What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Who has welded their axle tubes?

Welded tubes?

  • Yes

    Votes: 33 37.9%

  • No

    Votes: 25 28.7%

  • I weld naked and it burns

    Votes: 29 33.3%
  • Total voters
    87
Well I have a junk 12 bolt sitting on the side of the house. Tonight I am going to practice on it, then tomorrow I will do my 14 bolt.
 
Well my test come out like ****. Not enough welding experience, welds were piss poor. Going to have a welder friend come mig weld the 14 bolt thurs.
 
Aaaww don't give up that easy. Stick to it so you will LEARN. Start finding some scrap and go at. You need to learn how to weld after spending some time on this site.
 
He's got over 5000 posts, I think he has spent some time on this site. :deal: :D

Just use hot glue and duct tape, it has held up so far for me. :rolleyes:
 
Fabrimacator21 said:
Did you clean it up before you welded on it? Ground good I.E. on clean metal?
Click to expand...

I wire wheeled it to nice shinny metal. An then hit it with brake clean. While welding, it looked like grease or oil was coming out of the press fit. So on the 14 bolt I will really clean it good, and pre heat it to burn as much of the trapped oil/grease out as I can.
 
chevysmithz71 said:
Aaaww don't give up that easy. Stick to it so you will LEARN. Start finding some scrap and go at. You need to learn how to weld after spending some time on this site.
Click to expand...


Im not giving up on welding. I just spend $1300 on a welder and equipment. Havn't welded since 9th grade so it has been over 13 years since I have had any real practice. Just don't think I am ready to try and weld cast to steel yet. Need to get back into the groove of just welding again, Have a nice collecton of scrape I have been practicing on. Having trouble getting a nice even bead on flat plate, but welding tube to plate or an angled joint I can get a good bead.

Sad thing is my wife on her third time playing with the welder has better welds than me and she has no experience.:doah:
 
Sometimes you don't have a choice with the trapped greese...

Just run a pass all the way around then grind out your perosity. The first pass should burn all the grease out and the second should lay down alot nicer.

I wouldn't spray it with brake clean either... that might have been brake clean not grease.
 
I'm just thinking it got into the cracks and thats some of what came out of the diff when he started welding. Probably grease but really theres no reason to spray brake clean anywhere.
 
i havent seen any new tips on the
Off Road Technical Articles

why dont they add another one like this one. seems easy do it your self kind of stuff i think this would be a good one to add!:D
 
I have been reading and following and reading this thread for a while and I would like to make a couple things clear befor I break down and weld my tubes.

My truck is my dd so I dont really wanna pull the axle and currently have access to a good mig welder and a friend that can weld pretty good. So what I can do, according to what I have read, is raise the truck till weight is off the axle and mig weld the tubes without removing the axle, correct?

38377k5- you said you welded 1" sections. do I need to weld in 1" increments or just weld 1 continuous bead around the tube?

and my last question is what if the weld cracks or doesnt stick? can I grind it down and reweld or is the housing junk?

sorry I know most of this has been discussed already but I have little welding experience and this is my dd and Ive already installed gears, locker, disk brakes etc. so I dont wanna ruin my housing.
 
he's saying to do 1" long stitch welding, alternating locations, until the whole circumference is welded. this prevents too much heat build up in one area and avoids warping.
 
big dan said:
My truck is my dd so I dont really wanna pull the axle and currently have access to a good mig welder and a friend that can weld pretty good. So what I can do, according to what I have read, is raise the truck till weight is off the axle and mig weld the tubes without removing the axle, correct?
Click to expand...

Yep

big dan said:
38377k5- you said you welded 1" sections. do I need to weld in 1" increments or just weld 1 continuous bead around the tube?
Click to expand...

I was worried that one continuous bead would warp the housing so I did small sections at a time (though I did have the welder turned up to put a lot of heat into those small sections).



big dan said:
and my last question is what if the weld cracks or doesnt stick? can I grind it down and reweld or is the housing junk?
Click to expand...


You will be able to fix it if that happens, take your time and watch what the welds are doing and you'll be fine ;)
 
alright, thanks guys. :bow:

looks like I'll be adding this to my list of things to do next weekend.
 
you should put 4 1'' welds 1 each at 12oclock then 6oclock, then 3 and 9...fairly quick together...let it cool then do 4 more just start where u left off the 1st time until your all the way around...then i ground a little u in that weld..welded 1st pass w tig.....then i started at 6oclock w/arc welder and used enconel rod, b/c its good for weldind dissembler metals together and ran a continuous weld up and over stopping just to change rods and peened it 15-20 min...then wrapped it up and sand bagged it up to slo the cooling and its been 7 yrs ago and no cracks..i also have made 2-3 passes w/a good hot mig w/o any preheat also and just air cooled and they still ok...i think the diff is alot better casting than peeps think..hi-quality investment cast stuff thats weldable, but don't blame me if u weld yours and the diff busts from expanding and contracting from heat =)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom