9" Axle Weight?

Does anyone know what the weight difference is between the 7 1/4" axle and the 9" axle?

I'm considering removing the weight, or maybe cutting it into 3 pieces and removing the middle portion.

Thats alot of work. Just remove it and make something out of lumber (2 x 4)'s to fill the space between gastank and floor. And paint and or undercoat wood to protect from water .

Axle weight won't make a difference when removing the weight above the tank. The axle weight is unsprung weight. The weight is sprung weight meaning it is supported by the springs. If you run with an interior and some load in the back then you should be fine without it. If you're running empty I wouldn't recommend removing it.

Duane it Tennessee.

I understand it will affect the springs taking it out but I figure it's still weight at the rear for traction right?

It's still weight but It doesn't affect handling the way suspended weight does. The weight affects handling more than it's static weight because it's mounted behind the rear axle centerline. As your vehicle moves about the sprung weight shifts from side to side and front to back as you turn and accelerate and slow. Unsprung weight stays right where it is. It's the weight transfer that gets you into trouble and causes the handling to upset. When you get on the brakes real heavy and all the weight shifts forward, the rear wheels will get light causing rear brake lock up and that's when things get bad. When your rears are locked and the fronts are not that's when the vehicle will tend to spin around. That's what the rear weight is for. To help avoid rear wheel lockup.

Duane in Tennessee.

I agree with Duane. Additionally there's no need "if" you do remove the weight for a filler above the tank. The tank sits in a cradle that keeps it in a designed position.

How heavy is the weight?

I used a couple of bits of 4 x 2 on top of mine. Without it the tank was very loose....

There are three different weights. Each slightly different. I'm told they weigh between 175 and 220 pounds.

Duane in Tennessee

I would imagine a disc/drum set up might make things even more interesting under heavy braking.

1st of all I would not want to be the one in the drivers seat in this picture,,, LOL.... that weight is there for a reason, they didn't do it because they were bored with nothing to do,,,, Its an old subject and well proven that is unsafe. The amount of weight difference between the two axles is not enough to matter much if at all, and a lot of other things that could be done without asking for trouble.  
  A drum brake is actually a mechanical power brake versus a disc brake.  The drum brake using mechanical multiplication that helps push the shoes into the drum. A disc brake with the only thing that can do that being the pressure applied to the piston itself.  The reason why a "proportioning valve" of some sort used to back off the pressure to the drum brakes so that they do not lock up with a drum/disc setup. On our trucks that have drum/drum,, the wheel cylinders are smaller in the rear to accomplish the same thing instead of using a "proportioning" valve. 
  IMO,,, I would strongly suggest to not remove the weight,,, its there on purpose and also increasing traction to the wheels...
vic  

Yeah I'm going to keep it in there, it was a passing thought. I know many have taken the weight out, but I plan on running empty mostly anyway.

Re thinking my statement on the wheel cylinders,,,, actually with multiplication,, I believe the rear wheel cylinders would have to me larger,,,, LOL,,, Regardless, the different bore sizes used to control the Proportioning,,,  LOL..
Vic