Welding Truss To Axle Housing

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Hello AllI recently bent some suspension parts on my XJ Cherokee offroad. In addition to welding on new 1/4" mounts to the tubes, I am adding a truss to help prevent axletube bending and housing deflection.My dilemma comes when considering welding the truss directly to the cast housing. I am 95% sure it's cast steel, will confirm tomorrow. I would like to weld it to the housing for the increased rigidity, but I am not at a point where I want to remove all the innards of the pumpkin to pre/post heat. At some point, I plan to regear and go with larger tires which is when I would be more greatly concerned with housing deflection anyway. Having it torn down to regear would be a great time to pre/post heat the housing for welding.My question is, is it worth it to even try to weld it to the cast housing now? I have read everything from using nickel rod, many pre/post heating methods, and treating cast steel no differently.I have access to MIG, TIG, and stick welders, so the process really isn't a limitation.Thoughts?
Reply:It's most likely cast steel therefore just do it with whatever process you are most comfortable with..It's really a non-issue....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterIt's most likely cast steel therefore just do it with whatever process you are most comfortable with..It's really a non-issue....zap!
Reply:Until the edit button on your post goes away....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterUntil the edit button on your post goes away....zap!
Reply:...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapster...zap!
Reply:Very experienced welder co-worker of mine suggested a little pre-heat and 7018. I think that's probably the route I'll take.
Reply:In my misspent youth I flew my Landrover through the air several times.  An old railroad rail, a jack and some chain allowed me to straighten it back to the correct toe-in.     Your preheat only has to be slight and you don't need large welds just as long as they are nice and neat with no undercut or craters.
Reply:Anyone got any suggestions on not warping the tubes when I weld to them? I believe they are 2.5" tube, .25" thick. I was thinking of welding 3 small pedestals to a large workbench and welding the axle to them while welding the truss on.The front and back of the truss pieces that will be welded to the tube and cast housing are 1/8" thick. Would this be acceptable to weld with my 110V Lincoln wirefeed running .035 fluxcore? Even the cast housing? I usually like to really burn in structural stuff but there will be so many linear inches of weld I figure I'll be OK. My thinking was staying low on the heat side would lessen the chance of warping and 1/8" is well within the spec of welding with my machine. This would be most convenient as it wouldn't require me to move the axle to another shop to use a 220V welder, but I will if it is necessary. I will be burning in the suspension mounts with a 220V machine anyway.
Reply:The truss is your strongback.  Mount it to the axle housing with tack welds then weld it firmly.  The bracing of the truss will stop any bending action.
Reply:Originally Posted by lotechmanThe truss is your strongback.  Mount it to the axle housing with tack welds then weld it firmly.  The bracing of the truss will stop any bending action.
Reply:Originally Posted by xjh3This makes me feel a little better, I was planning to do this too. Would you consider my machine capable of 'firmly' welding 1/8" to the rest? Still planning to use some preheat on the cast.
Reply:It is a Lincoln Weld-Pak 3200HD. I don't think it is the higher powered machine, but I bought it used so I could be wrong. I will do some test samples.
Reply:Got something that is a hair thicker than 1/8" today and did some test samples. One is on a piece of 1/4" plate and the other is on a piece of 2" sched 40, which is pretty close to what the tubes of my axle are. I think they look pretty good. I paid very close attention and felt comfortable with how it was burning into each piece. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by xjh3Hello AllMy question is, is it worth it to even try to weld it to the cast housing now? I have read everything from using nickel rod, many pre/post heating methods, and treating cast steel no differently.I have access to MIG, TIG, and stick welders, so the process really isn't a limitation.Thoughts?
Reply:1-Sand and at least rough polish those cross sections.2-The starts will be cold--even if back-stepping on the start. That can be problematic in itself. Cut thru a start.3-Suggest you give this welding the best shot-on the first go;fit up and tack up with 110v mig....then...weld it out on 220v(4-Those coupon pics I posted were for setup with 400A Powconinverter--they're cross sections thru the weld starts---steel wirein spray; and back-stepping on the start.)Blackbird
Reply:Originally Posted by B_CYo Zap... How long do I have after posting something before I can't edit it?
Reply:Now this is probly not the best way, but it has worked for me on determining cast iron vs steel. When you grind on cast iron (with an abrasive wheel) you get very minimal sparks, and with cast steel it is just like grinding anything else and it shoots sparks. Try and get ahold of an arc welder or something, better than a 110 mig.HTP Invertig 201Lincoln Idealarc SP250Miller 180 AC StickBy farmall:They should have held the seagull closer to the work, squeezing evenly for best deposition.
Reply:That is a greay way to determine the difference.  Only my expierence has been that Cast Iron throws a BUNCH of sparks a very short distance.  Mild steel throws a decent amount a long ways.  Cast iron is like a little mini fireworks show!  My personal experience oly.
Reply:Ummm, xjh3,Polish those weld sample a bit more, but from here (far away, over the Internet, looking at a reduced size and quality JPEG of a roughly cut weld) it looks like I can -still- see the seam between the weld bead and the 'thicker' material you did the test samples on.  I think I can also still see the seam on the thinner test piece as well, although that might be a saw scratch instead.If you can see the seam/edge of the ORIGINAL metal, then you haven't melted and fused into it.  At all.Notice how Dave Powelson's image shows the red-circled areas and you can still see the original seam of the base material?  That's 'classic' lack-of-penetration aka cold-lap aka inadequate fusion.  And he said that was with a 400A machine in spray-mode!  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:I'm no expert, but I don't see any penetration at all on that first weld.
Reply:Oh, you took halfway decent pictures, so Here is a picture of a weld showing how the weld bead fused into the base/parent metal.  (not my weld, not my picture!  Came from Lincoln in one of their training documents.  Listed as a spray-transfer weld, btw. ) Attached Images  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:I think his pics are just fine..No polishing needed on the parts..Yup fine lines where the parent material fit up is still visible..That's no good.More "Ommph" is needed here..It may look good while you are doing it but the end results do not lie..That would fail any welding test.You have the method now you need the "Polish"....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I do see the fine lines now. I might polish them up a little to see, but I see the writing on the wall. Guess the 5/16" rating for my welder is a little optimistic? Oh well...I am considering TIGing it now. I have the most experience with TIG, and generally don't like solid wire MIG, probably from a lack of experience using it. Seems like I can turn it way up and it still likes to kinda bounce off, like dave's photos above.Good to see you see what we see..If you have tig capacity then why play with a 110 toy anyway?And what is the tig machine?...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I am working in another bay at work, kind of our storage bay. The 220V outlet doesn't work so I'm going to have to play electrician before I can get started. Just impatient I guess.The machine I will be using will most likely be either a Miller Maxstar or Dynasty, we have both but I can't remember which one is set up for single phase right now.