welding precautions
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Kodiak, Alaska
welding precautions
I want to weld the dana 50 center mounts I keep breaking the bolts on the driver side mount, do I need to disconect any electrical stuff before I weld on the frame
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,560
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while disconnecting it shouldn't be necessary unless it has a computer, it sure can't hurt. but i usually just connect the ground clamp as close as i can and everything is fine.
if you don't already know, you want to clean the surfaces with a flammable solvent such as carb cleaner or acetone, NEVER use a non-flammable solvent such as chlorinated brake cleaner, as it can kill you to weld near it.
if you don't already know, you want to clean the surfaces with a flammable solvent such as carb cleaner or acetone, NEVER use a non-flammable solvent such as chlorinated brake cleaner, as it can kill you to weld near it.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
Had a truck that the frame had been shortened on, was originally a cab-chassis. The fuel senders were all burned out, who knows what all else was out from the high power welding, and likely did not disconnect. You can also take out alternators by welding. Doesn't always happen, but it sure can happen.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 495
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From: Florida
Not trying to be a a$$, but why do you keep breaking bolts? Are you driving the truck off cliffs LOL ?
The reason I ask is I have read several places that truck frames have carbon content to them. When you weld or heat up steel that is carbon steel it returns to mild steel no carbon content which would make the steel relativly "soft" . So if it is a mud truck you dont care about and abuse, I think it would be alright. But if you plan on driving it on the highway and you use it for mudding and towing heavy loads over the road, you may possibly run into (liability) problems. Remember the truck weighs 6-7k and if you impact
where you welded and truned the carbon steel into mild steel hard enough, you could bend or potentially tear that part of the frame .
Look up " welding on car/ truck frame" on welding web you will see what I am talking
about.
Hope this helped.
The reason I ask is I have read several places that truck frames have carbon content to them. When you weld or heat up steel that is carbon steel it returns to mild steel no carbon content which would make the steel relativly "soft" . So if it is a mud truck you dont care about and abuse, I think it would be alright. But if you plan on driving it on the highway and you use it for mudding and towing heavy loads over the road, you may possibly run into (liability) problems. Remember the truck weighs 6-7k and if you impact
where you welded and truned the carbon steel into mild steel hard enough, you could bend or potentially tear that part of the frame .
Look up " welding on car/ truck frame" on welding web you will see what I am talking
about.
Hope this helped.
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Marianna, Florida USA
If you're breaking bolts, you need to look at how they broke. A conical failure is caused by overloading the bolt. Overtightening can be a problem too. Some times poeple tighten the daylights out of their fasteners eliminating the ability of carry ant additional load. I'm with ah1988. I'd go to Fastenal and get a set of their Grade 9 bolts before I broke out the welder. 
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 521
Likes: 6
From: Cincinnati, OH
Not trying to be a a$$, but why do you keep breaking bolts? Are you driving the truck off cliffs LOL ?
The reason I ask is I have read several places that truck frames have carbon content to them. When you weld or heat up steel that is carbon steel it returns to mild steel no carbon content which would make the steel relativly "soft" . So if it is a mud truck you dont care about and abuse, I think it would be alright. But if you plan on driving it on the highway and you use it for mudding and towing heavy loads over the road, you may possibly run into (liability) problems. Remember the truck weighs 6-7k and if you impact
where you welded and truned the carbon steel into mild steel hard enough, you could bend or potentially tear that part of the frame .
Look up " welding on car/ truck frame" on welding web you will see what I am talking
about.
Hope this helped.
The reason I ask is I have read several places that truck frames have carbon content to them. When you weld or heat up steel that is carbon steel it returns to mild steel no carbon content which would make the steel relativly "soft" . So if it is a mud truck you dont care about and abuse, I think it would be alright. But if you plan on driving it on the highway and you use it for mudding and towing heavy loads over the road, you may possibly run into (liability) problems. Remember the truck weighs 6-7k and if you impact
where you welded and truned the carbon steel into mild steel hard enough, you could bend or potentially tear that part of the frame .
Look up " welding on car/ truck frame" on welding web you will see what I am talking
about.
Hope this helped.
The frames are mild steel. All steel has some carbon in it. If you have a lot of carbon it is cast iron. But generally mild steel is less than 0.40% carbon. Anything below 0.40% you can weld without preheat or postheat and almost any welding method will work. Welding on a heat treated part will mess up the heat treatment and you get a localized soft spot around the weld - this is probably what you are thinking about. It is not due to loss of carbon, it is due to the heat from welding.
To be honest, if you weld on our truck frames with MIG, the weld and area very near the weld will probably be harder (and correspondingly stronger) than the frame base metal. The only thing that makes our truck frames any stronger is due to the forming of the frame which does some cold working.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 912
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From: Marianna, Florida USA
Welding is the last thing I would do on a frame. Bigger bolts, backing plates, & higher grade bolts are the better way to go. DOT frowns on welding on frames.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Kodiak, Alaska
I will try and get the highest grade bolts I can get my hands on as far as overtightening them I set the torque wrench at 150 ft lbs which seems reasonable considering that it is a support bracket for the front of the truck. I still haven't welded anything I just put in a 1/2 inch grade 8 bolt in the spot and I will moniter it for breakage. Thanks for the welding info guys.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Princeton MN
Keep in mind in some cases a grade 5 is better then a grade 8 because gr8 bolts are hard and are ment to have high tensile stregnth, but are more prone to shearing, a grade 5 is softer but has some "give" in it and wouldnt shear where the harder gr8 will.
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
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i don't have the spec, but the front of just about every haynes/chilton manual out there has a "general info" section that includes "standard bolt torques" based on size and grade. or google that same torque chart i referred to in the books