Hello from a noob - and I need a little help!

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Hey Guys,Been a lurker here for a good while.  I'm a noob welder.  So far I've done a bunch of small projects, then built a welding table and chop saw cart.  I'm totally hooked on this stuff.  I bought a new MM 135, and within a month added a MM 210!Anyway, my first "major" project is building some rock rails for my rig.  I've got everything cut, and the rails all tacked (see pic below).  Now......my question for the welding experts.    I'm wondering if it will be OK to remove the rails and do the actual welding while they are OFF of the vehicle.  My concern is warping.    The cross members are 2x2 1/4" tubing, the main outside rails is 2x6 3/16th tubing, and the brackets that mount to the vehicle (same place the old rock rails were mounted) are also 3/16th.What I don't want to happen is to have the legs move (warp) so that the bolt holes will not line up.    Since I don't have a lift or a pit - it is very difficult to weld everything solid while under the vehicle.  Plus, since I'm a bit of a noob - I want to be very careful/particular with my welds, which I could do if it's on my welding table as opposed to under the rig.Any advice?  Thanks in advance!
Reply:Hello,My humble opinion, it will warp just as bad if you do all the rest of the welding on the vehicle, if left unfixtured or all fitments partially welded. I would pull them off and make a temporary brace/fixture to prevent warping and do the final welding in a more comfortable environment  then reinstall them to the chassis.Good luck,ric
Reply:Am I pretty safe from warping if I'm welding the same bead on both sides - where the distortion on the first weld will be offset by equal distortion on the opposite side?    I'm assuming the big 2x6 isn't going to warp (creating a wilting T joint), I'm mostly worried about the legs warping that are going into the T-joint, when the legs are not detached from the vehicle which right now creates a stable structure.    Every weld on this structure will have an exact opposite side weld.
Reply:your going to get some warp . if you weld the vert welds on the tubes ,as you look at the pic first then top and bottom it should not be to badChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:You could try moving around a bit. Weld one pass on one joint driver side skip to another joint a make your next short weld. Think of it as if you were torqing an engine head, constantly moving around. This should help to minimize warpage on your final assembly. You could also walk away from the piece and let it cool after welding a portion of each joint.Good luck in your project.Tennessee Squire Association
Reply:Thanks for the input guys.  I had some time to weld one of the rails last night.  I took detailed measurements of the distance between the legs before and after I welded.   After clamping down securely and welding as suggested here - the biggest net movement was only 1mm on one leg!  I'm happy.  Thanks again.