[Zook_Fan]

When bracing a diff housing how much welding can be done at a time without warping the housing? I have started to stitch weld leaving about a minute between each weld, letting it air cool for the night now but just wondering how much can be done.

[SierraDan]

I'm curious about this too..

[monley]

SierraDan wrote:

I'm curious about this too..

X2

[zooky08]

I'm no expert but can you use a damp cloth to cool down each weld to keep your diff from warping

[royce]

I dont know the answer but one read its better to do the 2 ends first, so the bracing is already there to help the other welds from warping it then work your way in

same thing said the housing should be in a jig anyway so who knows if it will work

[shakes]

zooky08 wrote:

I'm no expert but can you use a damp cloth to cool down each weld to keep your diff from warping

Use compressed air through the gun. Water helps promote rust and can cool it to quick possibly warping it (works for panel work anyway)

I would also stitch from one end to the other and then opposite sides. not moving back too close to another weld another it's safe to touch with your hand.

[ajsr]

there is no reason the brace needs to be fully welded, 20mm welds every 40mm or so would be shit loads and I would tack weld it in about 10-15 places before you start welding , it will help hold it all straight.

[alien]

^^ mines done like that, then the gaps on the welds closed up after... so its been 'stitched' and then 're-stitched' =) so its essentially one solid weld the whole way.

dont forget the diffs mainly bend between the hub and the perch (the end 80mm or so of the housing), so make sure you do brace those outer sections and not just between the perches to the pumpkin.

my front and rear are both done - the front is gussetted along the top so i dont lose clearance however there was no room for that in the rear so thats done underneath, and it does take a few knocks now and then due to the reduced clearance.

[monley]

[31zook]

zooky08 wrote:

I'm no expert but can you use a damp cloth to cool down each weld to keep your diff from warping

When we heat and bend 35mm plus plate at work we heat to cherry red the spray water on it, this makes it bend faster and kink more, for less warpage we pre and post heat. So that's why that's bad advice
What AJSR said is my advice, plus a nice firm jig wouldn't go astray

[zooky08]

Yea well I did it the dodgy way when I was doing my diff perches haha
The cloth wasn't soaking wet it was damp, dabbing the weld ever few seconds
Was enough to cool it down slowly not farst
Plus it was hot enough to dry all the water up
So it won't rust

I'll know to use air next time
Or do small tak welds

[Fatzook]

zooky08 wrote:

Yea well I did it the dodgy way when I was doing my diff perches haha
The cloth wasn't soaking wet it was damp, dabbing the weld ever few seconds
Was enough to cool it down slowly not farst
Plus it was hot enough to dry all the water up
So it won't rust

That method can actually promote warping. Sheetiesuse it all the time. Weld on the front, cool on the back. No warpage.

I've actually tested it on 5mm plate. Did one piece and let air cool. Did another and did the damp cloth treatment. The water cooled the weld quickly and you could hear the metal pinging and poping as it rapidly cooled.

Best to do the small stitch (20-30mm) then jump forward atleast twice the distance of the stitch weld. Pre-tack at all stop points, and mark starts with chalk. And make sure it takes you a long enough time so that you can neck a 6-pack. Any quicker and it may warp (worse still you may dry out )

[Zook_Fan]

Fatzook wrote:

zooky08 wrote:

Yea well I did it the dodgy way when I was doing my diff perches haha
The cloth wasn't soaking wet it was damp, dabbing the weld ever few seconds
Was enough to cool it down slowly not farst
Plus it was hot enough to dry all the water up
So it won't rust

That method can actually promote warping. Sheetiesuse it all the time. Weld on the front, cool on the back. No warpage.

I've actually tested it on 5mm plate. Did one piece and let air cool. Did another and did the damp cloth treatment. The water cooled the weld quickly and you could hear the metal pinging and poping as it rapidly cooled.

Best to do the small stitch (20-30mm) then jump forward atleast twice the distance of the stitch weld. Pre-tack at all stop points, and mark starts with chalk. And make sure it takes you a long enough time so that you can neck a 6-pack. Any quicker and it may warp (worse still you may dry out )

If I neck a six pack then proceed to weld I would do something like try and fill in the hole for the centre thanks for the advice guys, what I have done so far won't have caused any damage and I will do the rest tomorrow, thanks.

[monley]

How'd you go with it? Did it bend at all?

[Zook_Fan]

Didn't get it all done, had to go to work. There is no bending in it yet, will post pics when its all done.