Colorado High Ground-Clearance Crossmember for ZQ8 and 2wd Z85 Trucks

The Stealth Conversions high ground-clearance transmission crossmember improves ground clearance by about two inches, compared to the stock crossmember.

On a ZQ8 truck, the cross member is about 5-1/4" above the ground. If the ZQ8 truck is heavily loaded, or lowered, then the crossmember will be even closer to the ground, and can contact bumps in the road, or speed bumps in parking lots.

Parts list:

cross member assembly

button head bolts (4) Metric Button Head Socket Cap, M12 - 1.75P x 35 mm long

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put truck on jack stands so that there is adequate room to work under truck.
   
2. Remove the bolts from the transmission mount (not the crossmember). Use a 15 mm socket and an extension to go through the stock crossmember.
   
3. Put a jack under the transmission to raise the rear of the transmission mount about 1/2." Support the transmission with a jack stand.
   
4. Unbolt the transmission crossmember from the frame. Use an 18 mm wrench for the four vertical bolts underneath the frame, and 15 mm wrenches for the horizontal bolts.
   
5. Modify the frame brackets by cutting them so that nothing hangs lower than the frame (see photograph). This can be done with a Sawzall®, a plasma cutter, or a grinder. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to two hours, depending on your equipment and skill.
   
6. After modifying the brackets. Install the Stealth Conversions cross member, with the four button-head bolts, using an 8 mm Allen wrench.
   
7. Remove the jack stand that supports the transmission so the bolts to the transmission mount can be tightened.
   
8. Tighten the transmission mount to the cross member with a 15 mm wrench
   
9. Lower truck
   

Stock Crossmember for Colorado

STOCK CROSSMEMBER

The stock Colorado cross member hangs about 2-1/2" below frame rails

Stealth Conversions Crossmember for Colorado

STEALTH CONVERSIONS CROSSMEMBER

The Stealth Conversion’s high ground-clearance crossmember provides about 2" more ground clearance than the stock crossmember. It requires trimming (cutting) the original frame brackets.

The upper center section of the crossmember triangulates with the lower section to greatly increase the rigidity of the structure, making the crossmember assembly extremely strong.

Compared to other high-ground clearance cross members, the Stealth Conversion’s cross member offers the best clearance for the exhaust system.

Cutting Stock Frame Bracket, driver side

Stock Frame Bracket (Driver’s side)

The stock frame bracket hangs about 2" below the frame rail. The section that hangs below the frame rail must be removed to install the high ground-clearance crossmember.

Frame Bracket trimmed for
high ground-clearance crossmember

EXHAUST CLEARANCE

If the exhaust is too close to the crossmember, loosen the three bolts at the front of the head pipe and the two bolts at the rear of the head pipe. Rotate the headpipe so that it is about 1-1/2" above the crossmember, and tighten the bolts.

JTR Publishing, © April 2005