cut for header clearnce

[350hawk]

Can anything be trimmed or cut out where the oval openings are where the front brake lines go through. It looks like that supports the lower control arm.

[cjbiagi]

What kind of headers are you running? My hooker 2135's run a pipe through that hole, but there is plenty of clearance. I would have to look but i don't think that is a major structural part, however you could always reinforce the area if you cut anything away.

[350hawk]

custom. Thinking about building new ones.

[350hawk]

driver side

[350hawk]

passenger side

[Monza Harry]

It has been a while since I looked at that 350Hawk, but I think that it may a well be a support for the rear lower Control arm mount. With that said do like Clyde suggested and re-enforce after surgery keeping in mind that a piece of tubing will be lighter and have a smaller foot print that the stamped flat stock that GM used. Example if that stamped piece is 3/8" X1" I think a piece of 3/4" round would be similar in strength if you can find it in the same wall thickness. Plus the tube would allow a shape change while only needing a couple of small gussets. Do we have any P.Eng's to do some F.E.A. to know for sure, rather than my seat of the pants engineering. You could do some destructive testing to figure this out if the math answer doesn't present itself, Really a good idea [more of a necessity than a suggestion] if you can make this happen, a hydraulic press with a gauge is all that you would require to compare the ease of bending to failure. Harry