ever weld to?
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Coweta,GA, GO DAWGS!!!!!!
It's heat treated steel like a frame rail, and while your not supposed to weld to them, I have welded to frame rails on other vehicles, but never to the extent of cutting all the way and sectioning. I have had to weld cracks in frame rails on heavy trucks and have always use a nickel penetrating rod on a stick welder after V-ing out the crack very well and cleaning the area, then we would add smaller sections of rail to the frame on the inside and bolt them into place. Depending on how long of an extention you need you could cut out the bolt on the end and add a section of hardened steel rod with threads on the end to do what you need.
Still converting that 350 to 4x4?
Still converting that 350 to 4x4?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,181
Likes: 3
From: Across from the neighbors
Ive looked at a few companies but im a do it myself guy. Im a welder and fabricator by trade i was just wondering if anyone has ever actually modified a factory arm and how good it welded.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,181
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From: Across from the neighbors
Yeah thats what im workin on. It has the frame like a highboy so where a factory arm would hit the famre bends between the bolt holes so 1 hits and the other dont. Might end up goin with leaves after all but iunno yet.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 367
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From: denver
I have done a lot of research on doing this. A lot of people have done it, and a lot of people have had no problems with it, but IMO, welding to cast is not a good idea for a part as critical as a radius arm. If you are building an off-road only mud truck or rock crawler, I would say go for it, but again IMO, if you are taking it on the street, there are better alternatives. Cage offroad and James Duff make a well engineered extended radius arms that will outperform a stock style radius arm.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Pittsburgh,Pa.
An old friend of mine built a set from scratch when when he put Dana 44 in place of the IFS style front axle in his 87 F150.That was about 200,000 miles ago and they work just fine.Like you he is a fabricater by trade.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: denver
Here is the link
http://www.jamesduff.com/eb/suspension_components.html
They are for early broncos, but I think they will work for F150s, maybe with slight modification. I am sure that if you called JD, they could could give you good information!
http://www.jamesduff.com/eb/suspension_components.html
They are for early broncos, but I think they will work for F150s, maybe with slight modification. I am sure that if you called JD, they could could give you good information!
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Are we sure the stock radius arms are cast and not forged???
If it's cast - it can be done, but I would avoid it - waaaay too much effort for something that's not super strong. You'd have to preheat to the correct tempurature, and keep heated at a slightly lower temp while welding. You also have to have the correct filler material for whatever the casting is. You then post heat 1 final time, and pray it doesn't crack...
On the other hand, welding on a forging is no big deal.
My vote is still for making custom ones. A little tube and a little plate. Weld it up and done. You know the materials then and there is no guessing involved. It's not that hard!
If it's cast - it can be done, but I would avoid it - waaaay too much effort for something that's not super strong. You'd have to preheat to the correct tempurature, and keep heated at a slightly lower temp while welding. You also have to have the correct filler material for whatever the casting is. You then post heat 1 final time, and pray it doesn't crack...
On the other hand, welding on a forging is no big deal.
My vote is still for making custom ones. A little tube and a little plate. Weld it up and done. You know the materials then and there is no guessing involved. It's not that hard!
Freshman User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 47
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From: Sugar Grove Pa
Originally Posted by crazyredneckanyhow
Hey i looked and those arms looked exactly like the ones Cage Offroad has jsut a different color.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 601
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Originally Posted by ChaseTruck754
Are we sure the stock radius arms are cast and not forged???
If it's cast - it can be done, but I would avoid it - waaaay too much effort for something that's not super strong. You'd have to preheat to the correct tempurature, and keep heated at a slightly lower temp while welding. You also have to have the correct filler material for whatever the casting is. You then post heat 1 final time, and pray it doesn't crack...
On the other hand, welding on a forging is no big deal.
My vote is still for making custom ones. A little tube and a little plate. Weld it up and done. You know the materials then and there is no guessing involved. It's not that hard!
If it's cast - it can be done, but I would avoid it - waaaay too much effort for something that's not super strong. You'd have to preheat to the correct tempurature, and keep heated at a slightly lower temp while welding. You also have to have the correct filler material for whatever the casting is. You then post heat 1 final time, and pray it doesn't crack...
On the other hand, welding on a forging is no big deal.
My vote is still for making custom ones. A little tube and a little plate. Weld it up and done. You know the materials then and there is no guessing involved. It's not that hard!
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,181
Likes: 3
From: Across from the neighbors
Chase i had a setup with coils and a 4 link out of an ambulance last summer but i never thought id need it so i sold it 
. Imlookin for another setup like that but prolly never get one. Iunno what im gonna so yet but im markin off possibilities all the time.
. Imlookin for another setup like that but prolly never get one. Iunno what im gonna so yet but im markin off possibilities all the time.