To keep the roll bar or not...

[NoCoWillys]

So I'm getting ready to start doing all the major body work and I've gotten a little stuck on pulling the roll bar off or keeping it. �It's just your standard loop behind the front seats with supports going to the wheel wells. �The PO added supports by putting huge carrige bolts through the side of the body that look hideous. �I'm not looking to do serious off roading with my 3a, so I'm not really concerned about tipping it over. �What do you guys think? �I'm leaning towards pulling it and going back to stock. �Now's the time to decide because once I paint, it's hard to go back and fill those large holes...

Thanks,

This is the best pic I have right now of the body and roll bar:

[NoCoWillys]

In case anybody is wondering, my jeep is the white one thats my avatar.  I swapped bodies when I bought it because the white body was 80% rusted away and this one was in great shape minus the bubba mods.

[F Bill]

All depends on if you can do a clean install without the carraige bolts, and if you plan on attending any events where a bar is mandatory. Some organized trail rides require that all jeeps have some sortof roll bar. WHich ones I am not sure right now, but I do rememebr not being able to go to a few as I had no roll bar.

[aboyandhisdog]

86 the roll bar!

[athawk11]

I had a similar set up. �I didn't own the Willys 30 minutes before I pulled mine off. �I'm pretty sure if I rolled the Willys, it would have been torn right off and I would have been crushed by it. �It was just bolted to the wheel wells, and not tied into the frame.

As Bill mentions, it depends on what you want to do with your Willys. �If you want to be authentic, lose it. �If you want to do some crazy trail rides, it might save your life.

Tim

[NoCoWillys]

Thanks for the reassurance that I'm not crazy to want to pull it.  I just hate the way it looks.  Crazy trail rides are for my monster Jeep anyways.  It goes!

[Quebec Jeep]

If the roll bar is not properly attached to the frame, it's useless. And it might be more dangerous because you will think that you are safe.

If the roll bar is attached correctly, then you might want to use safety belt as well.

I pulled mine off since it was bolted to the rear fender and I did remove the seat belt in the same time.

I prefer to get ejected if it roll.

[johnrb3b]

I will NOT drive without a seat belt.
But
I still haven't installed the roll bar that I've had in the garage for 2 or 3 years.

Even though the most common roll bar is merely bolted to the rear wheel housings, it is still better than using your head for the fulcrum in a rollover. If you're doing street driving, the most likely cause of a rollover would be being hit broadside by something bigger.

If you drive fast (45 or over) then you might roll over on a corner if you're not careful. A high speed rollover might tear off the roll bar so the issue turns into a crap shoot at that point.

I will eventually put the roll bar on so I can go off-road at the parks near Chicago. But only for that. I prefer to not have it most of the time since I do parades with my Dad.
https://jeeps-folbots-etc.epizy.com/jeep/parades/parades.html
A roll bar doesn't cut it for parades.

And if you remember, the famous Joe Kennedy Jeep rollover accident in 1973, that Jeep had a roll bar but the people were not wearing seat belts so one girl was paralyzed and David Kennedy badly hurt. Without the roll bar, maybe there would have been some deaths. But, mind you, that was a case totally determined by the stupidity of the driver, not the equipment in the Jeep.

[Carls_jeep]

When I bought my Jeep it had a roll bar just like yours. After inspecting it I realized it is worthless and is only to give a visual feeling of safety. In a roll over it would collapse and get in the way of getting out. Even it you weld cross bars to make an X in the bow it would still rip out of the fenders it's bolted to.

The only safe roll bar is one welded or bolted to the frame and that still depends on the thickness of the metal and how well it's manufactured.

I have kept the roll bar in case I go to a commercial trail ride park that requires one. They don't care if it is safe or not, they just want to see a roll bar.

[NoCoWillys]

johnrb3b,
Your Dad makes an impressive sight in your jeep!  A true hero!  

Yea, my roll bar is just bolted to the fenders and "reinforced" by being bolted through the side of the body.  It's ugly and no protection at all.  In my 90YJ I have a full cage that is tied into the frame.  I'm not planning on really wheeling this thing so I'm not worried of rolling it.  If I'm going fast enough to roll it on the street, I doubt the roll bar would help me anyways.  

[Gunslinger]

Its really up to you, if you hate it pullit, I use mine to mount my shoulder harness seat belt, not because I do crazy off road stuff, but it makes me feel a little safer on the city streets I drive.  And it makes my wife a little less worried.... your call.

[Bob W]

I think the fender mounted roll bars work far better than most people think. Usually we are not talking about a NASCAR crash with your old Jeep. I've been over on the side with only a fender mounted roll bar and so have some of my friends. They seem to hold up fine. Of course you do need a seat belt too.

[Jesse]

Might as well get rid of it, the thing will just tear off the tops of the fenders.

I put on a rollbar from a wrangler, which mounted to the frame through the floor. Cut those mounts off, bolted the front part to a beam that connects the two under the body and to the frame. In the back there are L bracket type things made from the same 2x4 beam that tie to the frame. Doesn't 'look right' but would probably be better than nothing in a crash.

-Jesse

[duffer]

I know this is an old thread, but I have done dynamic testing (55 mph) of a wheel well mounted roll bar and it passed the test just fine (Note, I can't recommend this type of dynamic testing).  As long as the tub sheet metal is in good condition and the bar is mounted with a back-up plate they will take a considerable load.  In my case, the body rails were bent down about 3" on both sides but there was no damage to the mounting and absolutely no deflection in the bar (still using it).

I do like the look of a Jeep without one, but I will also not drive one without roll-over protection (or belts).  And as noted above, trail use or not, it makes little difference.  IMO, you are most likely going to need it for the idiot in town that runs the stop sign/light.

[Ryan_M]

So what happened? Did you get hit and roll the Jeep?