Oil pan removal problem

I new to Mopars
I have a problem removing the oil pan on my dodge 880 convertible with an 383. Followed the factory manual. Dropped steering linkage ,but the front crossmember will not give me enough clearance to drop the pan down to slide it out. Looks like the engine has to be raised to get more clearance . That's not in the manual.
Im I missing something? Maybe it have a different oil pan than stock. I don't know the history of the car.
I know someone out there will have the answer.
Author: Dchappy