Welding on axle housing question

[SPR]

I looking to do a a little welding on a Toyota axle housing like in the picture below.


Are there any special considerations regarding heat (or anything else) that I should consider for this job?

[White trash]

Just keep in mind that it is s sheetmetal housing and it will warp if you weld too much in one area. Depending on exactly where you'll be welding and what you'll be attaching you may want to plate the housing so what you weld on doesn't remove itself.

[SPR]

The picture I posted may have misled folks into thinking that I’m working on a four link for my rotten truck. It’s a picture of a trac bar mount. I’m currently playing around with a new trac bar setup… it’s a slip and twist setup. The butt side of my truck is a busy area and I don’t think a conventional trac bar will clear the gas tanks. I'm using the mount for my original trac bar that is mounted ontop of the axle housing. I welded lower mounts near the bottom of axle housing on ether side of the 3rd member.

This is my first goofy attempt (waste of a day and tube) to see what might work.



I came up with this creature on my second attempt. It seems to cycle o.k. but I don't know it will hold up.






I really dislike this project as it’s been a pain to figure out. We’ll see how it works and holds up.

[OldGreen]

How is it attached on the frame end? If it isn't on something like a shackle, the springs are in bind almost all the time. That isn't a deal breaker necessarily, but it can be a spring breaker in the long run.

[White trash]

How is it attached on the frame end? If it isn't on something like a shackle, the springs are in bind almost all the time. That isn't a deal breaker necessarily, but it can be a spring breaker in the long run.

With the slip style traction bar a shackle isn't required. The outer tubing slides and rotates on the inner that is attached to the frame.

[OldGreen]

Ah. . .I didn't catch the slip part. . .

[SPR]

WT, have you ever seen on of these things work? I'm a bit concerned that I wasted a bunch of time on a project that is doomed to fail. However, I used a couple of floors jacks (one is real tall) to twist up the suspension and then hopped my big butt up and down on the back of the rig to cycle the suspension. Things looked good and none of my lame tack welds popped – granted there was no real torque on the axle.

[SPR]

[bobracing]

How thick is the tube?
I'd be worried about the tube bending where they slide together.
If the tube is thick enough and enough engagement, I don't see this not working well. A grease zerk would help too keep the tubes from gauling.

[SPR]

It doesn't show up well in the picture, but installed a grease zerk about 3" south of the collar. The slide piece is about 14" long and it's 1.25"x.120 tube slid into 1.5"x.120 tube. I have a chunk of solid bar that I can squeeze into the slide piece to make it solid if necessary... I got to stink on that for a while.

[White trash]

The design is fine but I would be concerned with the material bending. I have a buddy down in OR running that type and he ended up running 1/4" wall inner and doubled .120" outer so it wouldn't bend.

[SPR]

Thanks for the comment WT. I'll insert the solid rod into the slide piece.