Trans crossmember mod to make usable

Like pretty much everyone, I had to beat the crossmember out of my 96 RMW with a big hammer.  Did not want to be putting it back in with that kind of fit, so since I had some dead time right now while still waiting for the block to get back from machining I decided to see what was hanging it up and what could be done about it.

I did take a quick look at the tubular ones, but if the pix I saw are representative of them, the engineer in me set off bells.  The OEM is obviously structural to the frame from it's construction.  Heavy gauge steel, boxed, and basically huge compared to just holding up a tailshaft needs.  The tubulars looked like support only by comparison, so I decided not to pursue that option.

I knew from taking it out where I thought the interferences were, and I was partially correct.  Before starting, I trimmed the front flange corner on the passenger side a bit and the rear corner of the driver side.  Basically trying to generate a pair of parallel edges the distance apart that the frame rails in the area where the member sits during removal.

As it turns out, there was no way to get the member to that place on reinstall test.  I figured out eventually it had nothing whatever to do with flange interference issues and was totally because the top of the member was hitting the floor if back far enough to get onto frame stepdown.  The big recess for it ends too early toward the rear to allow it to move to there.

I then lined up the flange under the frame at that point on the frame where it narrows and it looked to clear the frame.  I put a jack under it there on the passenger side and jacked it up slowly to the level where the flange would go over the frame, gave it a shove with my hand, and it went right in.  All good.

Then went to removal test and it wouldn't come out easily, as it still wouldn't move back far enough and there was no way to get it there as the jack lift didn't do any good.  It turns out where it hits the floor is tapered up toward the front and it needs to go over that angle but it just slides back to the front when you move it back.  I was able to use a pry bar where it stopped moving back and with a bunch of effort it popped out because of the trimmed area finally clearing.

I then went back and trimmed another 3/16" off the front corner area on the passenger side as that is about how far I had to pry it.  I was then able to put it in by hand, with no jack, as it was all in the floor recess.  Super easy.

Did another remove test, and it did not come out completely by hand because the brake cables on the driver side frame top were springy and held it over a little.  A tiny pry with  prybar and it came right out easily.

All this was done with no engine or trans in place and the exhaust hanging, but should clear when the parts are back in, I think.

All in all about 10 minutes of hacksawing and an hour worth of work for it all, so super easy to do.  Looking forward to putting it back in for real now instead of dreading it.

Passenger side


Driver side

Good info, thank you for taking the time to document. I’m too cheap (broke?) to spend $225 on the tubular crossmember.
But if Dan from clear image would’ve walked up my driveway the day I was reinstalling my OEM piece.....I would’ve paid $500 for one!

i have the mike harris tubular one it is so nice. easy to put in and lighter.

Even if you trim the ends, it'll still bind up.  It's because the body bushings have sagged over time, reducing the body to frame clearance.  Last time I did one, I carefully jacked up the body in two places (with a large 2x6) and it went right in.

Maybe, but it goes right in by hand or light jack up push with the trans not there.

Will find out when I put it back in. The new trans mount is about 1/2" higher than the old on, so that might be an issue, but I will be shortening the mount bolt to minimum.

If you are up for a small bit of fabrication, it is the hump up on the passenger side that hits the tapered down floor before the frame can get to the wider open part of the frame. Cut it off and weld on patch flush, and I think it would then go back far enough. It I can't get it back in with the engine and trans in place, that is what I am going to try.

a heavy hammer works quickest,...

You may be taking it out incorrectly. Try rotating it in the opposite direction. I believe the left side is supposed to go front, and the right to the rear. There are trans mounts that use a bolt the bottom, instead of trying to get the stud to go over the support. I think they are for a Corvette. You may need a couple of shims to keep the trans from hitting the support. You can damage the tailshaft housing if it hits the support. The damage causes a leak from the VSS.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

You may be taking it out incorrectly. Try rotating it in the opposite direction. I believe the left side is supposed to go front, and the right to the rear. There are trans mounts that use a bolt the bottom, instead of trying to get the stud to go over the support. I think they are for a Corvette. You may need a couple of shims to keep the trans from hitting the support. You can damage the tailshaft housing if it hits the support. The damage causes a leak from the VSS.

Yes that is how I got it out in the first place with a lot of beating on it. It is just a bit too wide to drop out, even at the angle until it gets to the wider frame area and it can't get there because the above mentioned bulge in the top of the right side hits the floor where it tapers down.