is it safe? welding to f100 straight axle

i think its been discussed on here, but cant seem to find a thread on it..

what i am looking for is if i can SAFELY weld new spring perches/plates on the bottom of an '58 f100 axle to flip the axle on top of springs instead of below.

need to get as low as i can without a major Z'd ch***is or going below scrubline.

any special prep or metal to use? any other suggestions?
also, anyone know how much drop this will get me? i'm guessing right around 3inches but dont know for sure.

the axle is going into a late 20s GM frame w/parrallel leafs in front. if welding new spring plates isnt recomended, i am gonna have to go with an underslung setup (which i would rather avoid for now) which would also put my frame horns below my scrubline....which i dont wanna do for obvious reasons.

thanks
ncg

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149033

I was going to put mine underneath, but I found that it was too low without notching the frame significantly. I found another truck done like this, and I don't think it was even welded to the axle.
CHAZ

 

Yes, it is safe to weld to the forged steel beam, as long as it is a quality weld and fabricated properly.

 

thanks for the link hoof
the welding will be done by a friend who works at a welding shop. the axle is also getting narrowed.....(i'm gonna get flamed for that?)

anybody got any other pics of there setups like this?

 

Better gusset the **** out of that axle if you narrow it.

 

oh yeah, it'll have enough gussets on it to be safe. i've talked with several guys from the HAMB that have narrowed axles. many of 'em have been on the road for years with no problems.

-ncg