Why is the panhard crossmember on an angle?

[bigmoe]

Anyone know why the panhard crossmember is on an angle? Any harm to move the pass side ahead a bit? I could use a bit more clearance for my fuel pump fittings on the tank I'm installing if I push my tank forward slightly.

[chevy_mike]

It is at an angle to prevent the frame from "racking". Without it, it's the frame is a giant parallelogram. If you were to push hard enough on one end of one frame rail, it would allow it to move. By using the angled cross member, it prevents that from happening, because the cross member would need to physically become longer or shorter, which it cannot do.