[Project] Living up to my username

[xtucking22s]

Todays progress was pretty much non existent being that it was fathers day and family came over, and I also went to the movies. I just plain and simple wanted to get one thing done: get the gas tank out since I needed a friend's assistence.

One question guys....I know about rasing the gas tank bracket thing that has the 4 bolts on the frame up 3/4" of an inch, but i dont see how the gas tank has any room to move up 3/4", it will hit the brace that goes between the front 2 bed supports. So how am I supposed to move the front of the gas tank up? please help with this, i dont wanna drag gas tank lol. see the pic below to see the clearance im talking about between top of gas tank ad the support brace.


the gas tank removal process....sorry not very exiting for ya'll




tomorrow ill cut out the gas tank X member and prolly the spare tire X member and start cleaning up the frame.

[zachmartin83]

my truck didnt have that brace i dont think its needed

[laydoutjimmy]

I wouldnt cut out the crossmembers jsut yet not until you have something in there to hold the rails striaght and from twist id cut out the gas tank member first put the new one in. Connect a piece of 2x3 or 2x4 square tubing to the frame rails in the very back then remove everything... jsut my .02

Ive seen a few people completely remove everything then install the 5link and have turned out just fine but i wold feel saver haveing something connecting the 2 at all times

[xtucking22s]

thanks, and actually the plan was to do that. as I take one crossmember out, i was going to put the new on in to help keep the frame from twisting like you mentioned

[s10cyncrvr]

Quote: Originally Posted by xtucking22s

tis a battle scar lol, thanks everyone. Anyone got any advise on what I asked above about cutting out the whole gas tank and spare tire crossmembers including everythuing inside the C channel of the frame?

First sawzall the majority of the crossmember out, but leave a few inches sticking past the inside of the frame rails. You'll need this for leverage later on.



Now on all the factory plugwelds, drill a hole at the top and the bottom. It'll probably be in the 3/8" to 1/2" range. After you have the two holes drilled, take your cut-off wheel and slice down the edge of both sides of the weld, connecting the top and bottom holes. You should have a slot with rounded ends now. After you get all the welds done, the piece should come out easily, or you can hammer on it up top where you left a few inches stick out.

[2002ZQ8]

i removed my zq8 frame brace you have to in order to move the tank up

[xtucking22s]

so after im done im going to have 2 slits cut out in my frame? i dunno if I like that, seems to hurt the strength of the frame dont ya think? Thanks for taking the time to explain that though

Quote: Originally Posted by 2002ZQ8

i removed my zq8 frame brace you have to in order to move the tank up

thats only on the zq8s? interesting, never knew that

[s10cyncrvr]

Quote: Originally Posted by xtucking22s

so after im done im going to have 2 slits cut out in my frame? i dunno if I like that, seems to hurt the strength of the frame dont ya think? Thanks for taking the time to explain that though

You can grab some 3/4" wide, 1/8" thick flat steel and cut it to length. Then put it on the inside of the frame over the hole and weld from the outside like it was originally done.

[xtucking22s]

allright cool, thanks for the advise. Do most people go this route or do most people just leave those parts of the crossmembers in and cut flush with the frame and call it a day?

[Slammed03]

Quote: Originally Posted by zachmartin83

my truck didnt have that brace i dont think its needed

i have it and i think its only on extended cabs...

Quote:

Do most people go this route or do most people just leave those parts of the crossmembers in and cut flush with the frame and call it a day?

i cut my crossmemeber flush, and i plan on boxin in my frame soon so it wont be seen at all.

[xtucking22s]

Quote: Originally Posted by Slammed03

i have it and i think its only on extended cabs...



i cut my crossmemeber flush, and i plan on boxin in my frame soon so it wont be seen at all.

my friends reg cab 93 doesnt have the crossmember either, guess its an extended cab thing. so is it safe to take it out?

and by the way....for people who box their frame how in the F do you get your bed bolts back in ever again then? lol, ive always wondered that

[Slammed03]

Quote: Originally Posted by xtucking22s

so is it safe to take it out?

and by the way....for people who box their frame how in the F do you get your bed bolts back in ever again then? lol, ive always wondered that

i donno i still have mine in......


what i plan on doing is weldin a little piece of tubing from the top hole to the bottom hole so the bolt wont fall in the frame causing me to lose it...(if that makes sense..)

[xtucking22s]

oh ok, i got ya. now what did you do with the front of your gas tank if you still have that extra brace? did you just not raise the front of the gas tank?

[pumpkinss_dime]

you pretty much have to raise the front of the tank if you dont want to do any damage to the tank. just cut it out or cut it and raise it with the tank if you really want it to be in there. and i have an ex.cab and dont have that brace there. im almost 100% positive that brace is only on zq8 equipped vehicles and xtremes. lookin good man

[xtucking22s]

allright i guess its settled then that the brace is not NEEDED. So ill just take it out, id rather have that out and be able to rasie the gas tank properly, wouldnt wanna drag threw one of them

[AVdime]

i took that brace out! the only thing it does is help line up the bed. on the bottom side of the bed theres a cross brace that fits right down inside of that frame brace

[_juice_]

Quote: Originally Posted by xtucking22s

Anyone got any advise on what I asked above about cutting out the whole gas tank and spare tire crossmembers including everythuing inside the C channel of the frame?

i have a good set of cutting torches id sell cheap if your interested, thats what i used on mine when i had to cut all that shit out

EDIT:
truck is gonna be sweet when it's finished too

[xtucking22s]

Nah, ill do just fine without a torch. Id really need my own garage before I start buying bigger stuff like that, for now im living at home just making due with what I got.

Im about to upload new pics from tonight....

[xtucking22s]

What 3 hours got me tonight/today....
remove spare tire X member, left shock tower X member in for support, will remove tomorrow. I didnt wanna tear all the X members out then go in later and put the new ones in cuz i didnt want the frame to start flexing to much without any X members in it.

Took a puddy knife to the frame to get the majority of the crap off, then used a flap disc wheel on my grinder and it works BEAUTIFULLY! I didnt worry about getting the frame 100% prepped for the POR 15 Paint because I first need to get the notches in and do more stuff before paint, also even though I installed the X members they will come out when i paint the frame






Tomorrows work goal is to get the shock tower X member cut out, and get the stock gas tank X member out, and maybe get the new one in, but I first wanna clean the frame up like I did the back so far.

[MGSDime97]

what do you plan on using on the frame, por 15?

[BeyondeXtReMe]

that blue is def going to look awesome

[zaathur151]

looks great like they said the blue is going to look awesome

[xtucking22s]

Quote: Originally Posted by MGSDime97

what do you plan on using on the frame, por 15?

yes, POR15 as stated in post #1

Thanks guys!

[NickZigaitis]

Quote: Originally Posted by xtucking22s

yes, POR15 as stated in post #1

Thanks guys!

If you can spray POR, I would. Spraying lays down a much better coat. I'm hugely unimpressed with the POR when applied with a foam brush. The only finish I've seen worth a damn when applied with a foam brush is the Eastwoods Chassis Black. I guess the POR is thicker leaving brush strokes. I did mine in Eastwoods and sprayed it. I love every inch of my frame. But if I were to do it again, I'd pull everything off the frame and smooth the welds and gussets and shoot it in PPG or if I really had the $$ I'd powder coat it silver.

Looking good so far. Have fun cleaning the rest of the frame.

[xtucking22s]

Well I asked Paint Toad and he said POR is to be applied with a brush, not sprayed on. I realize it might have some brush strokes in it but honestly im tubbing the bed, so it isnt going to be seen honstly. POR15 is the most durable finish that I know of after researching on here, I heard the Eastwoods stuff chips and peels off, i even thought you said that yourself Nick. So im going for durability with the POR 15

[AVTekk]

that extra crossmember is a chassis stiffener, only present on 98+ zq8s and xtremes, ext and reg cab. you can pull it out without a problem.

[xtucking22s]

allright thanks, ill pull that out when I need it out, right now its not hurting anything, giving me an extra crossmember support while im cutting out the old ones.

By the way, i decided to just cut the spare tire/shock crossmembers flush with the frame, im not going to worry about getting the entire C channel clear of the old crossmembers, it wont be seen.

[boricua4_life]

coming along great man!!!

[mister880]

comeing along very nice. i'm half tempted to drive down one day and lend a helping hand! how far is phoenix from st marys?

[wllbndthrw]

Quote: Originally Posted by mister880

comeing along very nice. i'm half tempted to drive down one day and lend a helping hand! how far is phoenix from st marys?

ohh about 2 hours? I was gonna offer to let him borrow some air tools until I saw he was like 80miles away. Looks great by the way

[xtucking22s]