) that was super useful.  Had to get familiar with the program, but then it was a great tool for making the calculations and layout before compound bends.

Have fun

Tri-Lamb Motorsports ‘87 528e
  • From: Elverson, PA
  • Registered: 2017-08-15
  • Posts: 1,124

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

S&W is off PA724 in Spring City - just sayin'.

  • From: Greenville, TX
  • Registered: 2009-09-11
  • Posts: 169

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

I have a bender that's the same concept as the Speedway one that I've used with good results.  The die was ordered for that Speedway bender, but the frame is a beefier C channel structure I came upon while scrapping steel over a summer in college.  I've had a number of engineering friends comment on the good quality of the bends.

The number of shops that have good Youtube content for roll cage work has really increased, and should make for good reference without needing to buy software.  I wish I'd had the Urchfab video prior to me tackling my cage. 

It might be the fact that my bender has me limited in sizing, but I'm really considering the JD^2 at this point.  You can definitely get by with the speedway version and it's rather standalone.  I've gotten by with the cast die so far, but I worry about it breaking and I'm thinking the little extra investment in the better JD^2 die is worth it at this point.

Plain Jane '86 BMW 535i - Current
RIP People's Elbowed Protege - 2010
  • From: Newport News, VA
  • Registered: 2015-12-23
  • Posts: 620

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

By the time you add in dies, the jd^2 isn't much cheaper than a rogue fab m600 kit with a die. Add air over hydraulic, and it's basically the same.

Plus it doesn't have to be bolted down, and bends up rather than to the side.

Just get the 1.75 die included, and you can build cages for almost anything.

That guy
  • From: Chicago
  • Registered: 2013-08-27
  • Posts: 57

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

Check out the benders at Affordable Bender.   More than Harbor Freight but still in lemon racer price range.  From what I've see online (videos etc) they appear handle up to 2" DOM quite nicely.  No personal experience yet.

Multiple Entries - Best Finish CMP Fall 2017 - 9th Overall - 1993 BMW 325
Lemons cars: 1983 VW Rabbit, 1993 BMW 325, 1988 BMW 325e
  • -SDR-
  • Ripened Lemon
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  • From: CT
  • Registered: 2015-10-06
  • Posts: 282

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

In the past I have done my own bending, using borrowed benders, and it worked well every time. I have thought about getting my own bender, and a maybe a much better one too.  Looking at the cost, and not knowing how many cages I would build, because I only build them for my cars, I decided just to buy a custom pre bent kit. After making that decision I have purchased two cages from RCC and will again.  I took VERY detailed measurements, like anyone would if building their own cage anyway  gave them to Jim and I have gotten cages from him that are as good if not better than the ones I did from scratch.  Everything fit as needed with minimal fitting.  Its ALL in the measurements.   All that said, I agree there is something to be said for being able to do everything yourself, exactly when you want to, so there are some drawbacks of ordering kits.


Bill

2020 I.O.E. CT #36 The Rootes Of All Evil,1958 Sunbeam Rapier Convertible (YES 1958!!) & 2019 Judges Choice NJMP
2016 Thompson Speedway #36 Sabrina Duncan's Revenge, IOE Trophy, 5th Place 'C' Class 1977 Ford Pinto
2009 Stafford Motor Speedway #16 Team Teflon, 11th Place (overall) 1997 Saturn SL2

8 Reply by chaase (edited by chaase 2020-11-13 02:41 PM)

  • chaase
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
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  • From: East Meadow, NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,553

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

-SDR- wrote:

.  Its ALL in the measurements. 
Bill

/agree

If you are meticulous with your measuring, a pre-bent cage is a great option. I doesn't cost much more than the cost of the steel. We've done it both ways and the pre-bent cage was much faster to get done.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

chaase wrote:
-SDR- wrote:

.  Its ALL in the measurements. 
Bill

/agree

If you are meticulous with your measuring, a pre-bent cage is a great option. I doesn't cost much more than the cost of the steel. We've done it both ways and the pre-bent cage was much faster to get done.

All but our first two cages have been done this way and I own a JD2 clone bender.  Depending on what shipping is each time it is about $75-100 more than our price (low volume) for 1 3/4" DOM and 1/8" plate.

10 Reply by Mulry (edited by Mulry 2020-11-17 12:48 PM)

  • Mulry
  • Mulry
  • Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rollah
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  • From: Dallas, TX
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 4,607

Re: What bender for roll cage tubing?

We have a JD2 Model 3 (discontinued) and have been very happy with it. For portability sake we mounted it on a wheeled base and installed and air-over-hydraulic ram using the attachment kit from SWAG. I've built cages where I bent them by hand and now several with the hydraulic ram and it's much easier to get the bend to the correct angle with the ram. I think it's hard to beat the prefab kits if you have a car where you can find one of those, we haven't had that experience yet. That said, if you're looking to do your first cage and you don't have an engineer on your team, it will be a lot easier to pass tech if you are able to adapt a prefab cage rather than creating one from scratch. Good luck.

PS here's the current version of our bender: https://www.jd2.com/model-32-tube-bender-manual
and the SWAG air-over-hydraulic kit: https://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-Formed … _p_53.html

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

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