pic: West Coast Altered

[Madison]

Originally Posted by roboticWanderor

I was assuming that the cross beams were welded in the hole. assuming the weld has proper penetration, the crossbeams would both be able to sustain compression loads just as well, as well as supporting loads from the front of the chassis without shearing the weld. I think we're already going to have to machine the 1x2 rails, what is one more op?

I believe Alex's intent was that the cross members be pinned in place, making the side rails removable. Welding them would place them into compression and be fine -- but if you're going to weld them, why bother machining a hole into the side rail at all?

Again, though, it's all a matter of weighing the good against the bad. Machining work is resource and time intensive, so we prioritize other solutions. For some folks, it's a way of ensuring quality workmanship and isn't an undue burden.