Rollbar position on top of wheelwells

I am starting to prep my fiberglass tub for refinishing. I have a oem roll bar that just sits on top of the wheelwells (I know this is not a safety device especially with a fiberglass tub). The tub never had a roll bar in it so there are no holes to indicate where to position it. Could someone tell me how far from the front of the wheelwell your factory roll bar sits?

Thanks

Bob

 

Ok, you have a CJ-6? If so, the CJ-5 roll bar that sits on the wheel wells will fit, but will be useless. These were never installed in CJ-6s.

The CJ-6 roll bar is a hoop that mounts directly to the floor behind the seats. The hoop should be just behind and above your head, and the braces go back to the top-middle of the wheel wells. Unlikely you're going to find a vintage roll bar that you can bolt in. Instead, you'll need to go to a shop or fabricator that can build one for you.

This is the best picture I have - I bought this Jeep new in 1975 and wrecked it in 1976.

 

Also, on a CJ-5 the roll bar slides forward against the top bow pockets. These are missing on CJ-6s, AFAIK. They may also be missing from a glass body.

 

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?79733-old-jeep-late-roll-bar

 

Contrary to the linked thread, the CJ-6 was never offered with a factory roll bar. No factory punched holes. There was no "official Jeep equipment" roll bar for the CJ-6 either. There was a SmittyBilt roll bar available, which is what my first CJ-6 got. There may have been something for export after 1975, but definitely not while the CJ-6 was offered in the USA.

Even the CJ-5 did not get a factory roll bar until 1974. Strictly aftermarket prior to that, though Jeep did sell a bar as "official Jeep equipment" over the parts counter.

 

All of which is good information if you're writing the definitive history of Jeep rollbars, but doesn't address the question of where he should place his rollbar. I thought the pics on the linked thread might give him some good ideas.

 

Yeah, maybe not so focused.

My suggestion was to not use the CJ-5 roll bar at all. There's an extra 20" behind the seats in a CJ-6, and even the later CJ-5 roll bar that goes to the floor will be useless in a rollover. And with a glass tub, it would make more sense to use a floor mounted hoop that ties in with the body mounts or frame.

On the Smittybilt CJ-6 roll bar, the "base" of the CJ-5 roll bar is still present, but it only sits on the front edge of the wheel house, and comes forward to the hoop. The hoop then descends from that junction to the floor plate. The purpose of the brace is to keep the hoop from folding over toward the front or back. I think that would still work on a CJ-6 with a glass body, as long as the hoop were mounted (with big plates or tied to the frame) so that it would not punch through the body if there is a roll over.

 

That is what I am more or less ending up with. The only difference is the main hoop on mine is not tilted back like the ones shown in the pics but it does sit on just the wheelwells. There is about 2-3" of adjustment possible front to rear. Would I just center it?

The rollbar is not intended to be stock or a safety device. Its just there to hold the back of the bikini top up. I don't know what year CJ the rollbar came from but I was told it was removed from a CJ5.