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JohnnyeHCF

Tips on welding cracked strut tower in XG ute

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Hello,was hoping someone could give me some advice on welding a crack in the driver's side strut tower,like jack up to take load of the suspension and should I remove the coil spring etc,I have a gasless mig,stick or a cheap tig welder that I haven't used before but have everything including argon but not sure exactly what and how to go about it. 

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. 

IMG_20190904_36621.jpg

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That's a weird place to crack, I would expect it to go on the front side of the shock tower (ie top arm pulling backwards on potholes, etc) but maybe the front wheel was hit in reverse?

Anyway, XD onwards were built from thin gauge high-tensile steel so are a bit harder to weld. You will first need to bare metal the entire area a few inches above and below so you can use patches wherever you might need them. You can always repaint later.

Weld up the cracks by doing very short stitches or tacks, I like to start at one end, then tack the middle, then the end. Then I go halfway between those, then again halfway between those and keep going until all gaps are filled. This keeps the heat spread out and stops the metal from stressing and buckling as it would if you just ran a solid bead the whole length. Others have their techniques, I'm sure 2Redrovers has his methods too.

Then, grind down the weld until it's flat and cut a patch to go under that upper arm bolt/nut and that also overlaps the bit you already welded. You could extend the patch upwards past the other crack (after welding also) and perhaps punch a couple of holes in it to spot weld for extra strength, on top of stitching around each edge.

If you don't want to patch it, it may well crack again right next to your weld where the heat has stressed the metal.

I would do this with the gasless, as there is little advantage to using Tig here, given the difficult access you may well have and the reduced need for a pretty weld.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

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Thanks so much for your response this helps me alot,I noticed in the picture's that you seam welded around the other areas of the shock towers,is that hard to do or is there a certain way it should be done,I ask cause this XG is just being built for drag racing (on the cheap,barra etc.) And would like to just strengthen everything as much as possible. 

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Are you going to drill the cracks, to stop them spreading further?

Have you looked inside the wheel arch, to see if the metal has fatigued there too?

 

I'd probably stitch weld, rather than seam weld.

@2redrovers, has way more input/knowledge on this subject, than I'll ever have.

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19 hours ago, SPArKy_Dave said:

Are you going to drill the cracks, to stop them spreading further?

Have you looked inside the wheel arch, to see if the metal has fatigued there too?

 

I'd probably stitch weld, rather than seam weld.

@2redrovers, has way more input/knowledge on this subject, than I'll ever have.

Yeah I think I'll drill either end and gouge it a bit to help the weld penetrate,I've never done seam or this type of stitch welding and could definitely use some advice,how long to make the welds and spaces between etc..is it like 1" of weld 1" space and so on or can I do larger welds with smaller spacing etc..

I do so appreciate your input. 

 

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Looks like the car has been hitting the bump stops.....HARD.!  

You can try to drill a hole at each end of the crack to help stop the progress. Also, cut a groove into the crack to aid with penetration. Must be clean and free from rust and paint. 

 

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Sorry I didn't pop in earlier, I am not getting any Tapatalk notifications at all again.

 

Stitch welding is better practice than fully seam welded parts because it allows for minor movement/flex with reduced instance of fatigue cracking around the welded components. Generally yes 1"weld, 1"gap, is an acceptable way to go. Depending on the parts, longer seams I've been working 2"weld, 2"gap. But works out the same. Do yourself a favour and cut a piece of metal at the size you want to space your welds and use that as a ruler to mark out your stitching before you start. You'll be able to adjust for aesthetic appeal then instead of migging away and finding your half an inch out when you get to the end and it looks odd or leaves a gap you don't want.

 

Cracks need to be cleaned of all paint and contamination before welding. No need to vee the join unless the crack is in 3mm+ thick steel. If you have a tig it's a good idea to use it on cracks because is a softer weld than mig and will be less likely to crack again in the same spot. Suggest welding both sides of the panel if possible for full penetration with tig. I always go a bit further along the line past the end of the crack even if it looks solid, this fuses the steel in the weak area that may have microscopic fractures past the visible crack.

 

If you only have mig it's OK, just do the same thing by starting before the crack on solid steel and work your way along the line in a weave from edge to edge. I use a hot weld with just enough wire feed to stop it from burning through but enough puddle to make sure that the fracture is completely fused back into one piece. Tack weld at intervals along the line beforehand and gently grind them almost flush before fully welding. Personally I start from one end and weld through to the other as fast as the steel will let me travel, then let the whole lot cool naturally (no water or air used to cool by force). Once done grind back if needed although if you can live with it I'd maybe just run the wire brush over to clean the surface and leave the weld in tact.. not always an option though.

 

For a racecar, stitch welding every possible seam as described above, and double up the number of spot welds around the shell will give you a HUGE advantage in strength and durability of the body shell. It will last longer than seam welding too. With the body stiffened like this you will have an easier time dialing in suspension settings later as you won't have to take flex into account as much.

 

 

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This is awsome stuff, thank you so much for that-this has given me some confidence to do this as I was totaling buggered as where to start,my TIG is only a cheap 3 in 1,tig-stick-plasma ones have everything to do it but lack the confidence,so will have to get it out and try and see how I go,have done MIG,stick and a little bit of oxy (long time ago though)just have to work out how to set it up properly. 

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I killed one of my Xe’s Cracking between the upper control. All caused by a new set of tyres and a crap wheel alignment. Every so often would grabbed the front guard. Didn’t fix scraped it my bad🙁.

 

if you have the time replace as much as you can with doner parts. A few layers make up this area, and it cops a pounding

 

Dale

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