RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

Welded in the side pieces on the frame and the shock area tonight, the stock body material sucks for welding that's for sure.

T Pizzle

iTrader: (1)

You are not kidding. That metal is crap. It is like welding aluminum foil

Phil99vette

iTrader: (11)

Is it 24 ga sheetmetal? What welder are you using and what size wire?

I'm using a Miller 180, .023 wire, speed 1.5, 40 amps. I can stitch weld it like there is no tomorrow. You need to try and clean off both sides of the weld if possible.

T Pizzle

iTrader: (1)

It is really thin stuff. I am using a Hobart and using .030 wire. It welds but it is just messy metal.

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

Same here borrowed my friends hobart mig welder today, welds but sure doesn't look like welding on clean fresh mild steel

Have to make my panhard bracket braces and two new tabs for my relocated PHB.

Any new photos?

I got the frame boxed in and welded around the panhard bracket. Welded in the plates I made for the new shock holes up top, will grind those and smooth them out so it looks like factory

I really need to get a tig, I'd rather spend 5x the time and have it come out nicer.

Only worked on the car for about 30 minutes today.

I need to cut my panhard rod, shorten it and weld it back together so I can have something to center the rear until I make my new one.

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

I think it is more the metal than thickness, they have some kind of rust treatment I bet in the metal. Is isn't hard to weld on it just doesn't make clean welds like if you were welding plain mild steel.

T Pizzle

iTrader: (1)

I have not had allot of time this weekend to work on it. I have been helping my dad get into his new shop. Helping him move all his tools and stuff.
I am ready to get back to working on the car

Phil99vette

iTrader: (11)

I'd try a sanding roll and sand both sides or a media blaster to remove the paint. I got some patch panels from JC whitney and they looked like they were cheap crappy metal. Once the coating/paint was removed they welded very nice. With thin metal your going to get go through so you need to clean both sides.
Phil

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

I already welded around the frame. I have to weld in some washers for the new LCA mount and then make my panhard bracket tabs to hold the panhard rod.

Couple other little things. I'm in no hurry though, don't have a rear end or the new rims and tires yet anyways.

Will have to see what santa brings for x-mas.

T Pizzle

iTrader: (1)

I am picking up some 29.5x10.5x15 tires today that my friend has mounted on a 10" wheel. I just want to see how much clearance I have before I weld everything back up

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

Sounds good, take some photos. I think you'll be surprised how little the clearance is

That's why I went 17" on my tubs, wanted a little room to tuck it in and lower the car back down with the taller tire.

car_fixer

the factory coating is a pain to get off, and doesnt weld worth a damn, when you think its clean grind some more lol, then its best to clean it with acetone or MEK to get all the residue from grinding off, that should help, also it is worse with the tig if it isnt super duper clean it will pop and spit, and wind up looking like a stick weld when you are done. so for the rest of it clean it alot, that coating is hard to get off

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

I already finished the welding.

I have to get a new set of tubs now.

I'll wire brush the hell out of it before I start tacking those in.

I know both ways require clean metal, I just like the look of tig welded stuff it is so much cleaner, I am just kind of picky when it comes to my car.

I sure am not going to be driving some **** box no matter how fast it is.

Phil99vette

iTrader: (11)

When it comes to welding crap like that, mig is soo much better. I can tig weld pretty damn good but when it comes to factory coatings you'll find that it pops and spits. It will almost explode leaving small craters where the mig just burns 1/8" holes. Mig is going to be your best bet here and start on scrap metal you cut off the car first.

T Pizzle

iTrader: (1)

I did some test fitting before I finished welding the tub up all the way

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

That looks good, doesn't look like you have much room to lower it though, does the sidewall stick out past the fender?How far is your offset LCA from the fender? I think mine was around 14.25-14.5.

Are you going to mount the LCA all the way to the inside? I know some guys take off the inner spacer and run it all the way against the metal, I think it gives you and extra 3/8-1/2" clearance.

T Pizzle

iTrader: (1)

Still not sure yet. I think I am going to leave it in the stock place. I am going to remove these tubs and go with a full tub so I can set the car down lower

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

LOL I told you, that's why I ditched the idea as soon as I stuck a 30" tire under it.

Plus you never know you might want to do a 31x10.5w and race one of those classes.

I have everything welded up and just have to order the tubs.

I was trying to figure out why it wasn't welding as smooth as it should and ran out of wire, then I opened up the case and saw the polarity was reversed, got new wire and finished welding everything up and it was welding awesome.

Then I ran out of gas just as I finished LOL.

I boxed in the panhard bracket on the frame then took my panhard rod and I lowered the car about 1.5" and set up the panhard rod and I don't even have to make tabs because to move the bar level with the ground it sits up way higher than stock.

The panhard rod will end up being "very" close to 3" shorter, so I gained about 2" of more clearance.

There is also about 2.5" of clearance from the stock gas tank.

The bracket looks like this I just have to drill the hole.

car_fixer

that damn polarity thing...one of the guys i work with tubbed his 2nd gen and put a cage in a box in it, and when i saw it i was like what the hell did you weld it with a stick welder? he said no a mig. I said you have like no penatration there, that cage needs to be cut out and scrapped, it isnt safe at all. couple weeks later we were talking about mig welders and i mentioned changeing the polarity for flux wire, he goes you cant change the polarity, so i showed him on the welders at the shop, he came in the next day and said you wont belive this, my welder was set for the wrong polarity all along. I asked did you ah read the manual before welding? , he said no i have been welding for years, probably before you were born. anyway moral of the story check the settings before welding lol. I lust hope he never needs his cage, i guess the good thing is he builds engines about like he welded his car, so far hes gone through 1 engine per race.

RAGENZ28

iTrader: (5)

HAHAHA, that's funny, I'd never mig weld a cage anyways, only thing I would mig weld is maybe a floor plate or plate on the rocker panel to mount the subframe to, this project needs to come out nice as possible.