Garden Cart Repair

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After the lashing Lanse took, i'm a little hesitant to show any projects .. but i figgure, i'm proud of it regardless, so here it is:we've got two of these carts and the front axle has been problematic.  there is a strap that ties the front axle together at the bottom and keeps the wheels from splaying out.  the problem is that it keeps breaking, on both of them.  they both have been fixed before, but at the ends where the axles go through the strap. Those welds have held up great (yeah for me!)  but this time it broke right in the middle where the pivot pin goes through itso i used a ratchet strap to hold the axles together and tacked the strap back together, then ground it flush so i could put another strap over it.then i welded on a 16 or 14 gauge plate (don't remember what it was when i bought it, just a scrap i had laying around)not real pretty, but ... eeehthen ground it flat so i wouldn't vomit next time i saw it, and painted it black.still ugly .. but fixed.this was all done on my AC buzz box with 5/64 6013 @ 55amp (give or take).saved myself about 100 bucks not having to buy another cart .... and i learned something too ... win win thanks for reading.mike
Reply:Looks good to me.  I did the same repair on the carts the HS marching band used.  I think I used a heavy washer for reinforcement.
Reply:then ground it flat so i wouldn't vomit next time i saw it, and painted it black.
Reply:Likely better than it was before so mission accomplished. You only get better with practice.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:I did the same repair as well. All I had was angle though. A few years later I was back fixing where the axles goes through that piece of flat stock . This was my parents' wagon so I don't have any pics to help you out, but if you double the ends where the axle goes through it; you won't have to come back later.Millermatic250Miller Spoolmate 200Miller Spoolmatic 1Lincoln tombstone with century DC converter1945 K.O. Lee company stick welder (looks like R2D2)Miller 30E feederHobart AH27 FeederMiller Thunderbolt AC/DC
Reply:Looks great.  It's great when your welding equipment starts to pay for itself.  And post away with no worries.  At least you're showing your work.  I've posted far worse looking beads here.  I personally hate 6013.  Makes a decent looking bead that OFest penetrate much and is prone to break, at least when I use it.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Thanks for all the kind words.I'm sure it sounds kinda dumb, but these types of repairs are extremely satisfying,  I wish i had the skill set to make it look like a pro did it, but i obviously just fix things that break around the acreage.  that and i've only had access to a welder for a couple years.I'm beginning to dislike 6013 as well.  For this type of stuff it seems to work OK, mostly because you can easily get such small rods.  the 5/64 size is a real gem for sheet metal.  the 1/16 are great for thin stuff but the rods burn so quick you really gotta be on your toes.  As it was i had a couple times with the 5/64 where i couldn't get my coordination down right to round the corner and feed the rod, so i lost the arc.  i'm sure that's just a matter of practice.anyway ... as soon as i get two more tires, momma will have both of her carts back! happy wife = happy life!thanks again for all the kind words!mike
Reply:Originally Posted by MeborderI'm sure it sounds kinda dumb, but these types of repairs are extremely satisfying,  I wish i had the skill set to make it look like a pro did it, but i obviously just fix things that break around the acreage.  that and i've only had access to a welder for a couple years.
Reply:Meborder - I'm beginning to dislike 6013 as well.
Reply:Better than factory.
Reply:I made basically the exact same repair. I just replaced the whole piece because I didn't trust myself to weld that thin metal back together again. I used 3/16" because it was what I had laying around. I suspect it'll hold!http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/r...ck-repair.html
Reply:Originally Posted by MeborderThanks for all the kind words.I'm sure it sounds kinda dumb, but these types of repairs are extremely satisfying
Reply:I haven't had that issue with my cart yet, but I have had the steering arms buckle when I put ten 80lb bags of concrete on it.  Still have not gotten around to fixing it yet, but I'll keep your fix in my back pocket.If it were me though, I'd have done it just a little bit differently.  I'd use the doubler, but I would cut both ends of the doubler in a diamond shape, so the welds at the ends ran diagonally to that strap, instead of across it.  In all honesty though, your repair should already be way more than strong enough to never fail again.
Reply:Good job. Now tell the wife the 100.00 is going to the purchase of a AC/DC machine.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanI haven't had that issue with my cart yet, but I have had the steering arms buckle when I put ten 80lb bags of concrete on it.  Still have not gotten around to fixing it yet, but I'll keep your fix in my back pocket.If it were me though, I'd have done it just a little bit differently.  I'd use the doubler, but I would cut both ends of the doubler in a diamond shape, so the welds at the ends ran diagonally to that strap, instead of across it.  In all honesty though, your repair should already be way more than strong enough to never fail again.
Reply:Originally Posted by MeborderGood idea!  i think i'll do that when the other cart breaks in the same location.. that would be MUCH easier to weld. .
Reply:Originally Posted by BistineauSince you already know this is a weak point in the design, why not go ahead and add the reinforcement to the other one BEFORE it breaks and eliminate any additional downtime on it. It seems like it would be easy enough, just weld in the new piece with the hole predrilled. If you wait for it to break with a load on it, then you have to unload it, repair it, then reload it. If it works, fix it anyway(as one forum member has in his signature) before it can cause trouble.
Reply:Looks cooler to repair something broken and take the pictures than to fix what isn't yet broken "Here is my perfectly working part - and here is the repair that is still working perfectly."  No one would read it cause there is no cool story on how it broke...then the website would lose members...and we'd all have to go back to talking to wives and girlfriends about welding....nobody wants that!!  Dave J.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:A neighbor gave me a broken Chinese garden cart.  The steering contraption was all busted, so I welded it back together and prompty broke it again in the same place the first time I used it.  This began a long process of redesign and bracing that finally ended with the cart I have now.  The only original parts on it are the wheels, handle, and rear axle.  But I saved money.  I guess.Tim
Reply:whelp .... the wife broke it again.at least it wasn't my booger welds that broke Time for a different approach:Cut a 1.5" wide piece of 3/16" strap to replace the 14-ga strap that has broken twice.Best part of the whole project was using my grandpa's drill press for the first time in about 10 years.  I suppose it is mine now, but it will always be "Grandpa's" ya know?Tried to match the hole locations of the original, but in hindsight i should have matched them relative to the new length (you'll see why later)sorry for the poor pic, but i edge welded the new strap to the cart truck.3/32" 7014 @ 90ish ampsnext post:Last edited by Meborder; 03-07-2015 at 05:26 PM.
Reply:The thicker strap created one small problem:The rear "tie rod" was now too high to connect to the steering bar.Easily fixed though, but flipping the "tie rod" to the other side of the "steering knuckle"Worked out as though i had planned it that way (totally not the case)next post:
Reply:Remember how i matched distance between the two holes and wished i hadn't?Here's why:Ended up with a TON of positive camber.It doesn't seem to hurt anything and it steers OK, but i'm afraid it might want to tip over a little easier with the front wheels being tipped out on the top like that.Here's the other cart for comparison.I guess we'll see if the wife complains.but i think i'm done fixing that axle strap on this one.  I think the 3/16" will hold up worlds better than the original.Now to find the next weakest link
Reply:Grandpa's old craftsman drill pressYou can see his table saw right behind it.
Reply:plug weld the holes and re-drill at original spacing, it's transferring the load to areas not designed for it (was this design made to be loaded first?) and shim the steering bar/ tie rods system with a few washers. Or leave it as is and use the wife guilt for breaking it again to your advantage and have the pleasure to re-repair it again...