Welding advice

[stockk5]

Hey guys, I am in the process of finishing up clocking up my 208, and I am making a front dshaft and want some advice on welding these pieces. A few of my friends are saying the dana 60 shaft is forged so I need a special TIG wire to do it. Is this true? I just want to make sure I am not gonna have this explode on me. I tack welded it all together until i get to a bigger machine (mines a miller 180 w/ .30wire)

I took 2 standard dshafts and cut the flange off, and ground one flat and bolted them together and tacked them. Then a broken dana 60 shaft yoke and tacked that on for now Thanks for any advice guys!

 

[Keitha]

Do you have to wory about ballance?

 

[stockk5]

yes, i have a tcase on the bench i am bolting it to and just double checking the "trueness" of it. Hope it works out!

 

[GreenieK30]

Regular wire feed is fine. Preheat both parts before you weld and put them in front of a heater to let them cool slowly. The flange will cool quicker then the yoke and the weld might get hairline cracks in it. Clean all the paint dirt and rust off the yoke before you weld it.

 

[wasted wages]

I just built a square tube driveshaft and welded the yokes on with 7018 rods with a stick welder...70K tensile strength...

 

[stockk5]

I just built a square tube driveshaft and welded the yokes on with 7018 rods with a stick welder...70K tensile strength...

were they dana 60 yokes?

 

[wasted wages]

1410 1 ton yokes....

 

[tRustyK5]

I just built a square tube driveshaft and welded the yokes on with 7018 rods with a stick welder...70K tensile strength...

MIG wire (AKA E70S-6) is also 70 KSI tensile...just an FYI. I still give the 7018 the nod for depth of penetration and overall strength and toughness.

I agree with the pre-heat comments above. Ideally you want to shoot for a 250 F pre-heat temp. I would also add a weld on brace across the yoke ears before welding. The way it is fit up it's likely if it is left un-braced that the weld will pull the yoke ears outward. You could use an oven for your pre-heat, and also to control post weld cooling. After weld have the oven ready at 200F and put the freshly welded piece in. Drop the temp a little every half hour until your down to 125-150F, then turn the oven off.

Rene

 

[stockk5]

ah good points! thanks for the tips... now wheres that toaster oven...