What is your race weight?
Jul 8, 2013 | 03:25 PM
#31
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Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Woodstock Ontario Canada
Thanks for the info! I guess I can do my contributing to this thread.
I weighed 4300 with me in it(190). No tailgate, spare, winch assembly, tubular lower a arms, headers, and a lot of exhaust gone. I've just added weight since. You would think on a 4500 pound truck, that shedding weight would be easy. Everything seems like a sacrafice to me. I have really been considering a nice tubular trans crossmember, but that comes with a compromise in strength. The stock one is heavy as hell.
I weighed 4300 with me in it(190). No tailgate, spare, winch assembly, tubular lower a arms, headers, and a lot of exhaust gone. I've just added weight since. You would think on a 4500 pound truck, that shedding weight would be easy. Everything seems like a sacrafice to me. I have really been considering a nice tubular trans crossmember, but that comes with a compromise in strength. The stock one is heavy as hell.
How much force does the trans crossmember really absorb?
It does need to support the weight of the back end of the trans and the driveshaft. 4wd/AWD would need more strength as this would add more weight.
Most torsional forces are transmitted from the trans into the engine then into the 2 engine mounts.
the stock members are heavy.
peace
Hog
Jul 8, 2013 | 04:01 PM
#32
the trans crossmember on the s10 i'm building is TINY compared to the gigantic bulky stuff that GM uses from the factory. makes me wonder if they are using a crossmember that big to help with the rigidity of the frame.
Jul 8, 2013 | 04:21 PM
#33
my truck is a 90' 454ss with aluminum heads, changed to carb, roll pan in rear(no bumper) added rear adjustable suspension and with a half tank of gas it weighs in at 4370 with me in it. im a big guy and help contribute a lil extra weight 
Jul 8, 2013 | 09:55 PM
#36
X2. Id like to build a nice, light, FLUSH cross member. It would also help clear exhaust. So many benefit to having that big hunk of metal gone, as long as its not structural to the frame.
Jul 14, 2013 | 01:09 PM
#38
Well , though I'd put in my 2 cents.
Mine is a 2006 GMC Sierra RCSB. It weighs 3560. It's pretty much Naked. I'm rather large so with me it weighs 3840. I know there are guys out there that turn 10's on just the motor in a pickup, but it cost lots of bucks to get it hooking up to get there. I'm running into that problem now. My MPH says I should be in the 10.0's. ( with 250 shot ) But it's hooking and unloading and spinning.
Anyway no tail gate,9" ford with ladder bars, coil overs. no stock fuel tank. interior is gone 6 point roll bar with a race seat. shifter and nitrous bottle is all that's inside, wiring ducts and blower motor ;etc under dash is gone. Front end is still stock except for the stabilizer bar. It's gone. No AC. Stock radiator. Got a turbo 350, I think it's lighter than the 4l60 or any of the other electronic trans. The computer and all the wiring is in the trash, must have weighed 60 lbs. Nothing against all the great technology in our newer vehicles.
Mine is a 2006 GMC Sierra RCSB. It weighs 3560. It's pretty much Naked. I'm rather large so with me it weighs 3840. I know there are guys out there that turn 10's on just the motor in a pickup, but it cost lots of bucks to get it hooking up to get there. I'm running into that problem now. My MPH says I should be in the 10.0's. ( with 250 shot ) But it's hooking and unloading and spinning.
Anyway no tail gate,9" ford with ladder bars, coil overs. no stock fuel tank. interior is gone 6 point roll bar with a race seat. shifter and nitrous bottle is all that's inside, wiring ducts and blower motor ;etc under dash is gone. Front end is still stock except for the stabilizer bar. It's gone. No AC. Stock radiator. Got a turbo 350, I think it's lighter than the 4l60 or any of the other electronic trans. The computer and all the wiring is in the trash, must have weighed 60 lbs. Nothing against all the great technology in our newer vehicles.
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