I want to flip the axle on a parallel spring front end. Any problems with welding new spring pads to the bottom? It's an Econoline straight axle. Seems pretty straight forward but, I'm wondering about affecting the strength in the weld area.
Weld it! You're not going to hurt it. It's forged steel-possibly a low alloy0-but thousands of similar axles have been welded on by hard core racers.
i was once told you can weld just fine, just need to heat and cool it with torches... this is what i was told, now that i have typed it i realize that is useless hahaha... hope someone else chimes in
A little more info please.....How do you plan on welding it? Are you going to use a TIG, or a 110 mig.....big differerance. If the axle is forged steel, you should be alright, but I would still preheat it, and slow cool it in kitty litter just to make myself feel better. Tig would be best, followed by a stick, and lastly Mig.
Instead of welding on the axle, maybe you could send the axle out to have it dropped the old fashioned way? Put new spring hangers on it and move the springs up toward the ch***is? Or just move your existing spring hangers... Send the springs out and have the eyes reversed and/or de-arched? I alwasy get uneasy when I hear guys talking about welding an I-beam axle in their own garage...that's a pretty important piece, and if it's going to be welded on, it needs to be done in a controlled setting, in a specific way. Not something the ameture is equipped to do. And yeah, hundreds or even thousands of guys welded their own axles for drag cars, etc, but a race car isn't dealing with pot holes, speed bumps, curbs, driveways, and driving tens of thousands of miles. And if a race car axle fails, it's not going to send the driver careening into on-coming traffic, a school bus or a stout tree. -Brad
I was told by an old metalurgical [Spelling?}Engineer that all I beam axles are malable forgings designed to bend and can be cut and welded like any mild steel.Having lived in a stock car racing family I can say I have seen a hell of a lot of strait axles cut ,welded,heated and bent and crashed and straightened with out any failure.Like gets said in most of these discussions it all depends on your welding skills
I flipped the front axle to the top of the leaf springs on my dad's '58 Chevy truck to lower it. I welded a 1/2" plate on the bottom of the axle to bolt it to the U-bolts. I used a 225 amp L-Tec MIG welder.
Well, lets talk about amps then. I have Lincoln Square Wave 175 Tig/Stick and a Lincoln 135 Mig that's 220V. I run a decent bead but Rick runs some of the nicest beads I've ever seen. Heck, it may be low enough already. I'm just exercising my brain at this point.
what if you put pads on the bottom...and then make compression spacers between those and the old ones then make the U bolts go through both for extra security??? just a thought if you had worries
So I take it your not taking that in it's originally intended direction. ***uming we are talking about the same truck I beg you to reconsider lowering it and make it a fire breathing bad ****in *** wheel stander.
Well....it's a mystery....... Will it get slammed? Or will it end up with a couple chunks of Magnesium bolted to its ***? Hey Chuck...anything fun in the s**** bin at work?
Occasionally,I look in the s**** bins DAILY. Never know what you might find. Latest find is a set of main landing gear wheel center caps,from a Mc Donnell-Douglas aircraft. They are cast aluminum.and have a cast in "MD 90" logo. Thought they might make some neat wheel or hubcap centers,or wall hangings for that matter. No more s**** magnesium finds as of yet,but always looking! Sure makes a "purty far"!
heres what i did, i know you can weld to axles but i didnt want to incase i ever wanted to change it back, the spacers are 1" square with 2-1"dia welded to the top, the axle is drilled on the bottom for the fliped center bolt, the plate below the spring is drilled for the center bolt and milled for the u-bolts, i have run this setup for about 3 years and 60,000 miles.
Please keep the "HAMB Bomb" the "HAMB Bomb". Just my humble opinion, but I love the drawings and vision that the truck had.
I had a technical fabricator tig a shock bung on my Ch***is Engineering axle years ago. No prob after thousands of miles on I80 and other suspension pounding roads. He used a special highstrength fill rod too. The work is functional and great looking.
Are you guys going to come to the new shop and provide "Motivation"? Small block and a paint job are easy. The other alternative requires some amount of drive. School is fast approaching in January. I'd really be motivated if I new somebody was in the market for a wheelstander.
I can barely keep my self motivated to keep the Dodge on track. Heck start with the small block and the paint job. Then build a axle, ******, engine subframe like they did on that crazy Dodge wheelstander and bolt that **** in later. You may have to repaint the bed floor after cutting the holes in the floor. keep the vision brother. Whatcha going to school for. School is really cool. I get ot go back next year. Learning is fun.
YO Homeboy slice....i'm not coming down to dixie fried next year unless i get to hear the big block mopar runnin'!
I am new around here, but I am thinkin bout air bagging front and rear of my 63 econoline 5 window truck. Does anyone know if there is a disc brake swap for these axles that relatively cheap? maybe off another car or from some company that makes repop parts to do this? I will be flipping my axle as well, and am not worried about tig welding to beam. Should be fine. I may even eliminate leafs all together and build a radius arm and trac bar possibly. I will also be putting my spare Chevy 350 motor, 350 ******, and a chevy 10 bolt rear end in it just cuz I have it already and should be easy to do and maintain. I'm normally a chevy guy but got this truck for $800 in super great condition with an OG tailagte in cherry shape. Any info on brakes will help! Oh, and do any companies re-pop tail lights by chance? or any other trim pieces????? thanks
Budd! Could you post some pics of what you did with the brake hoses and steering drag link on this set up? Yea, I know it's been for ever...
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