skinny step notch..

[57sailplane]

hey guys i have a problem..

i am building a quarter miler.. wanting it low for arodynamics.. the problem i already have the cage welded in . i was just going to c notch the rear but i want it lower. the cage is sort of in the way of were the step notch should go.. wondering if you guys think it would be strong enough if i ran the tubing on it side.. i also should mention that i am going to run rear coilovers on the back side of the axle.. so it will have to be strong enough to resist the weight of the truck and engine torque...
oh by the way how much clearance is needed between the frame and axle i mean how close can i run it.

heres some pictures of my problem... first one is a picture of the problem.. of course it can go ahead some but not much cause of the roll bar. the next 2 are what i was thinking of doing to fix the problem..
anways thnks for all your help.. andrew

[N2TRUX]

How low are you trying to go? With a mild step notch you can get almost on the ground.

[57sailplane]

i am running nhra tracks and the allowed clearance is 3" thats everything but the wheels.. so i want to run the hole frame as low as i can go no more than 4" that way i have a little leeway.. right now the back of the truck is sitting on the axle and the frame at the rear of the cab is 7.5" off the ground so i still need 3.5" drop plus clearance for suspension..

do you think it will be strong enough with the tubing in the position of the last 2 pics.

[FnLow69]

dont run the tubing like in the second picture, first picture is hell of a lot stronger

[57sailplane]

yes i know the first picture is way stronger but do you see my clearance problem with the cage.. i don't really want to cut that apart if i don't have to.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by 57sailplane

yes i know the first picture is way stronger but do you see my clearance problem with the cage.. i don't really want to cut that apart if i don't have to.

Could you do it like the first picture, just move it a couple inches forward from where it is? You will need to trim or remove the crossmember and install a new one, or box it all back in once the notch is installed. It looks to me that it could be done without having to cut apart or remove the cage. It seems to me that if it were done this way, it would still allow the cage to function as designed and look good at the same time. It will also make it look like the notch wasn't an afterthought. What do ya think?