Welding a section into a truck frame

[ryanjones2150]

Did you fill that gapping hole up with weld metal?

[Bls repair]

What I do when I join thicker to thin metal is lite up on the thicker metal then wash over to thinner and quickly back to thicker so not to burn though thin material.

[Customizer]

Interesting project. I'd be very careful with heat (it sure seems like you're adding a lot to that frame) and also limit the amount of grinding if possible -- my experience with grinding is it can (and often does) induce cracks later.

[Customizer]

OP -- is this a "fish plate" type repair??

[nfinch86]

OP -- is this a "fish plate" type repair??

No - He just cut out a piece and put a new one in.

Norm

[steelwarhorses]

I cut out the bad sections of the frame and putting a new 3/16 piece in the "holes". I'm doing it free hand and trying to keep the new metal flush with the frame metal and I was having problems with gaps between the two. Especially the top where the frame is a little thinner than the 3/16 piece I added in. THe new 215 and it's probably more with me using .030 wire with it vs .035 with my 250x.. Also what you may be seeing is the frame rail is wasn't flat it was kind of curved and I had a flat piece I'm welding in. Thus the center I had to actually do some filler weld on the new 3/16 piece in the center out to the edges because I'm trying to maintain the curve. When I paint it I'd like for it to look like nothing was ever done. (Plus be as strong as it was, not just trying to hide it but trying to learn to do this kind of thing.). The fill on the new 3/16 piece is mostly what I'm grinding on.

Also, like I stated in some earlier posts, I actually lifted the vehicle on a two post lift under the center of rust hole in the picture before I did anything and the frame didn't give a centimeter. (I was amazed.) The outside didn't look bad as the inside I posted a picture of and didn't realize it until I got under it after it was lifted. (I use jack stands with the 2 post before getting under anything as 2 post still make me nervous.)

So if it was strong enough to lift 6k before, then Liquid nails, JB weld etc would have probably sufficed in closing it up but I want to stop the rust and again I'm learning on this endeavor. I'll lift it up from time to time after I'm done to keep an eye on it.

I've ran some welds on scrap on a table and welded up some cracks on my machinery but I wanted to do something overhead like this to try and start taking the training wheels off!

[steelwarhorses]

Interesting project. I'd be very careful with heat (it sure seems like you're adding a lot to that frame) and also limit the amount of grinding if possible -- my experience with grinding is it can (and often does) induce cracks later.

Most of my heat you see is going into the new 3/16 piece I added to try and get the curve of the frame. Around the edges where this piece joins the frame, I don't have that much welding heat.

[ryanjones2150]

It will not be as strong as a solid frame like it was before. It is not likely you got 100% penetration either. Regardless of how well you controlled the heat input, there will be a heat affected zone. <br />
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You may not want to see the repair, but a patch and then a fish plate would've probably been a more suitable repair. Plus, in 5 years, you'll be able to see exactly where the repair is and can inspect it for failure. <br />
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I inspect the welds on our drag cars regularly, and they weren't rusted out frame rails. That frame rail will continue to rust. I have no doubt that the inside is all ate up with it. <br />
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Keep an eye on that thing.