So after my frame nearly falling off my 82, I've decided to buy another 3rd gen in hopes of beefing up frame and preventing previous issues. Now, one of those issues being my mufflers.... I, of course, love my 40 series flows, but the only way to run them with maximum clearance on my two inch drop is to dent in trunk and stuff them in between the frame and trunk. So i've been thinking... Since its in between the frame, and not what I would consider structural.. Could I cut the truck out to the top of the frame and weld in a flat piece with a couple of supports acting like miniature crossmembers? This would make big mufflers like mine a hell of a lot easier to install with clearance. I havent taken the bumper off of one in the cars in, idk, 2 years? so I don't remember EXACTLY where the mounts are, but I could technically leave the rear bumper support exactly where it is also.. Thoughts? Suggestions? Anyone else having this awful clearance issue with 2.5" duals?

 

Frame? Third gens do not have a frame.

 

Being lazy.. Subframe*

 

Something like this?

 

EXACTLY. Clearance looks great.

 

Yes but what does that prove over the stock location of the muffler?

 

Stock location is right in front of the "trunk" area. I have duals with a 2" drop so trying to stack huge flow masters is out of the question. Glasspacks you could probably do without much issue simply because they are drastically smaller. With the trunk cut out you could place one muffler where the trunk was, and one stock location. Or I would probably run them like I have now on pass and driver side of trunk with outlets facing rear of car, but I have had an ungodly amount of rattles with the trunk and now frame.... Fix one rattle, another pops up. Gotta love my cam that shakes everything loose

Basically comes down to ease of access and rattles