ykf7b0

I would like to get your recommendations for a custom trans crossmember for my 76 TH350. I want to be able to drop my exhaust when needed without cutting the exhaust pipes.

ykf7b0

Has anyone fabricated their own crossmember?

mrvette

YES, my '72 was a muncie 4 speed, and I changed to a 200 4r long ago for the freeway speeds here in Florida....and among the changes I went to headers....and an H pipe in back, the trans pan made the exhaust system a total mess to deal with....but a local exhaust magician made it happen....

One of the things I had to do was cut the cross member outta the car, so got welded some ~2" angle iron on the top/bottom of the cross member and it's held in place with a large 1/2" bolt on either side, it slides off to the rear....but you don't have THAT problem.....

but you have those silly loops in there, I got tired of them and so cut the bottoms of the loops outta there, and so to block off the hollow parts of the support and form a 'bridge' lattice work on each of the top loops....making it strong as was originally....

imagine taking a piece from the top of the loop and coming down an inch or so, to a flat piece going from one side of the remaining loop to the other, and of course welded to the open support block off plates....

make sure to keep the same height in the middle of the support as you fab this up.....you can now do same as me, 6 bolts and the entire exhaust system on the ground, excluding headers, of course.....

GOD, I"m lazy.....

ykf7b0

Thanks a lot for that detailed response! p.s. I was in Orange Park last year and visited Ronnie Van Zant's crypt and gravesite. Long Live Lynryd Skynyrd!!!!

Cool bean

I got a tubular cross member from bow tie overdrives. The exhaust run under it vs. through it. It serves two purposes: 1: route 2.5 inch exhaust further away from 700r4 trans and 2: I can drop complete exhaust by removing rear hangers, hangers to tubular trans mount, and flange bolts to service trans or rear.