Do you really need to move the gas tank for safety?

[In The Ten Ring]

I only want to relocate my fuel tank so that I can carry more junk behind the seat (carry anything at all back there). Is the gas tank inside the cab really a safety issue as some have claimed it to be?

[GASoline71]

It is not. The only "safety" thing I could think of is fumes. And that is only after making a right hand turn with a full tank.

Gary

[FirstOwner69]

I agree. Not a major safety concern. As I recall there was a big safety concern (recall?) with the 73-87 trucks due to the tanks being mounted outside the frame rails and subject to fire in side impact collisions. Tanks mounted behind the axle are also at risk when rear ended. Nothing's perfect.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

It is not. The only "safety" thing I could think of is fumes. And that is only after making a right hand turn with a full tank.

Gary

While smoking.

[leftybass209]

In the extremely rare and highly unlikely instance that the fuel tank would explode, the blast radius of a tank of gas makes it lethal within a few dozen feet, and shrapnel even further. I always reference IED's and Humvees in this instance. That's a buried explosive under an armored Humvee and can still prove to be highly lethal. Case in point, combustible fluids are dangerous regardless of location on the vehicle.

[RManson]

It's an interesting argument to say the least. I always figured that if I was in an accident that was destructive enough to puncture the gas tank in the cab, I'd probably already be dead. But, I do like the idea of separating myself from said tank.

On the other hand, I used a '69 Camaro tank and mounted it behind the rear bumper with the license plate fill and there's nothing really protecting it from a rearend collision other than the flimsy bumper. That worries me a bit more than when the tank was in the cab, but again, I take a little comfort knowing I'm not in the content's direct path, so to speak.

That said, when's the last time you saw a new car with a gas tank in the passenger compartment? There's probably a good reason why you haven't...

[57larry]

Originally Posted by RManson

It's an interesting argument to say the least. I always figured that if I was in an accident that was destructive enough to puncture the gas tank in the cab, I'd probably already be dead. But, I do like the idea of separating myself from said tank.

On the other hand, I used a '69 Camaro tank and mounted it behind the rear bumper with the license plate fill and there's nothing really protecting it from a rearend collision other than the flimsy bumper. That worries me a bit more than when the tank was in the cab, but again, I take a little comfort knowing I'm not in the content's direct path, so to speak.

That said, when's the last time you saw a new car with a gas tank in the passenger compartment? There's probably a good reason why you haven't...

I like the idea of using a Camaro tank, seams like it would be cheaper than an aftermart tank. Was there much fab work?

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by RManson

That said, when's the last time you saw a new car with a gas tank in the passenger compartment? There's probably a good reason why you haven't...

OK I know it's been a couple months almost since you asked the question, but being subscribed to the thread it came up today and I have an answer.

I've never seen a gas tank in the passenger compartment of a car, just pickups/trucks. Nowadays....
" For safety considerations, in modern cars the fuel tank is usually located ahead of the rear axle, out of the crumple zones of the car".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_tank

This would indeed place the fuel tank much closer to the passenger compartment if not right up against it.

Pickups have traditionally used ladder style frames so IMO for safety reasons, put the tank in the cab. Cars in the old days mostly put the tanks behind the differential between the frame rails. The design of the car's trunk allowed it to be tucked up and behind the bumper but I think we will all agree that's a dangerous design historically.

Now the answer to your question, pickup-wise: We now have perimeter frame design that allows the gas tank to be protected somewhat by the frame.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by leftybass209

In the extremely rare and highly unlikely instance that the fuel tank would explode, the blast radius of a tank of gas makes it lethal within a few dozen feet, and shrapnel even further. I always reference IED's and Humvees in this instance. That's a buried explosive under an armored Humvee and can still prove to be highly lethal. Case in point, combustible fluids are dangerous regardless of location on the vehicle.

I've personally seen a turret blown off an M-1 Abrams by an IED (triple-stacked anti-tank mine, Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2004-2005), but we're talking about gasoline, NOT high explosives. There is absolutely no comparison.

The biggest problem with the tank behind the seat is when the hoses or tank seal begin leaking. But that's not a reason to relocate the tank.

[leddzepp]

No.

[Bob B.]

Only a problem if you roll over on the left side and knock the cap off.

[Spartan]

It's pretty hard to make a gas tank explode...as you mention.
Myth busters did a show on it.
For the rear tank scenario the ford pinto come to mind.
I shot a propane tank with my 308 and it just vented. Turns out a 900 degree spark is needed...so...some tannerite and tracer rounds did the job.
still, some extra space would be nice too

[Grumpy old man]

It all boils down to where YOU feel safer where the tank is located .The purist all have their opinion (and their entitled to it) yet they will improve every other system in the truck, brakes /driveline /suspension /ride height and leave the 1960's fuel storage/delivery technology in place ?

pros and cons of tank relocation

Pros
1) weight distribution
2) safety (my opinion)
3) extra room in the cab
4) no fumes
5) room for speakers/audio
6) cleaner body lines

Cons
1) not original look with missing filler neck hanging off the side of the truck
2) cost to relocate
3) ??

[cdowns]

monkey see monkey do describes the gas tank non issue

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by cdowns

monkey see monkey do describes the gas tank non issue

Not if you don't like the smell.

[jjzepplin]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Not if you don't like the smell.

Did someone just call me a monkey? BWAH haha!
I don't think GM would rig a test-catch there own truck on fire on purpose so they could spend millions of dollars on a recall campaign. Unless they needed to spend millions of left over money.
Maybe they had the data to prove it could catch fire but they couldn't get it to in lab tests so they rigged it to catch to prove it to the masses.
I googled it and found this.
http://www.autosafety.org/history-gm...as-tank-defect

[wreckedchevy]

Originally Posted by Spartan

It's pretty hard to make a gas tank explode...as you mention.
Myth busters did a show on it.
For the rear tank scenario the ford pinto come to mind.
I shot a propane tank with my 308 and it just vented. Turns out a 900 degree spark is needed...so...some tannerite and tracer rounds did the job.
still, some extra space would be nice too

we did the same thing and it just vented so we started a fire next to the next one and shot it and BOOM! good times

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Spartan

It's pretty hard to make a gas tank explode...as you mention.
Myth busters did a show on it.
For the rear tank scenario the ford pinto come to mind.
I shot a propane tank with my 308 and it just vented. Turns out a 900 degree spark is needed...so...some tannerite and tracer rounds did the job.
still, some extra space would be nice too

The Walking Dead, season 5 episode 1 a woman shoots a hole in a large propane or natural gas tank producing a vent, then shot the fire arrow and made a loud boom! Rare to see what really happens on TV.

[boraxman]

I have never felt uncomfortable with the tank in the cab but I am going with an under the bed tank only for my 5.3 and future power adder.

[jjzepplin]

I did mine for the felling it gave me. I kinda had the creeps with fuel sitting right behind me. I also wanted to get rid of the fumes that I had no Idea where they were coming from. I also like to run with a full tank and wanted no overfill situations like spill over. That old rubber gasket doesn't keep much out of the cab except bugs. Just stole everything from my wrecked Blazer. Bed is going to be used as a truck so drilled out the side and looks just like the fill on a Blazer.
Replaced everything for the Blazer on this site for under a hundred bucks. Now No stinky.

[sboris]

I dont even think about it..

[burnin oil]

The only issue I had with a tank behind the seat was my own fault. I pulled the sending unit out and messed up on the reinstall. Went to town and refilled the tank. All was good until I smelled gas and looked down and saw it running down the floor. Not good when you have a cigarette in your hand. Anyways I reinstalled the unit and all was fine until I sold the truck. My current 72 has a blazer tank but only because I needed the extra fuel capacity. My milage sucks and I was refilling the tank every 2 days at my old job. I drove the truck for over a year with the original tank and it didnt bother me in the least.

[special-K]

Been driving these trucks since '73. Been talking to others about these trucks since '73. Never heard of a single incident where the tank being in the cab caused anyone injury since '73. I have never smelled gas in any of the trucks I've owned. The very first '72 I bought in '73 met it's end in the wee hours of the night driving home from my girlfriend's house. Driving down a divided hiway a car ran a red light and t-boned the right side right square in the side of the cab/front of bed. The truck got knocked hard and was pushed sideways, ending up in the median down the road. The cab was all caved-in and the frame was bowed. I guess that's the accident some worry about. Sure, there's no guarantee the results would always be the same, but I feel it shows how good the odds are in favor of the location being safe as any. I never heard the tank location being questioned until recent years when people locate the tank for other reasons. If you move your tank based on safety concerns you are wasting your time and money while creating a new issue... where to put the spare. Make sure it's bolted down in the bed because I have heard of objects laying in the bed flying through the back window causing serious injury in front end collisions (most common accident).

[hamjet]

Think of all the trucks sold in this country since the tanks were behind you and all the people who smoked driving the trucks, personally myself included. I've never heard of one catching on fire or exploding, I haven't googled it and I'm sure there will be a case or two, but thats over alot of years. As long as its a good solid tank with good lines and cap I don't feel unsafe... PS; if I were to move it , it would be for tool storage or the likes.

[IHeartGroceries]

The single thing one might consider is their personal health, possibly breathing any escaped or leaking vapors. It'd otherwise take a very heavy dose to ignite, and you'd long be pulled over to the side of the road, overcome with vapor inhalation before you ignited the vapors/source. As long as everything is sealed up and good to go, I don't see any inherent dangers beyond any other vehicle.