Roll bars

[Terry Rust <trust@domain.elided>]

This was in someones post recently:
>I'm going to need a rollbar -- more for supporting a bikini top than for
>safety (my off-roading is *usually* pretty tame).  Suggestions?
Not to pick on anybody but having been over a few times (none while
wheeling ironically) I have a pet bruise when it comes to roll bars. NEVER
NEVER NEVER look at them as a place to mount a fire extinguisher, or a
shovel or a bikini mount, use them for those yes, but always after
considering their true purpose first, last and always. In other words,
conduit will hold up the top ok but it won't keep your Scout from turning
you into street pizza. Get a good quality, non chrome, roll bar (at least,
a cage would be better) and mount the thing properly to sound material in
the vehicle (this may sound intuitive but you'ld be amazed at some of the
stuff I've seen, muffler tubing isn't even in the top ten).

Rant mode off, Smittybilt makes one but if you don't live close to a large
supplier, the shipping will eat you alive on one. I was quoted over $300
for one in Albuquerque, about 100 for the bar and about 200 for shipping! I
found a good steel fabrication outfit, looked at their bending, and sat
down with their designer and sketched it up, $125 and it is larger diameter
tubing than Smitty, a larger mounting foot and offers more coverage than
anyone. I'm still working on the cage aspect of it, but now the top can
come off and the bikini on.