Welding mild steel to cast iron

[maddog]

I've made up some control arm brackets to go on my diffs, and I'm wondering the best way to weld them to the cast iron section of the diff centre?



I have a mig welder, but just regular steel filler wire in it. I understand you need some sort of high nickel filler reel to do this, but the price of a reel is massive AU$600-700 for the reel.

The option of using a stick welder and nickel sticks has been suggested to me, and I'm seriously considering it, as they are substantially cheaper. How good a weld can I expect to get this way?

Is there anything else I need to be doing, in the way of pre/post heating?

Thanks in advance

[Madspeed]

Youve allready answered al your own questions.

I am about to do the same thing with a dana 60 and an upper link mount.

If you rely on just the tabs welded to the diff top then your in for a real surprise when you pound it.

It will break off. You will HAVE to REALLY brace to the tubes and find a way to mount to at least the 3 upper cover bolts,

I would also find a way to mount it around the pinnion snout.

I am going to use a 3/8" thick plate drilled and bolted to the 3 bolt holes for the original snubber mount, then I will bring a gusset up to the upper link mount from there.

Hope some of this makes sense.

GL Ken F @ Madspeed

[maddog]

Thanks for the suggestions with the brackets. I'll have to have a look at how to mount them back to the steel and reinforce them.

Here's what it's going into

[Madspeed]

BTW I have been told that stick welds are the strongest.
You want to ask Matt @ Lateral Dynamics hes the welding G O D

Matt Chime in here allready Id like your thoughts as well

=)

[boodlefoof]

Ooh! Rock crawler!

[Madspeed]

Pic is dead box for me =(

WTF

[parsonsj]

Sorry guys. Matt is no longer a member here. He had his own reasons for leaving ... you can try and contact him at Lateral Dynamics.

[Camaro Zach]

If you weld it to the cast center section you will need to use a high nickel content rod (stick or tig) as others have pointed out. you will only want to weld about an inch at a time and ping (stress relieve) the weld as it cools. It will be difficult, time consuming, and far inferior to welding mild steel to mild steel.

I highly recommend you change your mounting design to utalize the diff. cover mounting bolts and or tubular *bridge* that welds to each axle tube and goes up over the center section. Something like this for the diff. bracket:

and this for an oversized diff. bridge i built on a sandrail:
http://www.blazinlow.com/forum/attac...&postid=613804

[maddog]

That's a nice looking bracket.

[Madspeed]

OH Offroad stuff.... look at this Link...


http://offroadfabrication.com/assets...lcrumfab3.html