Exhaust issue with crossmember. Is this part vital?

JAFO

Registered User
My new exhaust is scraping on this piece, not really a crossmember, but it's down there behind the resonator. I don't see what this thing does, unless it's for just in case your exhaust drops off? Is it necessary? Think it would hurt to take it off entirely? Otherwise I've got to pull the 4 bolts out, put in washers and hope the bolts are long enough. You guys have this problem? Scrapes only intermittently when I take off and it all shifts backwards. Don't really want to bend it and screw up the hole's alignment.
 

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Is that a U-bolt I see???

Tsk tsk.

JAFO,

Thanks for pointing that out. Since I've had my exhaust put on, I haven't looked to see if that cross-member is still in place. I'll have to go out and check.

Cheers,

Sean
 
It's just a holder to keep your exhaust from dragging if it burns out, you can 86 it with no bad side effects.
 
U bolt and THEN welded. ;)

I could swear it won't hurt to take it out, but if I do, next thing you know the wheels will all fall off and I'll have 20 rattles inside the car. I thought there was clearance, but it's just not quite enough when moving.
 
That is actually a pretty solid cross member and it is there to strengthen the unibody. I removed mine a long time ago, but I've also had window leaks. Not sure if the two are related, but it will compromise the strength and rigidity of the body. It is NOT there to hold the exhaust in.
 
If you know where there is a machine shop, take it off, bring it to the shop, as them to create something that will clear an additional 1" at the center. They can take that piece, cut out a section, then weld across it a support brace Like this:
Code:
-------___-------

Tada, you get to keep the brace but now it clears. The machine shop will keep the bolt holes in the proper relationship. Just a guess... $50?
Maybe less.
 
Hmm. Could do a couple of things.
-Take it off, and put in maybe a 1/2" spacer, washers whatever. Hope the bolts are long enough or try to find new ones that are 1/2" longer.
-Take it off and maybe just bending down the sides will be enough. Can't really tell in that picture, but the piece is pressed in a bit of a U shape, just a little lip that could be pounded flat and then reattach. I just have an aversion to reshaping stock parts.
-Or take it off and take my chances.

So this isn't that common?
 
here's the deal, i had the same problem... take it off, and bend this hell out of it, our just as much as you need. when i had mine off, if i remember correctly, the holes were oblonged, to allow for play in it. and if yours arent oblonged, make them oblong. grab your black and decker drill, an old drill bit, and have at it. dont pay 50 bucks for some yahoo to make you one. or wait... if i remember correctly, there is about 8-10 inches from that piece, to the floor board. go dig your stock sissor-type jack out of the trunk, turn it upside down, and start cranking, bend it enough on both sides to allow for clearance, and if it doesnt work the first time, get a bigger hammer =)
 
well, when i had my exhaust done i just threw that thing out and i havent had a single problem arise from it.
 
Hey Bro

Hey Bro,
Just toss the thing.
I had the same problem when I had my exhaust done 3" center pipe.
I have had no ill effects since.
Laterz,
D Rainer
 
Matt SC ESC said:
go dig your stock sissor-type jack out of the trunk, turn it upside down, and start cranking, bend it enough on both sides to allow for clearance, and if it doesnt work the first time, get a bigger hammer =)

On the 4 wheeling site I'm on they say there aren't many things that can't be fixed with a jack or The BFH (big f'n hammer). ;)

Thanks for the replies guys, this is on the weekend to-do list. Glad I'm not the only one that's run across this.
 
Not like changing head gaskets, but still, I hate it when threads about small problems don't have follow up. So, for posterity:
There are 4 bolts holding the cross member up, 2 on each side. This is nearer to the driver's side, and the exhaust runs more on that side of the cross member, so this is the side I did this on. Got 2 slightly longers bolts, (doesn't need to be much longer, the stock ones have no threads at the end or they would almost work), some flat washers. Pulled the 2 originals out, put 4 washers on each bolt for spacing between the cross member and the car. The washers added about 1/4" clearance, right at the bolts, which was just enough at the exhaust piping. No need to do the other end of the cross member, in my case. If it were to still scrape, I could do the other side, or just add more washers to the same side. Plenty of room on the bolts I used to add 4 more if I needed to.
Good thing about doing all of this only on the drivers side is that you can reach it without even jacking up the car. Always nice. Figured I'd rather keep the bar in there if possible, to keep it somewhat stock, even if not entirely. If it's used for bracing the body somehow, it might not be as strong, but I doubt that'll be a problem. This was probably not any harder than jacking the car up to take it out entirely. You'd have to leave the bolts in there anyway, since it holds up the heat shield over the exhaust tubing, otherwise you'd have even more racket from under there, so might as well just work with it.
 
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Cross member

If anyone would like to know what that is actully for, it is to keep the driveshaft from slinging out in the event of u-joint failure and ripping a hole in the fuel tank, or anything else for that matter.
 
It's obvious that the member is a support, but it's not a vital part. If the exhuast was routed correctly the support wouldn't be a problem. If a shop did the exhaust, make them make it right. If it was your doing and you don't want to mess with it, just take it off or space it down with some washers.
 
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