I have been seeing on a lot of new trucks lately some sort of brace that looks like it runs from somewhere near the front jacking point diagonally up to the front crossmember or somewhere thereabouts.

What is it, what trucks have it, and could I benefit from adding it?

 

I hope they aren't that important, because I drove my truck off a curb and bent the crap out of them. They bent back pretty easily though.

 

I dunno. ???

 

My '01 has these cross braces. They're tubular, right?

My understanding is that the frame changed from all hydroformed in 99-00 to only partially hydroformed (I think from the cab back, but I'm not sure) in 01-02. I'm not sure about the 03-04 trucks--since the framehorns changed, anything's possible.

Why are they there? I dunno. I'd love to whack mine off. They hang up on speedbumps and are damned near flat anyway.

 

Don't they just bolt on? Scream, I'll cut'em off for ya!

 

Yeah, but I'm not sure why they are there. I don't want to take them off and have the frame bend or something...you know my luck! LOL

 

THey are there to keep the chassis from twisting.

 

done screwed mine up twice jumping a curb, you think I would have learned the first time not to haul a$$ over them. hope I didnt screwup the chasis, because it yanked the bolt right out and bent the brace pretty bad.
oh and be ready to explain in great detail to the guy behind the parts counter. what it is exactly that you are looking for. I spent 45min trying to tell the guy what I needed and he kept trying to sell me a rack and pinion

 

LOL ... you need to go to a different sealership!

 

I have these on my 03 and bent the **** out of them so I made new ones
solid 3/4 pipe I swear I felt a handling difference too