After that I decided it was time to finally install the gas tank. This was a pretty big moment. My measurements told me that it should fit, but I didn't know for sure. Well, I got my answer. It fits front to back, which was my concern. It does not fit, however, top to bottom. The sending unit on top of the tank hits the floor of the Jeep. It looks like I need about 3 inches of clearance to make it work.
Here's the tank. It is the factory tank out of the Dodge Ram
Here is my problem area
The way I see it, I have 3 options:
1. Get a new tank and put it in the back. I don't want to do this for a number of reasons but mainly because I currently have my spare tire carrier under the back of the Jeep and want to keep it that way. Other factors are cost of another tank and the fact that using a different tank will require me to figure out fuel pump, pressure regulator, etc.
2. Lift the body. I can get a 3 inch body lift that will cure my problem. The problem is the Jeep is already a bit taller than I'd like. I'm also on the fence about running a body lift.
3. Cut the floor. I'm leaning toward going with this option. I could cut out a section of the floor and replace it with a 3 inch tall "box" if that makes sense. If I do this, I'll make it so that I can access the fuel pump without having to drop the tank.
Anyone have any thoughts/input on option 3? The box would be located from the tranny tunnel moving toward the drive side of the vehicle and would be right in front of the "step down" in the floor where the back seat is. My only concern here is that I'd prefer to keep the fold-down function of my back seat if possible.