Welding Tips and Tricks

Am making some new suspension links for my Jeep after one of them failed due to poor mig welds on my part. Well... they looked good. From what I can tell, I didn't put enough heat into the bungs. So this time, I'm tig welding things.

The links are 1 3/4" x .125 dom with 2 opposing 7/16" holes per end and a bevel. The bungs are approximately 1/8" thick where they insert into the tube. They "thicken" with a 45* bevel to about 1/4" where they form flats to accommodate a wrench.

The tube:


The bung:


Weld after 2nd pass:


Welded with Everlast 255EXT @ 180 amps, Furick #8 cup @ 20 CFH, 2% lanthanated 3/32" tungsten & E70S2 rod. I put more heat into the bung than the tube. Call it good? Needs another pass?
I'm a tig newby, so any feedback is much appreciated.

Call it good.

cj737 wrote:Call it good.

+1 Looks good to me

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I won't claim to be an expert, but I'd run another pass with a small weave to get rid of the bit of undercut. On most things I probably wouldn't think about it but I wouldn't want a possible stress riser like that on a steering component.

one other thing is to heat the tube, cool the other part, and friction fit them. that way the welds don't carry so much of the load.

Everyone, thanks for the comments. Quite valuable to me.

G-ManBart: think I'll leave well enough alone and not do a weave pass. Am not too good at those yet and risk messing things up.

robert-r wrote:Everyone, thanks for the comments. Quite valuable to me.

G-ManBart: think I'll leave well enough alone and not do a weave pass. Am not too good at those yet and risk messing things up.

Not to be mean, but that means you really shouldn't be welding on steering components. It's not really an area for inexperienced welders regardless of process.

G-ManBart wrote:

robert-r wrote:Everyone, thanks for the comments. Quite valuable to me.

G-ManBart: think I'll leave well enough alone and not do a weave pass. Am not too good at those yet and risk messing things up.

Not to be mean, but that means you really shouldn't be welding on steering components. It's not really an area for inexperienced welders regardless of process.

It's not steering components. It's a suspension link on a rockcrawler. Am thinking the 2 rosette welds per end are good insurance. Rig rarely goes 35 mph tops.

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate your thoughts.

How else am I supposed to get experience if I shouldn't be working on my junk? Can I practice on your stuff?

robert-r wrote:

G-ManBart wrote:

robert-r wrote:Everyone, thanks for the comments. Quite valuable to me.

G-ManBart: think I'll leave well enough alone and not do a weave pass. Am not too good at those yet and risk messing things up.

Not to be mean, but that means you really shouldn't be welding on steering components. It's not really an area for inexperienced welders regardless of process.

It's not steering components. It's a suspension link on a rockcrawler. Am thinking the 2 rosette welds per end are good insurance. Rig rarely goes 35 mph tops.

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate your thoughts.

How else am I supposed to get experience if I shouldn't be working on my junk? Can I practice on your stuff?

Rosette welds are always good insurance, just aim to have a convex weld deposit. Use them on all suspension links, even when you fish mouth the tube.

robert-r wrote: It's not steering components. It's a suspension link on a rockcrawler. Am thinking the 2 rosette welds per end are good insurance. Rig rarely goes 35 mph tops.

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate your thoughts.

How else am I supposed to get experience if I shouldn't be working on my junk? Can I practice on your stuff?

Sorry, I saw suspension link and was thinking steering link. That wouldn't change my opinion...I don't think anything suspension or steering related is an area to learn on.

The rosette welds are good insurance, but I wouldn't count on them holding things together if the threaded end fails at the welds...that whole end could come clean off.

I've got plenty of steel/aluminum and usually at least two machines set up at any given time. You're more than welcome to visit and practice....but not on anything I'll be driving or riding in

Loos like the perfect piece to be brazed.

Sorry I know this is the Tig forum