before I go home and try this I just wanted to get some info. i have searched and got all but one question answered.

pertainable specs:
3" BL (I know I know but I have a clocked 300 so I need it)
SOA lift.
'94 YJ

I am going to just cut about 2-2.5" out of the middle of the gas tank skid, re-weld it, and that will move the tank up. atleast that is what I surmised from what info I found on this board. my question is about the cross member. with the bodylift I take it the cross member is still going to be in the way right??? will I be able to move the gas tank up with out touching the cross member or will it be out of the way b/c of the BL?

I dont' mind moving the cross member that's not that big of a deal I just want to know before I get into it.

the driver behind this is I am putting a CJ style tail gate on, b/c they are great when in the woods and grilling out. totoally useless other wise I know but still want it. and I have one laying at the though so why not. so to put that on I have to drop the tank to get in there. so while i have it down I might as well go ahead and try raising it. I like having the space in the back for parts so I am not going to raise it so much I have to cut the floor board, just enough for it to be more out of the way.

I did exactly what you're talking about and love it, I did have to remove most of the crossmember to squeeze the tank up that far, I just chopped the flanges off the stock skid, moved them down 3" and welded them back on, then I go some chevy truck gas tank straps and welded the Jeep ends to them. My tank is now flush with my rear bumper's receiver hitch.

Funny, I've been thinking about a CJ tailgate on my YJ too, since I have a CJ hardtop, a short-nose CJ front clip, CJ hard doors...plus then I can mount my flush taillights easier without the stupid YJ hinges in the way

when you say you removed it what exactly are you talking about, getting rid of it completely? I am not to keen on that idea, I might move it up though.

also why did you have to get chevy strap why didn't the jeep ones work?

got any pictures?

I moved mine up 2" into the space left from a 2" body lift. I had to cut a portion of the crossmember out, mainly the rear section because it made contact with the tank. I then took a 2" flat stock and welded it to the forward side of the crossmember to add strength back to it. I did exactly what you are referring to by cutting the lip off and rewelding it lower on the skid. If you go to high a portion of the body mounts may need some trimming from what I remember.

Exactly, I went up 3" and didn't have to trim the body mounts very much, but most of the crossmember is gone, just enough left to bolt the tank skid back on, so I threw a piece of angle on top and drilled holes to match, just bolted the tank skid to the abbreviated x-member and new angle, the angle is long enough to rest on the beefy part of the remaining x-member by teh body mount, always meant to weld in a section of 2"x3" rectangular and make new shock mounts off of that, but never got around to it in the last year, hell, I've been running with one rear shock for almost a year cuz I tore one off.

I had to use the Chevy strap because it was cheap, the old ones broke, and they would be too short due to the lower mounting position, plus the Chevy ones had bigger threaded ends.