Welding axle tubes,,,, help please

[doug90notch]

I'm sure ther eare many people out there who have welded axle tubes on an 8.8 rear end. Can I mig weld them or do I need to Tig them? What type of wire is used with the mig or rod with the tig? If anybody can weld me with this, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Doug

[Stangfireman]

I used a mig on mine. .035 wire and I couldn't tell you what kind other then it is Lincoln brand and I use it to weld up roll bars.
Now I'll have to wait and see if it holds up next year. Just make sure you clean it real good. Use a good degreaser and try to get down in the crack as much as possible.
Maybe someone else can offer you a suggestion also.

[blackplague]

Welding axle tubes in the past, i've used a 308 stainless rod {tig welding} 308 stainless has the properties of the cast iron housing and properties of the steel axle tubes. Get it good and clean before welding just like stangfireman suggested.

[doug90notch]

I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend to see what sort of damage,,,, ummh,,, I mean good craftsmanship I can do. Thank God for these 7.5" rearends. It gives me something good to practice on. I did talk to someone yesterday who suggested heating the area up with a rosebud torch first and letting it cool slowly by puting a welding blacket around it after welding it. I guess the worst thing that could happen is that I'd have to buy a 9" rear end, but then again, is that really a bad thing?:) I have some ER308L mig wire, I wonder if that would work. I might make my way to the welding supply store tomorrow and see what other recommendations the "experts" have as well.

Thanks!

[Stangfireman]

I think the torch idea would be good provided you have a jig to put the rear in. Tubing doesn't like heat to well and you could end up with tweaked axle tubes.
I went about an inch, then moved to the other side and did another inch. Follow that patteren around the housing to prevent as much warpage as possible.
Actually I only did about 2 inchs of weld per side. Top, bottom, front, back. I hope it holds until I can afford a 9 inch. Maybe two years from now. LOL

[Agent 91]

You can also just lay one continuous weld if you have someone to slowly rotate the housing while your welding. Starting and stopping is what will move the tubes around.