Is a transmission crossmember neccessary?

[ts71281]

Ok, so after 15 years of hibernation, I'm getting to work on my 70 c10 again.

15 years ago, I swapped out the 307 3-speed configuration for a 468 big block and a 4 speed muncie M20.


I used the '70 engine towers and motor mounts, and I used the old style bellhousing (small hole) and attached it to the muncie 4 speed. This allowed me to use the factory transmission crossmember that supports the transmission by the bellhousing, not the tailshaft.

Is this ok to use like this or should I be putting in another type of crossmember? It seems sturdy, but I don't know if this transmission would be better suited to be supported by the rear or if the bellhousing support suffices. My thoughts are, it was good enough for the 3-speed, why would the 4-speed be any different? Maybe my thought process if flawed. Please provide input and correct me if I'm doing things wrong.