Thread: Anyone in LA or MS area have a 1 3/4 tubing bender?

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I need a roll bar bent from some 1 3/4" .120 wall tubing. Just a single tube to width. I can do the finish work. I could probably rig something, but getting it done on a proper bender would be better. Anyone willing to help?

I am not close, nor do I have the bender but head to your local circle track guys, almost guaranteed they will have a bender and could bend it for you. I hope that helps. Matthyj

muffler shop ? .. most dont do mandrel bends but a 120 wall should not need a mandrel ...

Thanks for the replies.

I've lost track of the dirt trackers I used to know, but have been asking around. So far, no luck.

I tried once before to bend some .120 wall tubing on a muffler machine and it kinked in the bend. It may have been the machine or the operator. I don't know. Filling it with sand would most likely prevent this.

I do have a HF pipe bender. The sand trick might work with it, too, but since the dies are made for pipe and not tubing, the tube would most likely be scarred pretty bad.

Worst comes to worst, I'll jig it up on the table, fill it with sand and heat it with a torch. Probably take a lot of acetylene and oxygen, but it will work. This is a technique I've used on other projects for smaller tube. You can even make super tight bends like this, but it takes absolutely bone dry sand.

Considering it's intended use, I would rather not use heat, but that may be the only way for me to get it done. It is mild steel after all and shouldn't be effected much by heat.

will the roll bar have 2 90s or a couple of lessor bends around shoulder height and then more at top???? What c/l radius you looking for?

Jerry, I'm looking at a simple hoop with 2 90's. CLR around 6". Height would be high enough for head protection (slightly over headrest height), but low enough for top clearance. Due to a frame kick up, overall height of the bar itself will only be about 36-40". I will also add a cross bar for possible future harness attachment.

I'm going to have to add some small wheel tubs for tire clearance, so overall width will only be around 31".

can you use 1 5/8 x .083 chrome moly 4130? what is this for???

At most I'll use the car for an occasional informal track day or auto-X. This is just intended to be something more substantial than the convertible top bows in case the car did roll over. Also, it will give me a proper place to anchor some shoulder harnesses.

I have a removable hard top for the car and it's possible that no event would let me in without it being on. Although I seriously doubt it would give much additional protection. I may even be required to have a full cage for either type of event. In that case I would most likely do something bolt in, since I don't want a full cage for daily street cruising.

Since you have experience building race chassis, would 1 5/8" 4130 be enough for that? The car should weigh 2500-2800 lbs. Most as built small block cars go closer to 2500. I'm running an all aluminum engine, but I have added some additional steel to the chassis.

I may have gotten a break on this issue. I have a lead on a couple of guys that are doing NHRA cage work not far from me. I'll have to contact them and see what they recommend.