Need help bending tube for a roll bar

[zieg]

Alright this is driving me nucking futs. Tried packing the tube with sand, welded a hoop to the die to keep the tube from jumping out, and every time the thing just kinks. Been using a hydraulic bender from PA and it's fine on smaller diameters, but just can't handle this 1.5" x .095 DOM tube.

Wondering if anyone has some better equipment and can help me out. Last resort is to hit up an exhaust shop and hope their system doesn't crush the inside (rulebook doesn't like that). I need to put two 90* bends in one tube for the main hoop, everything else is good to go.

[Maxt]

The tube does need to be able to slip in the die, is it rough? I have one of those benders and I had to grease the die to stop it from kinking and creasing the tube.
The other bender I use for roll bars is a greenlee conduit bender, notice how smooth the die is compared to the Princess auto one, never had a bad bend with the greenlee.

[Gestalt]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Alright this is driving me nucking futs. Tried packing the tube with sand, welded a hoop to the die to keep the tube from jumping out, and every time the thing just kinks. Been using a hydraulic bender from PA and it's fine on smaller diameters, but just can't handle this 1.5" x .095 DOM tube.

Wondering if anyone has some better equipment and can help me out. Last resort is to hit up an exhaust shop and hope their system doesn't crush the inside (rulebook doesn't like that). I need to put two 90* bends in one tube for the main hoop, everything else is good to go.

your trying to use this https://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-syst...68/8068017.jpg

but you need this https://www.jd2.com/media/catalog/pr...nder1100_1.jpg

if you had a way to pack in the sand and seal the end, it might work. if you have a farily common car you can buy a hoop for $60 already bent up

[zieg]

Huh, interesting. The die is not terribly rough but I definitely wouldn't call it smooth. Guess I could hit it with a flapper and then try grease. Thanks for the tip, will report back later with results.

And yeah I know those other style benders are better, but expensive and nobody I know has one. It's a homebuilt racecar so nothing on the shelf, unfortunately.

[racerocco]

I can help you out, have the bender and dies.