Clearance question

[S3ute]

Hello from Sherwood.

Chassis question - Series 3 88”

Can anyone tell me if there is any clearance between the top of the rear crossmember and bottom of the tub near the attachment point tabs sited adjacent to the tailgate aperture?

That is, does the floor of the tub rest on the top of the rear crossmember or is it held slightly above it by the five metal tabs?

I can’t tell because the tub is off my truck’s chassis at the moment. The reason that I’m asking is because I want to run a pair of very long bolts through the crossmember at that point to secure a couple of plate fittings at the bottom - the crossmember is a box section at that point and I’d need clearance at the top for the bolt heads and a flat washer.

Cheers,

Neil

[JDNSW]

Yes, the tub rests on the 'U's welded to the chassis on the inside of the chassis rails, but the rear of the tub is supported by the tabs, not the cross member. You can check exactly how much space there is by measuring the height of the holes in the tabs above the cross member and comparing it to the distance of the holes in the sill of the tub. And note that the holes are on a lip below the sill, so the actual bottom of the tub is even further above it. The gap between the top of the cross member and this lip is plenty for me to have the cable to my trailer socket running through the gap.

If you are putting bolts vertically through the crossmember, you should note that if carrying any load they must have compression struts inside the crossmember. The ideal way of managing this would be to have the holes larger than the bolt and a through pipe welded top and bottom.

[S3ute]

John,

Hello again and thanks for that info.

Appreciated.

The plates are being bolted under the crossmember to keep them in situ - any load placed on them will be upwards and it is a box section. So, I’m not thinking it will need crush tubes - maybe a spreader plate at the top might reduce the risk of distortion.

Cheers,

Neil