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What rod to weld on solid perches

TravisO

TravisO

1/2 ton status
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I've got a 91 K5 that I'm puting CUCV axles under. The rear perches are the solid type that I've already cut off. Re-using them, I need to know what material these perches are and what rod to weld them back on. My buddy says they are cast and I can't weld them back on. If this is true, then how did they end up welded to the axle in the first place?

Also as a side note. The shock mounts are on the wrong side. For example, the driver side mount is on the front of the axle tube and my old driver side mount was on the rear of the axle tube. I thought all solid axle Chevy's were the same. Is it because these are CUCV axles that the mounts are switched? Not really a big deal. I'll have to grind off the welds and flip them, but it's just something I wasn't expecting.
Thanks,
Travis
 
I can't remember if the axle tube is cast or not... If it is (surely some one will chime in) then I'd read up on preheating and post weld heating (cool down). Other than that I'd use 7018.
 
No tubes are cast. I was wondering how to tell if the perches are cast steel or cast iron.
Travis
 
Sorry...lack o sleep will that do to ya... er... do that to ya...

If the perches are cast, the see previous post. Or replace them with steel ones.

But again I have to read things several times to actually see what you are getting at... As I understand it, if it is cast and it is iron based (as steel is iron based too) then it is cast iron.

But then again I did just look right at a door frame and walk into it! No I'm not drunk...that is more fun... I work nights...

Hope my rantings helped... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
The 1 ton axles have the shocks mounts swapped. The 3/4 ton 14 blt has the spring mounts and shock mounts the same as the 1/2 ton.
 
use 7018 when welding on steels, its hi strength structural rod. alot of guys like to use 6011 welding gears, not sure why 7018 is not the preferred rod there. pearch to axle tubes, I would use the 7018 for sure, there just mild steel.
 
Use nickle rod to weld castiron/steel. I think you can get it in 7018. That is what is recommended, but like you , I was not sure what the perches were made of, so i gave it i try with with some regular old 7018. They've been holding on for about a year now.
As a side note, years ago I had to weld a bunch of castiron parts onto some steel tubing with that nickle rod. And on every one that failed, you could hear a slight tink sound when it cracked as it cooled. So give it a try, and you should know right away if it's gonna work or not.
good luck
Bob
 
While we're talking about rods... what are 7014 supposed to be used for? I stick a lot of stuff together with them.

Does anyone know of an online welding rod usage guide? I searched Google... but I suck.



.
 
the first 2 digits 70 are tensile strength in thousands of pounds (or 1st 3 digist when refering to 11018)

2nd last digit is position, 1 is all position. 2 is flat and horizontal 3 is flat only.

last digit is coating composition, 8 is lime, and I can't recall what 4 is.
 
for 7014 the '4' designates iron powder added. Obviously not as much as would be found in a 7024 "jet-Rod" becuas eit's still an all position rod. It's a good general purpose rod, although it does not dig all that deep.

To prevent cast from cracking at the bead it's best to keep it hot after welding and peen the surface of the weld.

Cast steel is way more forgiving than cast iron, and is nowhere near as brittle.

Rene
 
I can almost promise you those perches are not cast iron. pre heat to at least 200 degrees & use a low hydrogen rod if you don't know what kind of steel you are welding, thats my rule of thumb. . I ran a 6010 root and 7018 cap on mine. I didnt pre heat though.
 
fatbob said:
Use nickle rod to weld castiron/steel. I think you can get it in 7018. That is what is recommended, but like you , I was not sure what the perches were made of, so i gave it i try with with some regular old 7018. They've been holding on for about a year now.
As a side note, years ago I had to weld a bunch of castiron parts onto some steel tubing with that nickle rod. And on every one that failed, you could hear a slight tink sound when it cracked as it cooled. So give it a try, and you should know right away if it's gonna work or not.
good luck
Bob
Click to expand...

If its cast iron use nickel rod, if its cast steel you can use plain 7018. A lot of guys run 6011 because its so easy to burn... 7018 is notorius for getting slag on the tip after a weld... I usually have to drag it on the concrete when field welding at work sometimes.
 
rod designations..

I've seen welding rod usage charts on Lincoln's website in the past..a W.W. Grainger catalog has a good listing of what rod to use on different metals too..

I use 6011 on most of my rusty metal repairs,and 6013 for sheet metal that is clean..I've used 7014 and 7024 before with good results on clean mild steel,but they suck if the work is dirty,rusted, or greasy..

7018 is "low hydrogen" rod,and can be tricky to use,its not as easy as 6011 is to get lit or run beads with..it also absorbs moisture quickly,so buy fresh rods,and store them in a warm dry place,or they won't stike and hold an arc for crap!..some 7018 is AC/DC,some is AC only too!..

Some Arc welding rods are for AC current only,some for DC only,and some are AC/DC compatible...don't use 6010 or 7010 DC only rods with an AC welder,it'll lead to poor welds and frustration..

My friend bought a used Lincoln 225 AC welder recently,and was VERY pissed when I came to his shop one day--he was trying to weld a patch on a frame,using some aincient 7010 rods in a square paint thinner type can,its former owner undoubetdly pirated from a job site, that was using a motor/generator type DC welder!..they were older than me,and all flakey!

I brought him some 1/8" 6011 rods,and he said it was like being an "instant expert"!..he never used an arc welder before,only a MIG..but he ran some nice beads with the 6011,after a bit of practice!..

I've seen guys weld trailers together with the "wrong" rods,that they got "free" from work,like shipyards and metal building sites,and proceed to tow their cars to race tracks with them..:eek1: I stay FAR behind them on the way to the track!..:doah: They ask "whats wrong with my welds"..nothing,they LOOK perfect!--but how STRONG they are,remain to be seen!..:crazy:
 
Just for the record the weld will suck no matter what if the material is wet, dirty, or greasy. And I don't think thier is a wrong rod as long as it's for mild steel and your welding steel you should be fine. Personally I haven't seen anything lower then 6011 being sold but I've never really gone rod shopping because I don't own a stick welder. Anyway, 60,000 pounds tensile strength is plenty... I just don't trust a stick weld period... so many people can't tell the difference between the slag puddle and the metal puddle and it seems like every stick weld I've ever seen (execpt mine of course:D ) looks like crap.
 
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