Bud Built style crossmember

Wouldn't be cool to be able to replace your stock crossmember easily and gain a couple inches of clearance and add some beef? Budbuilt builds these for the Toyotas and every toyota I know is running them. This is one for a dual case. I don't have a good picture of one for the single case. I'm going to be working on this. I think the Jeep version just turn up and add a couple mounting bolts on the outside of the frame. I'm a couple months from starting this project due to Santa Clause is busy with the kids right now. Does anybody have any input?

 

Keep in mind that skid you either have to cut the heck out of the body or have a body lift to clear the top of the trans. Also most use a motor mount lift along with one. At least for the flat bottom version.

 

Not flat. I'd bend it in the press brake.

 

Without any hat section, I would think there would be a high potential to get too much flex spanning frame rail to frame rail in a CJ unless you use 1/2 plate like what appears in your jpg. Personally, I can do without the extra weight and suspect you will still get more movement than with the stock cross member.

 

Our stock crossmembers/skidplates get beat to hell. I know I could use that 1.5" of clearance. The crossmember will be 3/8 x ~7" wide and the skid that bolts to it is 1/4".

I'm contemplating a different transmission so it might lose the comparison anyway.

 

This is the last one I built. The D18 drum is still the lowest point and the skid only left about 3/16 clearence to the drum backing plate. The front urethane bumper presses on the bottom of the oil pan skid plate. Everything from the oil pan to the rear driveshaft front ujoint is covered. It has gotten wumped pretty good on quite a few occasions.