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I'd run a one piece & modify that cross member. Take it for what it's worth, we haven't saw pictures & im not familiar with those Dodges like Norm is. However, modifying a cross member isn't "high tec" fan work either. A new shaft will be balanced & gtg too.
I started cutting out the rivets for the cross member today. I need to lift the cab up to get at the top rivets and I didn't have time today. I still need to start shopping junk yards for a drive shaft as well.
I took this week off work just to have time to work on the truck, but so far I haven't been able to get much done.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb. I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Of the drive shaft? I'm not posting a current pic of the truck. I'm ashamed of my garage. Lol
Now why would a little load like that break a truck!
If anyone is still here, I'm still picking away at this thing. I got out and started working on the exhaust. I ended up just running the stock exhaust manifolds because I didn't want to mess with getting headers to fit right now. The driveshaft is mounted, but I think the front may be a little short, as the yoke wobbles a little on the slip splines.(I'm hoping some grease fixes this, like the splines on the front d/s on my 01 suburban) I'm trying to use as much of the exhaust that came off the truck as possible, but some of it was really beat up and the mufflers were falling apart, so I'll be changing stuff up a little. I think I'm going to end up using some glass pack type mufflers to make fitting them under the truck easy. I'm no good at building exhaust, especially laying on my back on the floor. I'm keeping it in smallish pieces so I can pull it out after it's tacked and weld it on the floor outside the truck. I plan on putting the pieces together with the band type clamps to make maintenance easier later.I've reached the point where I'm sick of looking at the truck, and wish I'd not started this project. I'm way to far along to do anything but bail out and get rid of the truck (probably for pennies on the dollar from what I have in it) or finishing it. I've had days where I went out to work on it and ended up laying on the floor looking at the drivetrain wondering if it's going to work. I think somehow the engine is sitting up higher than it should be, but I could only lower the engine cross member about 1/8" before it's resting on the bottom lip of the frame rail. I've pretty much decided at this point to just keep going forward and see what issues come up and deal with them then. I knew when I started this project that I was pushing myself, but I was dealing in the unknown unknowns (I didn't know what I didn't know) Lol. If I get finished with this, and it works, I'll be on to the fun stuff, like electrical and interior stuff. I'm not sure how quickly I'll be looking for another project like this though. It'll be nice to have my garage back. I'm sure the wife will appreciate being able to park inside again, even if she says it's not a big deal.