So my lca mounts on the axle end are looking pretty rough these days. I'm going to get some new HD mounts and weld them on. Now I'm no stranger to welding/fabrication but I have never welded on an axle before. I have a 110 flux core Lincoln and a 220 stick welder. What should I use to weld them and how should I go about it? Are there any specific steps I need to take to weld them on or should I just go as normal? Thanks!!

 

The axle tubes are mild steel, nothing special there. You just need to be conscious of how much heat your putting into the axle while welding. Your 110V flux core will work if it's capable of welding 1/4"+, meaning a higher amperage. A cheapo 90A won't cut it for axle brackets.

 

It's a 120 amp Lincoln so it should be fine then. The main reason I asked is bc a guy I work with said the axle tubes are cast iron. I was 99% sure he was wrong but I wanted to make sure

 

the trick will be to focus your heat on the mount, then move your pool onto the axle..axle tube are not cast...

 

axle tubes are not cast.
knuckles and the diff case however are cast i beleive.
but that wont matter for lca brackets.

correct me if im wrong.

 

I personally wouldn't use the flux core mig, if you have the 220 stick available. Most of those small migs just don't have the power to get good penetration without multiple passes. I'd say use the stick, root pass with 6010 @ 80-90 amps, depending on how your welder burns, then cap it with 7018 one or two passes. It'll be a much better/stronger weld.

 

Yeah the tubes are not cast. Your 120 welder will do it IF you know how to crank the heat and go slow enough to really penetrate. It would sure suck to have a weld fail unexpectedly...stick welding it sounds like a PITA to me, but go with what you're comfortable with.