I have read over and over again the story in the mag. I have wanted to do this for years but was afraid to cut my Cherokee. Does anybody out there have any longterm experience with this mod? Is a cage mandatory or are frame stiffners with rock sliders enough. I would love to put in a cage, but I'm a big guy and the idea of bouncing my head off of a cage all day long isn't appealing.  

I RAN INTO THIS GUY OUT AT TDS AND FLAGED HIM DOWN. HE TOLD ME TO WATCH FOR THIS ARTICAL IN JP. AND IN PERSON THE RAG IS A VERY WORTH WHILE INSTALL, CAUSE YOU GET THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. MY XJ IS OK BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT HIS I JUST ABOUT PARKED IT. BUT IM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BUYING THIS SLIDER AND INSTALLING IT TO MY XJ. FOR ALL XJ OWNERS THIS IS A MUST IF YOU WANT TO HAVE MORE THAN TJ OWNERS. AND IF YOUR A DUEL PURPOSE JEEP AND RUN AROUND AND HIT THE TRAILS YES I WOULD INSTALL A CAGE ONLY DUE TO THE FACT YOU CAN LOSE YOUR RIGIDNESS ABOVE YOUR WINDOWS. FRAME STIFFNERS ARE A GOOD START BUT YOU STILL NEED TO TIE IN THE REAR AT THE HATCH. AND IF YOU DONT WANT TO HIT YOUR HEAD GO EXTERNAL CAGE. BEING BIG SUCKS BUT THERE ARE WAYS AROUND IT  

you don't necessarily have to put in a full cage... but you have to rebuild support where you cut the back off... i know a couple of guys who have done this... and they've just used flat and angle iron to cover where they cut and rebuild a bit of the rigidity... then they welded a bit tubing to it to help with the rigidity