More cross-member work.

I went back to the wrecking yard today with a couple of wrenches and a cordless sawzall. The other day I got a 40 gallon fuel tank out of a '93 Ramcharger. When I got it back to the truck, I found that the rearmost crossmember on the pick-up frames is designed differently than on the Ramchargers, and it would have to be changed if I wanted to install the tank up out of the way as much as possible. So, I went back to the same ramcharger to cut the frame off behind the rear shock mount. Below is the section of the frame as it looked when I got it home. You can see that there are three crossmembers instead of one. The front (right) and back (left) fit the contours of the front and back top of the tank, and the center is flat with the top of the frame to allow the tank to sit up at least 2 inches higher than it could with the pick-up frame member.
Here is a picture of the tank up tight against the original crewcab frame. The arch in the member is shaped just right, but the tank sits down 2 inches lower than it could, and I would need to fabricate hangers to support it.
Of course this thing is riveted in, as are all three on the other hunk of frame. I think I ground and chiseled and drifted eighteen rivets today.
This crossmember is set between the rear spring hangers, which maces ir structurally crucial. That is why the Ramcharger frames have the two heavy members that tie the top and bottom of the frame together and keep the rails from twisting. For those of you that are wondering what I am going to do for a spare tire, I am wondering that, too. In all the years and miles that this truck and I have been through, I have never had the bracketry to hang a tire under the bed anyway. I just left it in the bed or left it at home. I know I am due, but in 28 years of driving, I have never had a flat on the road. Yeah, I am looking for some wood to knock on.
Here are the three new and dirty pieces clamped in place. The middle one actually goes under the rail. I just laid it there for the pic. I mounted the ront and back members before taking out the original to mak sure that the frame did not change shape on me.
The front and back are bolted in . Because of the size of the rivets, I used half inch hardware on most of this. I wanted the bolts to fit tight in the holes to lessen the chance of things moving around.
Now to grind out, hopefully, the last rivets of the project.

Here is the tank held in place with the floor jack. You can see the '92 diesel fuel pickup and guage sending unit I got thanks to Thomas, AKA Alwaysworking on the DTR site.

This is what it looks like looking back over the top of the axle. The little plate on front holds the full skidplate that I found when I went back to the wrecking yard today.
You can see why I wanted to get this thing up as far as possible. It does hang down a might. By the time I get my trailer hitch back on and the monster bumper that is hanging out on my daughter's Ramcharger, I don't think you would ever see it though.