Crossmember build ideas

Jeep450r · Aug 16, 2011

I'm trying to figure out how to build my new crossmember. I'm trying to tuck it up as high as possible. It will also be holding my long arms on.

Questions:

Is is possible to get a completely flat belly without clocking the case?

How high up can I safely push the drivetrain up?

Does anybody have pictures or ideas of fairly simple to build crossmembers?

Any ideas or input will be greatly appreciated.

ericfx1984 · Aug 16, 2011

if you are going to push the t case up you might as well push up the engine and and transmission...

to do this you would need some raised motor mounts...

the good hing about raising both ends it that you would not be hurting your driveline angles as much as only raising the t case...

if you raise the t case ONLY you will hurt your rear driveline angles

rocklandxjer · Aug 16, 2011

Raising the whole front end is the same as raising only the T-case, as far as rear drivline angles are concerned. I don't know how high up you'd be able to tuck everything, But it would probably be easier to just make some skids that do just about the same thing.

RCP Phx · Aug 16, 2011

There isnt much room to go up,and probably not worth the time and effort,This link will take you to my photo albums.There are 2 albums with my crossmember/long arms build there(Ive built 2 sets like this),the crossmember is just slightly higher than stock,but the arms are tucked up like the TNT set-up.
https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos&cid=d978c996b9f94140

ktm racer 419 · Aug 16, 2011

ericfx1984 said:
if you are going to push the t case up you might as well push up the engine and and transmission...

to do this you would need some raised motor mounts...

the good hing about raising both ends it that you would not be hurting your driveline angles as much as only raising the t case...

if you raise the t case ONLY you will hurt your rear driveline angles

you have never done this have you?

cant do a motor mount lift. theres a firewall in the way. unless you make some that lift it a half inch maybe.

as for lifting the t-case ive brought mine up an inch and clocked it. takes some floor modification but its doable.

clocking the case is easy with an aw4, not sure about an ax15.

foxwar71 · Aug 16, 2011

Getting a flat belly without clocking is pretty much a no go. The bottom of a 231 (a 242 would be lower) is right about at the bottom of the rails. Heres the crossmember setup I built for my jeep, I was originally gunna clock the 231 one up but ended up getting a Stak 3spd and cutting a bunch of floor out and clocking it up. Either way, some clearancing was needed to clear the front output. Overall, the AW4 got pushed up a little bit but still cleared everything witht the 231. With a little massaging and the clock, the 231 woulda fit fairly easy I think.

foxwar71 · Aug 16, 2011

And here's the simple belly pan/crossmember I made up one weekend for my DD XJ on 31's. It has a AX15 and a NP242 so it already has lower then normal. The crossmember hangs down the same amount as a stock crossmember, so no ground clearance lost. I added on a couple of simple DOM hoops for the tranny and transfer case and skinned the bottom with 3/16". Ive hit rocks and put the entire jeep it with no worries and it kicks ass!!! With an auto and/or a 231, this setup could probably be made to gain another 1" of clearance no problem.

Jeep450r · Aug 16, 2011

Is that second crossmember held on by 3 self tapping bolts per side?

Im gonna end up doing something similar to that.

What size DOM did you use for the hoops?

Did you notch the top of the crossmember to drop the tranny down a little bit? (like in your first post). I have an ax-15 as well.

foxwar71 · Aug 16, 2011

Jeep450r said:
Is that second crossmember held on by 3 self tapping bolts per side?

Im gonna end up doing something similar to that.

What size DOM did you use for the hoops?

Did you notch the top of the crossmember to drop the tranny down a little bit? (like in your first post). I have an ax-15 as well.

Its use the stock 2 mounting points plus I tapped an additional bolt hole in a blank spot on the framerail. It uses 10mm 10.9 hardware, 2 bolts and 1 nut per side. The hoops are just some 1.75" x .120 wall DOM I had laying around. The top of the 2x5 is notched and the center section for the tranny mount is only lowered into the rect tube by 1/4".

Jeep450r · Aug 17, 2011

foxwar71 said:
Its use the stock 2 mounting points plus I tapped an additional bolt hole in a blank spot on the framerail. It uses 10mm 10.9 hardware, 2 bolts and 1 nut per side. The hoops are just some 1.75" x .120 wall DOM I had laying around. The top of the 2x5 is notched and the center section for the tranny mount is only lowered into the rect tube by 1/4".

Why was the 1/4" drop necessary?

foxwar71 · Aug 17, 2011

Jeep450r said:
Why was the 1/4" drop necessary?

I made it that way to match the stock crossmember. I put a straight edge across the stock piece where it mounts to the framerails and measured difference in height to where the tranny mount itself mounted.

DeftwillP · Aug 17, 2011

ericfx1984 said:
if you are going to push the t case up you might as well push up the engine and and transmission...

to do this you would need some raised motor mounts...

the good hing about raising both ends it that you would not be hurting your driveline angles as much as only raising the t case...

if you raise the t case ONLY you will hurt your rear driveline angles

Que?

AIbandit · Aug 17, 2011

My dad's XJ, Clocked dual case/crossmember

Now with the new ride height my belly clearance really sucked. Only 17" under the skid and the radius arms were almost parallel with the ground.

Out with the old

Started on a new crossmember

This moved the trans mount up 2.75". The crawer box barely cleared the floor, so i pushed the tunnel up with a floor jack so i had 1/2" clearance.

Then the floor got cut to clear the second case clocked up flat.

From underneath

And then the whole drivetrain was mocked up

I stripped the guts out of a 231 i had on the floor for the mockup. Glad i did cause i had that damn case in and out 6 times today.

Heres the rest of the crossmember i came up with. Hopefully i can pick up the 1/4 steel this week to skin the whole thing.

This is with the whole drivetrain installed......21" at the bottom of the plate.

The new radius arms will mount to the front of the trans crossmember and will transition straight into the skid. I'll post pics later this week when i get the front axle slung under and suspended.

DeftwillP · Aug 17, 2011

That's the 101" xj from pirate, right?

RWKHausSupply · Aug 17, 2011

DeftwillP said:
That's the 101" xj from pirate, right?

I dont know if it is or isnt, but if the the driver is only 5'5" then thats a sweet set up. But with having to push the tunnel down about as much as he brought it up, I dont see how you can get a nice seat in there for anything over a 5'8" person?

ktm racer 419 · Aug 17, 2011

heres what i did. clocked the case and raised it maybe an inch or so with my custom crossmember.. later rebuilt the leaky case and added a belly skid. the bottom of the case was maybe 1.5" above the bottom of the frame

loved it. didn't give me any extra driveline vibes

AIbandit · Aug 17, 2011

DeftwillP said:
That's the 101" xj from pirate, right?

Yup

ROBERTK said:
I dont know if it is or isnt, but if the the driver is only 5'5" then thats a sweet set up. But with having to push the tunnel down about as much as he brought it up, I dont see how you can get a nice seat in there for anything over a 5'8" person?

I don't know if there were issues before he purchased it, but currently there are none.

DeftwillP · Aug 17, 2011

Oh damn. Haven't seen it since the chop

rockclimber · Aug 17, 2011

I did a raise crossmember. I don't see how it would be possible to go up higher without modding the trans tunnel. my AW4 is about 1/2" from touching...

I used a piece of C-channel, notched it for driveshaft and exhaust clearance for the x-member

I am going to end up getting a skid for the transfercase and transmission fabricated that will drop from the frame about 1" that will give me around 18" of belly height... on 33"s with 4" of lift

it also needs some custom exhaust work because the Cat touches the unibody a little bit.

Jeep450r · Aug 18, 2011

Now is the ax-15 tranny larger than the aw4? I'd assume it would be a little smaller if anything.

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