How to Make Your Own Truck Roll Bars

If you want to reduce the amount of sway on your truck, one way to do this is with truck roll bars. These bars are designed to correct the truck during a turn, and can be vital in keeping the wheels on the road. They also prevent over-steering, which is a big drain on your fuel bill. Most commercial types of truck roll bars are very expensive, and so one solution to this problem is to make your own. It is important to remember that the roll bars are an important safety feature, so you will have to make the bars as good as you can.

Step 1 - Measure Your Truck

In order to get the correct dimensions for your truck roll bars, you will need to take careful measurements of the interior and exterior of the cab. Use a tape measure to measure from the top of the truck hood to the bottom of the rear window, and then along the back of the truck. You should make a careful note of these measurements, and buy enough steel pipe to cover the area you have just noted.You will need two lengths the height of the car, and one length the width of the car.

Step 2 - Cut up the Pipe

Take your pipe, and cut it into the lengths required. You will need to use a pipe cutter to chop through the length of pipe without damaging the ends. Make sure that the pipes that you use are strong, and not rusted in any way, as this will affect the final truck roll bars that you make.

Step 3 - Bend the Pipe

Place your pipe into a brace, and then place the other end into the vise, so that you have around 2 1/2 feet of pipe extending out of the way of the vise. This will be the part of the pipe that is bent. Using your torch, heat up the area near to the vise, and take hold of the other end using the bending tool. Bend the pipe quickly around into a 90-degree angle. Repeat this process for the other long pipe.

Step 4 - Build the Roll Bar

Take your metal bars, and lay them out, so that they form two Ls, with the short bar at opposite ends. Take your short piece, and drill a hole into each end of the pipe. Using the drill, push a screw through each long bar of the L pipes, so that you end up with an 8 shape. Combine the short bars onto the ends of the L bars using the screws, and then add nuts to each of the screws. You can then sand down the roll bar, and paint it before installing it on your car.