welding x-brace ok?

[mreroc]

A friend bought me a welding mask, so I'm going to learn how to weld. For my forest road usage, I'd like to weld some aluminum or steel plate into the openings on the x-brace, with space for the drain plug. Is there a downside to this as far as making the brace too stiff; does there need to be a little give in it? Thanks for any input.

[1996 328ti]

I'm not sure how much I'd play around with that.
In the unlikely event of a head on collision, I'm willing to bet it was designed to allow the motor to drop down a bit.

[mreroc]

Thanks, that's a good point and probably sold me on leaving it alone. No undercarriage protection right now in front; I'll focus there.

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by mreroc

Thanks, that's a good point and probably sold me on leaving it alone. No undercarriage protection right now in front; I'll focus there.

I don't necessarily know what I'm talking about.
I do know BMW designs safety for a reason.