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Looking for custom cross members

lostcreek21

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Gresham oregon
I'm looking to build my own custom cross member for my long arm set-up and I wanted some ideas on how people made theirs and how well they work. Show me some pics!
Also if anyone has a professionally built one I'd like to see that too. Thanks
 
Check out Clayton's. Clayton's Long Arms

I haven't seen any on XJs but a lot of the guys at Grand Slam East/Big Dogs this past weekend had them on their ZJs and WJs.
 
lostcreek21 said:
I'm looking to build my own custom cross member for my long arm set-up and I wanted some ideas on how people made theirs and how well they work. Show me some pics!
Also if anyone has a professionally built one I'd like to see that too. Thanks
Heres mine!
Long Arms
 
go to centerlinemotorsports.com and check theirs out. The shop is local, jerry the owner lives just outside carver. This is the kit that i will be installing next week. If you want his cell number PM me. Jerry's shop is new so i have been trying to spread the word for him. He is one of the head designers for trailready and has been specializing in unibody jeeps for years so you know his fabricating skills are outstanding. He is also the spotter for the trailready buggy and is going to jellico this weekend or next cant remember and they are getting an interview for spike TV's trucks, good advertisement. This kit is on many if not all of trailready's unibody jeeps including their solid axle conversion liberty. Hows that a plug for ya. He is also putting on a run the last week or two of july that is starting at sand lake if your interested. No fees or anything just a camping wheeling trip. Many of the xj's that will be there including the trailready guys will be there with the kit.
 
The professionally built ones are...well built, but not well thought out in my opinion. They seriously hang at least 3" under your frame rail. That's not cool.

My crossmember is not for long arms, and when I go for a longer arm suspension they will be attached to the inside of the frame rail, not the crossmember.

Mine is 2 pieces of 2x2 3/16" wall together, cut out for the tranny mount and frame mount. It hangs down 1" below the frame rail, which is high enough clearance for me. I am not satisied with my mounting as of now becasue it uses the stock crossmember nutserts. I will be welding sides to the mounting plates and running bolts through the frame.

comparison to stock
170272_60_full.jpg
 
what's the difference in tranny mounting height between the two mounts?
 
It's a 1/4" higher. I planned on making it the same as stock, (1/2" drop below frame rail) but forgot my plan, and welded the center up without dropping it down some more. I ended up with only 1/4" drop below the frame rail, and it works perfectly. _nicko_
 
For guys who are ok with running the stock crossmember as far as mounting and drop, it is easy to trim the bottom off one just below the pinch seam and weld on a plate of flat 1/4" steel as a replacement. Not only will you gain a bit of clearance, but the crossmember will have been strengthened significantly all the while maintaining easy stock bolt on mounting for the crossmember and the tranny mount. Both goatman and myself have done this mod with good success. Others may have also. Jeff
 
I am designing one as we speak, so tell me what you guys think: I want to use a piece of 6in C-channel, mounted chanell up, flat down. I would grind flat the mounting suface so it is 1 in drop from the frame rail. By my math, that would drop thae tranny 1/2 in,(Because the tranny mount would sit down in the channel) while gaining about 1 in clearance in the center ( although losing a little at the ends, under the frame.) I might box the ends for rigidity at the mounting surface ( what do you think? ) I know C-channel would be plenty strong. The only problem would be that bolt heads would stick out the bottom to be scraped on rocks. I had planned to just weld on some kind or rise to gaurd the heads, but I just now thought, Why not simply weld the metalic plate of the tranny mount to the c-channel? It would work well enough, plus be completely flat on the bottom. Well, am I crazy?
 
because it would be an absolute bastard when it came time to replace the tranny mount.

otherwise, it works
 
Jeff's idea is a good one, very simple, and cheap. If you plan on mounting stuff on it though, may want to reconsider.

Drew, that will also work, many people have done that with good results. Do not drop the t-case though. If the c-channel will make the mount lower, put some spacers up there, and put it at stock or higher. There is no reason to drop the t-case, even a 1/4" on purpose.
 
i don't c any long arm mounts on these cross memebers? ru planning on puttin them on? if not i think u are wasting ur time. the stock cross meembers are stong enough to handle anything.

stoney
 
the stock cross member is most definitely NOT strong enough to handle a longarm mount.

Sure, you might be able to weld one to it-- but it's not what one would call "beefy"...
 
i was saying that the stock cross memeber can handle rock hits. obsiviosly it cannot hold long arm mounts. y would u waste ur time build a "beefy" cross member to do nothing??? i would rather build a cadge or bumpers or something worth my $ and time!

stoney
 
Stoney said:
i was saying that the stock cross memeber can handle rock hits. obsiviosly it cannot hold long arm mounts. y would u waste ur time build a "beefy" cross member to do nothing??? i would rather build a cadge or bumpers or something worth my $ and time!

stoney

:rolleyes: You've never truly wheeled have you?
 
Stoney said:
the stock cross meembers are stong enough to handle anything.

stoney
Have you ever come down off of a rock with the full force hitting your crossmember? I did and it bent the crap out of it almost pulling the nutserts out of the frame rail. I have since replaced that POS with Rusty's t-case crossmember. Well worth the money.
 
i have one made out of 2X4X3/16 tube with the TC and tranny skids made to it, i will try to get some pixs and post them this weekend.
 
roke40 said:
Have you ever come down off of a rock with the full force hitting your crossmember? I did and it bent the crap out of it almost pulling the nutserts out of the frame rail. I have since replaced that POS with Rusty's t-case crossmember. Well worth the money.

That sure makes the fillings in your teeth ache! I did some of that last weekend. I have on old HD xmember from ORGSmfg. I like the rocks to feel some pain TOO when I lands on them. (Disclaimer: I know rocks can't feel anything and the only feeling is the numb spot in my butt after a long day of their abuse.)

bburge
 
Why do you think it would be susch a bad thing to build a little drop into my cross member? My t- cas is alresdy about half an inch lowere than it should be due to a sagging old mount, and when I replace the mount and it raises the T-case, I am afraid of driveline angle problems. I just thought I would build in the drop to avoid problems. I dont have a SYE and I dont wnt to get one, yet.
 
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