Welding to an axle

Oreo_penguin536

Oreo_penguin536

New member
Ahould I be concerned about welding to the axle? I am welding shock brackets to both axles and I’m worried about burning up any bearings or fluids. Never torn an axle apart before so I have no idea what the hell goes on in there.
Am I good to go ahead with it or do I need to drain/prep things other than regular welding prep?


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Bearings and seal in rear axle ride on the very last couple inches of the tube And the carrier in the diff. So stay away from there and you shouldn't have a problem. Front axle doesn't have outer bearings in the tube so you are fine there.IMG_2870.JPG


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Most likely you will not damage anything if you are only welding on brackets. If you are concerned about heating up the tubes too much, then place damp rags a few inches on each side of the tube from where you are welding. It will prevent the heat from traveling down and affecting the inner seals and also from the ball joints in the C’s. I always use a damp rag and have never had an issue (including C gussets).
 
Someone on here previously had said that you shouldn't weld across bearings because it can arc and cause pitting. That does make sense. So it's not a bad idea to keep your ground as close as possible to the area that you're welding.
 
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WJCO said:
Someone on here previously had said that you shouldn't weld across bearings because it can ard and cause pitting. That does make sense. So it's not a bad idea to keep your ground as close as possible to the area that you're welding.
Click to expand...

Great point. Never use bearings to carry electrical load of any kind. Always best practice to ground as close to your work as possible.


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MattAlpha said:
Most likely you will not damage anything if you are only welding on brackets. If you are concerned about heating up the tubes too much, then place damp rags a few inches on each side of the tube from where you are welding. It will prevent the heat from traveling down and affecting the inner seals and also from the ball joints in the C’s. I always use a damp rag and have never had an issue (including C gussets).
Click to expand...

I like this idea as well. Will need to try this for controlling heat in sensitive areas.


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These seems like something I can just run a full bead straight without blowing through, is the axle wall thin? Again, sorry for the nooby questions, just never welding on an axle before.

Ground close to work, wet towels near work, stitch weld corners and dissipate heat better🤙🏾


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Oreo_penguin536 said:
These seems like something I can just run a full bead straight without blowing through, is the axle wall thin? Again, sorry for the nooby questions, just never welding on an axle before.

Ground close to work, wet towels near work, stitch weld corners and dissipate heat better🤙🏾


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Click to expand...

What axles do you have? I know your in a YJ and some guys might answer based on their knowledge of JKs.


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WJCO said:
Someone on here previously had said that you shouldn't weld across bearings because it can arc and cause pitting. That does make sense. So it's not a bad idea to keep your ground as close as possible to the area that you're welding.
Click to expand...

Yep. You should always move your ground to be as close to you as possible anyways, just make sure there isn’t anything critical in the path. Take your ground with you as you move from one side of the axle to the other and you should be fine.


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