Just got my 2004 crossfire, unsure if it's the which one it is, but know it's not the srt. Have all kind of questions, how to eliminating body sway, best plug-n-play performance mods, removing hatchback wall, going to one size rims for all 4 wheels???

 

Adam, go and introduce yourself in the introduction area first. To your questions there is a ton of information on this site if you search. Not sure on the removal of the hatchback wall though.

 

You could remove the hatchback wall, but unfortunately you wouldn't go very far, as that is the gas tank.

 

welcome aboard! you've got a ton of reading ahead of you

 

+1

...and welcome to the forum.

 

So don't leave me in the dark, what's my reading list??

 

180 posted pictures sometime ago, the gas tank is below the bulkhead but it still would require major metal surgery to remove it.

 

What about just lowering it? Say taking off that first 8"?

 

Welcome. There was only 1 kind in 04. Your choices were: auto or stick; all season tires or not; pick one of 4 or 5 colors. Body sway? Mine is and always has been tight as a drum. Get a computer tune. Not a lot of performance choices but you pick up an easy 10% on horse power. Don't understand same size wheels. You were worried about body sway and now you want muck with the balance. You will be hard pressed here to find much help on removing your gas tank.

Wish you well in your endeavors to make the car your own. If you want to meet some Texas members check out the Murphy'w Steakhouse thread. There will be a couple performance experts there.

 

Not really trying to remove gas tank, but saw a picture of a crossfire with lower hatchback wall and as I'm 6'4" tall being able to get another 1-2" would be great. As for wheels, I always prefer a full size spare/matching rim and tire

 

You have touched on 2 of the problems that have never been reasonably satisfied. I am 5'10" and keep the seat full back and full down. We have had owners that were your size but they just had to tough it out. You could try a custom seat to gain an inch or two. Those that went this way lost some comfort. Kind of depends on how you intend to use the car. Long trips might flat spot your butt.

A spare has always been a problem. Same size wheels and tires would cause you to use under sized tires on the rear as they are much wider than the front. Even then fitting a spare in the trunk would be tough. Most of us just get towing insurance to deal with tire flats. Mine has been on a flat bed probably a half dozen times. Half of those have been due to flat tires. Some have went with a doughnut. They were not entirely happy due to fitment on the rears and loss of trunk space. Most everyone that has taken long trips just hope for the best and keep their tow card handy.

 

So the bulkhead can't be reduced at all? For fitting say 19" or 20" all the way round should just be a suspension adjustment, there are tons of fully adjustable shocks/struts, only question is what works best, plug-n-play with the rest of the crossfire systems....

 

Forget the hatchback wall, take that out and you'll see the gas tank and the car will act like a wet noodle, it is an integral part of the body structure it provides stiffness.
You do not want to run a Sawzall through the gas tank.

Use search or you might ask a question that gets laughed at, all your questions have been asked before and the answers are all to be found here. Do not ask where the spare tire is.
There was only one model in 2004 and it was called a Crossfire.

 

@ one hundred 80, can you be any less rude? As t trained motorcycle tech, specialized in Suzuki's I've never told anyone to go hunt for information I had/knew... if you got nothing helpful to add, how about adding nothing... and yes I know I could search, endlessly, there no stupid questions, just stupid answers... so why couldn't one reduce bulkhead by 6-8 inches? it sounds like the top part is hollow. Yes I know where my spare tire is, thanks...

 

I was not trying to be rude but I guess you are a bit touchy. You were told about the bulkhead, what would a few inches do for you except screw up the looks of the interior. Why would you purchase the car if you knew you did not fit in it?
Anyway good luck.

 

two things that you can do one cost 0, well your labor look up the knee bolster removal.

the other would cost about $1000.00 that is install the KW lower springs and shocks.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...-me-offer.html

 

The hatchback wall is a structural member of the XFire body. And Chrysler chose to house the fuel tank within the wall itself. It is, after all, a sports car and not much room is available to house the gas tank in the traditional under body area. As such, I'd avoid performing any modification to it. Can a mod be performed? Anything is possible, but most of us, that have considerable knowledge regarding this car, would not make that attempt.

It's your car; your risk.

 

Lots of wheel & tire combinations are available for the XFire. You can have just about any look you want.

 

I'm sort of aligned with others. Really don't recall the XFire having any issues with body sway, even with worn suspension components. Do know the cheap steering damper can be an issue and is really a routine, "throw away" part that needs to be changed out probably every 15k miles. Only costs about $15-$20. Cheaper than an oil change!

You can get suspension upgrades (shocks, coil-overs, etc.). Needswings.com will show you some components that can be used. They are a very good source for after-market performance mods.

Later,

 

Hi Adam, welcome to the forum. Seems like there are quite a few 04's changing hands lately with many of the new members showing up. I too have an 04 that I purchased brand new, and I plan on keeping mine as long as I can.
At 6'4" you are definitly "pushing the envelope" when it comes to finding a comfortable driving position. I'm 6'2" and I only have about an inch extra for my knees, and about 1" clearance above my head.
I think removing the knee bolster (like AMX-Jim) suggested would be of great help to you.
Another forum member documentated his seat modification where he was able to get his seat to sit closer to the floor. Some cuttting was needed, but all in all it didn't seem to be that major of an operation. I can't remember who it was, but maybe somebody else will. You might be able to find his thread by doing a search too.
I'm only aware of one person cutting into the bulkhead and that was forum member "PADGETT". I think he cut a notch out of the section directly behind the drivers seat so it would lean back a few more degrees. I'm not sure how deep he went, (because the gas tank isn't too far beneath it) so you may want to PM him for more infomation before trying it yourself.
When I bought my Crossfire, I had only sat in about 4 or 5 other XF's, and I never could get comfortable. I almost gave up on buying one (even though I felt it was the perfect new car for me at the time). I wound up winning a fantastic deal on EBAY for exactly the car I wanted, only it was a nine hour drive away. When I picked it up, the salesman (who delivered it to me just outside the showroom) had the seat perfectly adjusted for me when I first got into it. (He too was 6'2"). I asked him how he did it since I was never able to find the "sweet spot", and he said, just drop the seat all the way down, and with the seat back in an up right position, slide the seat back as close to the bulkhead as possible. Then after getting in, move the seat forward until your knees are close to the knee bolster, then tilt the seat back as far as it will go. After tilting the front of the seat up a little to give the bottom of my legs just a little support, it felt perfect. In the last nine summers I've spent enjoying my Crossfire, I've spent many times driving it for 12hrs straight on trips, and never got out of it with a sore back. It did take a short break in time to get aquainted with the hard seat bottoms, and some people find removing their wallets while driving improves the trip.
I'm sure after you make a few adjustments, it will feel like home to ya. Good Luck, and enjoy.