Plug welding

[rob_s]

Did a search and it wasn't too fruitful...

I'm in the process of welding up a tie rod... got 0.120" wall DOM tubing as a sleeve... (it's got more cross sectional area than the original arm)... I cut the original rod in the middle and have to extend it about 2"... so there's 9" in length that's slid inside the DOM tube...

I've drilled twenty 1/2" diameter holes for plug welding... will also fully weld both ends (after removing the TREs)...



What's the best procedure for plug welding? Start in the middle and work outward... or start on the edges and work to the middle?

TIA

[FIXXXXAH]

FOR THOSE I WOULD START IN THE CENTER AND SPIRAL OUT, AND RUN EM HOT TOO

[lranch]

Looks good. Start in middle, fill'em full and make 'em cherry red. As link now will be 2 inches longer, make sure you lower top stabilizer mount an approiate amount to maintain damping along the correct axis. Also, full extension and compression of the now increased suspension travel will hit stops (hard) on damper if correction is not made.

[Sberry]

bout 3 of those plugs woulds have been enough, 5 tops.

[rob_s]

Thanks for the tips guys!! Makes sense...

I agree on the number... however... if this comes loose... there's no control on the steering... so overkill is the name of the game! =)

[Hobart Expert Rock]

ROB S...........WELCOME ABOARD........... I'M KINDA CURIOUS WHAT DOES THIS GO ON...........?........WHAT WILL BE THE TOP SPEED DO WE KNOW OR CAN WE CALCULATE.........?..........ROCK.........
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[BillC]

Originally posted by Hobart Expert Rock
ROB S...........WELCOME ABOARD........... I'M KINDA CURIOUS WHAT DOES THIS GO ON...........?........WHAT WILL BE THE TOP SPEED DO WE KNOW OR CAN WE CALCULATE.........?..........ROCK.........
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Before Rob answers, my guess is a trail speed of 1-2 miles per hour... Am I close?

[Dan]

You are probably going to MIG weld these plug welds, however, I would personally like to see them done with TIG.

[R. Nelson]

Re: Plug welding

Originally posted by rob_s
Did a search and it wasn't too fruitful...

I'm in the process of welding up a tie rod... got 0.120" wall DOM tubing as a sleeve... (it's got more cross sectional area than the original arm)... I cut the original rod in the middle and have to extend it about 2"... so there's 9" in length that's slid inside the DOM tube...

I've drilled twenty 1/2" diameter holes for plug welding... will also fully weld both ends (after removing the TREs)...



What's the best procedure for plug welding? Start in the middle and work outward... or start on the edges and work to the middle?

TIA

start in the middle, and work out in a spiral, and run hot,...... ihave to plug weld at work all the time, and that's the ticket.

[Guest]

The reason you want to start in the center, is that you need to get penetration into the metal under the hole. 1/2" is rather small, though. You could even slot it, too.

[rob_s]

Yeah BillC... you got it!

Just a little station wagon...



Thanks again for all the tips!!!

This is part of a YJ steering conversion... The arm from the pitman to the drag link is about 2" short... (Wranglers are narrower than Cherokees)...



Just another product from...




Just out of curiosity... with a plug weld... why is penetration as important? A butt joint you want full depth penetration, so you join both pieces completely.. but on a plug, as soon as you penetrate the inner piece, you cover the whole surface area, so is there any gain to going deeper into this piece? Is there a chance of crystallation if you get it too hot?? Just wondering... that's all...

[Jerry]

Awesome pictures Rob s, When pugging something with mig welding you are throwing all that wire to a small area and sometimes you don't penetrate real well. Like Rocky suggested a slot or larger hole would be a safer bet.

Or like I think dan suggested tig welding for the control is all there.

[Sberry]

It isnt going to matter what process you use. One piece slides in another and all the weld does is keep it from slipping and adds a little stiffness. The weld is hardly critical to the application. Mine I would probably put 3 plugs. One at each end and one oposite side middle. Any welding machine you have would work and less weld meanss less warpage.

[Dan]

Originally posted by Sberry27
It isnt going to matter what process you use. One piece slides in another and all the weld does is keep it from slipping and adds a little stiffness. The weld is hardly critical to the application. Mine I would probably put 3 plugs. One at each end and one oposite side middle. Any welding machine you have would work and less weld meanss less warpage.

I agree that the number of holes to plug weld on this project is a little excessive, however I have to disagree that any welding process will work. My reason for disagreeing is because these holes are only 1/2" in diameter, and GMAW and SMAW are processes that have a cold start to them. So since the hole is so small just the starting of the arc with GMAW or SMAW could add enough weld metal into the hole that has no fusion, that this could create enough of a barrier to cause a lack of fusion or at best very small surface area of fusion between the weld metal and the solid piece that the extension sleeve is being welded to. Now with GTAW you start with a molten puddle and then add filler to this puddle, so from the very start you already have a weld that has weld metal fusing the two pieces together. If your going to use GMAW or SMAW to plug weld these holes I think Rocky D's idea of creating slots is a better idea.

[Roger]

As these are critical welds you haven't done before do some test welds on same thickness material then test and inspect to qualify your procedure.