110 Safety Devices Cages, Installation, Removal etc.

JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
This thread mainly deals with Safety Devices full external types as found on the NAS 110 and still available as RBL172 7SSS. The instructions provided with the cage are adequate but not full color and there is a lot of assumed knowledge, so this thread is intended to supplement but not replace the instructions.

It’s worth noting that there have been a number of small design changes over the years especially in the underbody mounting parts, so keeping a cage set intact is worthwhile if you can do it. That is to say it could be best to repair rusted or damaged pieces instead of ordering replacements - the new part could be dimensionally or completely different.

If you’re doing an initial install, be prepared for a minimum of 20 hours work, double that if you are very meticulous or of you haven’t taken part majors sections of your truck before. I don’t know what reputable shops charge for an installation but I’d be surprised if the figures were any less than a 2000 or so.

Before you start you‘ll need to collect a few things - aside from the normal assortment of hand tools I used:
- Dremel tool with abrasive cutoff discs for cutting the holes in the body panels
- Blue painter‘s tape
- Lots of anti-sieze
- 3M 4200 sealant
- Touch-up paint

After tearing out interior trim to gain needed access, the installation starts by laying out the locations to cut in the rear tub. Using tape to cover the surface not only provides you with a place to lay out your markings, it offers some protection to your painted surface. Note on the last photo below that the ”C-pillar” mounting point behind the second row doors can have significant interference from interior structure pieces. This has been a source of frustration over the years and SD has made the mounting bracket at this location narrower and narrower to the extent that they dramatically grind down the outside edges of the of this part.
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The theory of the installation is that the internal and underbody supports are built and left loose until the “false feet” are installed on the body panels. This will guarantee accurate positioning of the external parts with relation to the body. Once these are in place, you go back inside shimming and tightening bolts as necessary based on where the mounting brackets landed. Not having these feet can make the reinstallation of a cage (as when restoring a NAS 110 for example) quite difficult, especially if a number of other parts have been removed or replaced.
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JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
Installing the under body supports is not terribly challenging but can be different depending Inn the year if the truck and the style of the tub. The blue Puma 110 pictured had a support tube for the rear jump seats that had to be modified. The NAS 110 (the galvanized chassis below) has a rear support that doesn’t look Like it can be installed or removed with the rear tub in place. Don’t forget the little two tube piece that drops into the rear crossmember to prevent the section crushing as you over-tighten the bolts.

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JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
As noted above, the supports behind the second-row doors are a really tight fit and can be a real pain to fit. Note how an interior panel has been relieved here to make room for the edges of the plate. This just required careful cutting with the Dremel. Once the support is in place though it just secures with some overlapping L-section plates and ties in to the inner body panels.

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JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
The front support sections are easy to lay out but require lots of disassembly for access and some minor modifications. The sill panel has to have a section cut out to accommodate the c-section that fits over the chassis outrigger. installing this piece requires removing the large bolt that connects the bulkhead to the chassis. There are washer spacers in here that must be removed to make up for the bracket. Each fender skin must also have a small gusset removed by drilling out the spot-welds (sometimes there are 2, sometimes 3). Once you’ve got all that taken care of, reassemble and bolt on the false foot.

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JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
To me, the worst part of the job is not cutting the body, it’s installing the internal hoop. The front headliner has to come out and be modified. I removed one or both of the front seats I don’t recall. After that, you have to juggle and cajole the hoop into position without damaging the truck or yourself. All this hassle can be avoided if the roof is off. The part sucked enough that my pictures of the ordeal are bad. Note that some kind of spacers will likely be necessary in the interior between the cage and the roof to prevent crushing.

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JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
Once all the supporting structure is installed, you can start bolting on all the exterior parts. Newer cages come with rubber trims for the rear feet. These are a mixed bag, the provide a nicer finisher and matching bit for the piece on the windshield posts, but they are very hard to install without the side portions squishing out when you tighten down the bolts. I used soft-jawed clamps to try and prevent the squish-out. I was only semi successful.
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JimC

Super Moderator
Staff member
Bonus content: this cage is not a direct bolt-on to a 110 with a ribbed roof. Courtesy of East Coast Rover (pictures used with permission), the below pictures show how the ribs interfere with the install - changing to a smooth roof is really the only option. Additionally, depending on the rest of the configuration, there may be modifications necessary on the cage supports in the rear corners and perhaps different seatbelts.
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Josh-man

Well-known member
This is a great write up. There have been a lot of one off attempts in the states for DIY installs and this is the best I’ve seen. If people are looking an an experienced installer Andrew at expanse outfitters in Maine has done a number of them including 10 point internal/external on my truck. He’s well versed in thinking like a safety devices person (and most importantly filling in the gaps in their shit instructions)
 

Josh-man

Well-known member
@JimC Safety Devices just release finally a gorgeous raised air intake that is meant to jive perfectly with their cages. It’s sitting in the box for a warm day so I can do the install and maybe this is an appropriate place to share such pics
 
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