OK...noob question here.
This is my first truck rebuild. There is a cross member just below the front of the cab that is riveted to each frame rail and crosses just under the bellhousing of the tranny (which makes it impossible to pull the tranny from below) which is currently a small block w/ th400.
How structually important is this member and what if any suggestions on either drilling out the rivets and bolting back in or removing completely?