Welding axle tubes: On a lift or on the ground?
03-09-2005, 04:05 PM
#1
Welding axle tubes: On a lift or on the ground? When welding the axle tubes, do you want to do it on the ground so that the rear is loaded so to speak, or is it OK to do it on a lift? Not sure if there is enough give in the axle tubes as it is to make a difference but I just want to make sure.
03-11-2005, 11:51 AM
#6
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to do it right, you would have to take the axle apart (no necessarily out of the car)and set the axle up so it won't warp when heated. the most common way i have heard of uses a heavy solid rod with a cap on both ends that fits in to the axle flanges. i guess i'm going to ask why you would want to concidering what little there is to gain by doing this?
03-11-2005, 12:35 PM
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You can do a series of short welds moving to different sections of the tube back and forth, similar to welding in a sheet metal body panel. You wouldnt have to do tacs, but probably keep the welds about 1/2" or so, move to the opposite side and do the same. Then you could do the opposite tube. The idea being not to allow the housing to heat up too much. It is pretty tight under the car, but if you are good with a welder you might be able to get it done nicely.
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03-11-2005, 02:03 PM
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I had the mechanic lay some bead while we were doing my
cutout. If you do it in short bits the tube is not going to
go anywhere. Having the suspension at full drop makes it
a lot easier (or, at all possible) to do it on-car. We didn't
see any deflection from the welding but took it in little bits
to avoid any such, and avoid coking up the oil etc. too.
Not that my car -needed- the tubes welded, but by the
time you do, it's too late. The mechanic spun a tube in
his Dana 60 last month on a nitrous pass... unwelded.
Nitrous BBC in a 3rd-gen with slicks. Something gotta
give, I guess.
cutout. If you do it in short bits the tube is not going to
go anywhere. Having the suspension at full drop makes it
a lot easier (or, at all possible) to do it on-car. We didn't
see any deflection from the welding but took it in little bits
to avoid any such, and avoid coking up the oil etc. too.
Not that my car -needed- the tubes welded, but by the
time you do, it's too late. The mechanic spun a tube in
his Dana 60 last month on a nitrous pass... unwelded.
Nitrous BBC in a 3rd-gen with slicks. Something gotta
give, I guess.
