Will a 45" header above a 34" drywalled opening be secured to the adjacent long studs?

Question

This is a 45" section of angled wall in a bearing wall under the ceiling joists, but with no second floor. I'm quite sure the header spans the 45 inch section of angled wall, which currently houses a doorway opening of 34". I would like to widen the opening to the full 45 inches and leave the header in place. Will removing the jack studs under the header damage the integrity of the wall for such a short span?

Answer 1

Possibly bc by removing the jack studs you'll be transferring whatever weight IS being held by the header directly to the king studs.Not to mention the increase in shear force that you'll also create.If you must do this I would suggest making sure that header is very well attached to the king studs.Maybe even add angle brackets to compensate for the loss of the jack studs if that's possible in your overall plan

Answer 2

The purpose of a header is to transfer weight from above to jack studs located under and at either end of the header, and the king studs located at the outside ends of the header.  

You will need to install a new header to span the new opening.  

The king studs are spaced apart from each other the same distance as the length of the header.  

The jack studs are secured to the king studs and at the same height as the bottom of the header.  The jack studs provide the support to carry the weight of the header and any weight placed on it from above.  

Do not attempt to eliminate the jack stud, these are essential components to weight bearing wall.  The cannot be replaced by angle brackets, joist hangers, or nailing through the king stud into the end of the header.

The following site illustrates the process of framing in the header: