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PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:28 pm 
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Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:28 am
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Location: Prince Frederick MD
I had a small block in my truck already but that had a stock pan. Put the new motor in last night and found that my new deep 7qt pan hit that cross member. I took the the 4 bolts out that cross member and removed it. I noticed the truck has a ton of travel in the front end now. Can I leave that cross member out or is it a must have?

Can someone explain to me exactly what it does and what its for?

The truck will be making around 650HP on stock suspension street driven.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 1:07 pm 
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Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2013 1:28 pm
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Location: Central Texas
That cross member, as explained to me by my high school auto mechanics teacher (many many moons ago), is heat treated/hardened and cannot be modified. It also stabilizes the steering. Think about this: for an object mounted on a fulcrum to operate efficiently, it must have a solid base in order to pivot correctly. By taking out that crossmember, you have taken about 50% of the support for that fulcrum to operate as designed, i.e., it's on the edge of a cliff.

Here is a suggestion: either change back to the stock oil pan and reinstall the cross member OR use the cross member as a jig (the ends and amount of length only) to fabricate a replacement that will go under the deeper oil pan.


BTW: That teacher of mine worked at a Chevy dealership as a mechanic into the early 80's. I'm pretty sure he worked on a few LUV's during his tenure there...


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 2:07 pm 
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Location: Pelahatchie, MS
Ran into a similar issue when I put a v8 in my Nissan Hardbody. I went this route...

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:31 pm 
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Location: Camarillo, CA
You do need the dross member. You could make your own and bolt it on within a few inches of the old one. If the oil pan sits too low (lower the the trans) you might have issues hitting it over bumps.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 5:46 pm 
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Location: Hermiston,Oregon
4 ears drilled to fit and 1/2" flat bar drilled to lighten it and 1/4" gap to pan and it will be strong enough with no problems.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 8:26 pm 
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Location: Baytown,Texas
I took the factory crossmember that you removed and had a piece of Cromemoly bent as a drop member then welded it in and cut out the center .


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:03 am 
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I have a moroso 7 quart oil pan on my avatar truck, and the stock crossmember, might be cheaper to swap pans...

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:38 pm 
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Location: McMinnville, OR
I had a parts truck a long time ago that someone had taken the cross member out of. By the time I got it the frame was so badly tweaked that the stock cross member would not go back into place. There was substantial twist on both sides of the frame. Even with one side bolted back in and jacked into place, the other was twisted too far to line up the holes. It took a very large pipe wrench hooked the the frame and a second jack to get it even close. This was all with just a stock engine in a lowered truck.

I never tried to get an alignment on that truck, just sold it very cheap. From the look of the tires it came with, it was WAY out to begin with. I'd say keep the cross member. The frame will flex in that area without it.

I'd just weld a lowered extension onto the stock cross member then cut out the part that is intefering. That keeps the geometry exactly the same until the replacement section is already welded solid.

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:22 pm 
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Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:28 am
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Location: Prince Frederick MD
Eventually I am goin to get a new pan cause mine has a half ass patch job on it that the previous owner welded up but as of right now Im just trying to get the truck running and moveable that way I can make sure its mechanically sound.

My plan as of right now is to cut the center of the crossmember out, cap the ends and weld steel tubing that drops below the oil pan that way I know I wont have issues with a similar pan and it will protect the pan if the truck tries to rip the tailgate off and come down hard.
I work in a fabrication shop so the cost is $0.00. Works out great.

But anymore ideas please let me know
Thanks


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:22 pm 
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Location: Central Texas
kane198021 wrote:
That cross member, as explained to me by my high school auto mechanics teacher (many many moons ago), is heat treated/hardened and cannot be modified.


Please don't cut that cross member....


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:33 pm 
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You definitely want to keep that geometry exact, which is why I suggested weld first then cut. I don't know about heat treated in this case though. As I remember it, that cross member is pressed steel, not overly engineered by any means.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good :lol:


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