Leave it to the sleazy lawyers to throw a wrench in the works. Without those suite-wearing leeches we'd be able to tell you all about Poly Performance's sweet TJ rollcage kit. But since a company has to negotiate a mine field of testing, certification, and anal probing before it can "legally" claim to offer a rollcage, we'll instead introduce you to Poly Performance's new TJ Sport Cage. You read between the lines.
Regardless of the legalese mumbo jumbo, in the world of ready-made cages for Wranglers we think Poly Performance offers one of the most attractive and thoughtfully executed examples out there. And coming from a company fast-becoming known for its products' clean lines and functional nature, we can't say we're surprised.
Although the name, Bolt-In Sport Cage implies that you can assemble it with handtools, in reality it's a weld-together kit that you can bolt in and out of the Jeep once the cage is assembled. So there. The kit completely replaces the stock rollbar with pre-cut, coped, and bent 1 3/4-inch, 0.120-wall tubing. The tubes come labeled, which really helps in assembly, and the fitment was great. We followed our buddy, Jay Miller at TAG Motorsports in Escondido, California, as he installed the Poly Performance Sport Cage in his '97 TJ, along with the optional shoulder harness bar and front frame tie-in kit. The finished product not only looks great, but if the Jeep ever rolls on top of some blood sucking lawyer we're sure Miller will remain unharmed.
This photo doesn't show the...
This photo doesn't show the entire Poly Performance Sport Cage kit, but it does show the clean notches, tubing labels, and exceptionally clean condition of the tubing as it arrived for installation. The material is 1 3/4-inch, 0.120-wall DOM and the brackets are laser cut and ready for welding.
Miller began the installation...
Miller began the installation by bolting in the B-pillar floor plates. The plates feature slotted tabs for a bit of leeway to allow for factory irregularities in bolting to the cage plate holes.
Rather than trying to snake...
Rather than trying to snake the forward downbars in front of or beside the dash, the Poly Performance Sport Cage pierces the dash, for a straight shot to the floor. The bars clear all of the A/C ducting and factory components.
In order to keep shipping...
In order to keep shipping costs reasonable, the cage bars are kept to a moderate length. Smaller 11/2-inch, 0.120-wall tubing slides inside the larger tube as a coupler and allows the tube to be welded together with no loss in strength.
Once the cage sides were assembled...
Once the cage sides were assembled and a few crossbars inserted and tacked together, Miller bolted the windshield brackets to the windshield frame. The cage kit includes steel spacers to get the correct windshield rake. Once the spacer pack thickness was determined, Miller welded the brackets to the cage.
The optional forward cage...
The optional forward cage tie-in kit is an added strength feature we highly recommend for any serious trail rig. The poly bushing allows for some movement between the chassis and frame without compromising the strength of the mount.
Although we're cheating a...
Although we're cheating a little on the install, you can see the optional shoulder harness kit after Miller fully TIG welded the cage and sent it out for powdercoating.
As an indication of just how...
As an indication of just how good the fitment is on the Poly Performance Sport Cage, the factory hardware necessary for use with the factory full hard doors bolted right up after Miller drilled a couple holes.
Miller bent up and added the...
Miller bent up and added the center bar in between the Sport Cage's forward diagonal spreaders just out of personal preference, but otherwise this is the finished version. We think this cage kit offers a lot of protection without intruding into the cargo/rear seat or front passenger areas. And it just plain looks killer.