Welding on a axle brace

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Wed May 16, 12 10:31 am

Im planning to weld on a 8 3/4 axle brace any tips.

Mig ok ??

Go slow not to much heat ?

axle is fully striped

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jerry · Post by **jerry** » Wed May 16, 12 10:46 am

When welding on an axle brace it's my understanding that the brace combined with heat from the welding pulls the casing out of true.When mine was done the axle ends were cut off, the brace was welded on then put in a jig to have the ends aligned then welded back on.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed May 16, 12 11:21 am

Mock it up in the car and work out where the shocks will go first as you might need to notch it to clear them.

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Wed May 16, 12 11:25 am

car is a 68 charger and 680 miles away.

nothing is every easy

will the Bananarama! ??? standard shocks

can i strap the axle case to a steel H beam ??

Bend it the other way first ??

Get it all red hot first ??

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Wed May 16, 12 12:35 pm

You need to jig it before welding. Solid bar right through. Big enough diameter to be a tight fit through each end.

Sort of thing Geof Hauser has at his place for narrowing axles.

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Wed May 16, 12 12:39 pm

OR ?????????? Unless your making a solid 600hp of more forget about adding the xtra weight.......

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Wed May 16, 12 4:50 pm

i am hoping to make the charger run a 13.5 sec 1/4 mile

and i will be well happy

The weight of the brace is 2.48kg + weld.

I can take a miss at pod on the not so pukka pies and cheesy chips to solve the added weight issue.

Think i will make a brace and go very slow with the welding.

Silly question when we are taking bending due to welding i take it you mean that the axle would pull back. Eg on the photo with axle in sand blasting box the axle ends would bend upwards????

jerry · Post by **jerry** » Wed May 16, 12 6:30 pm

You will need it in a jig as after welding the ends will not be true.Had mine done at Andy Robinsons and was done as stated in my previous post.

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Wed May 16, 12 6:37 pm

If you are only after 13.5, i would heed Duncan's words and not bother.
Admittingly, a lighter car but i went 11.0 at 121mph with an 8-3/4 without a back brace, and the same axle, is now going 12's in a heavy truck with 5.13 gears, a 4 spd and is still going strong.

Mick

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed May 16, 12 6:44 pm

I think it's because he wants one.....

A big Bananarama! off bar up it to keep the housings in line is the order of the day or you will knock bearings out, get vibrations, and maybe centre section failures.................

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Wed May 16, 12 7:08 pm

you don't need an axle brace to run 13.5s . Or 12s . Or faster .

Too much weight & aggro & work .

Spend your time on other stuff.

Just my 2c

If the housing is going to distort as you weld, a bar through the middle won't stop it. Merely useful for aligning the thing after you've finished.

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Thu May 17, 12 12:28 am

Pete wrote:I think it's because he wants one.....

....

Not really dont want to spend $$$ and a second on anything i dont have to do

did put up a post in my build and got

GTXJim wrote:Will are you going to increase the power, and launch it hard, if so I would brace your axle and put a filler tube and cap in the top and a drain plug in the bottom.

Looking like i have opened up a can of worms here. Going to a welding shop tomorrow who thinks he can bend it first then weld it so when finished it will be straight

A large metal poll straight up the middle i feel wont work as the inside is not uniform. The only place the poll would touch would be the weld where the ends where welded on

Jerry even when you had the ends cut off and re welded on how could they get these 100% correctly welded on? with studding and big washers ?surely the only way is to have it span in a lathe and machined once all welding is finished

Q. What will happen to a axle (case) if you didn't have a brace and loads of hp.

Bend the axle so both rear wheel try to touch the gearbox tail ??

Jon Connolly · Post by **Jon Connolly** » Thu May 17, 12 7:20 am

Will

You will bust half shafts long before you bend your casing, so , unless you do genuinely intend to put massive horsepower ( 800 + ?? ) through it and have already upgraded half shafts I wouldn`t bother

I put 600 hp through the back of the Valiant with a Ford 9 inch with all fairly standard off the shelf components .... NO DAMAGE to axle casing at all but did snap a standard half shaft clean in 2

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Thu May 17, 12 7:28 am

When I said ' a bar through the middle ' , what I really meant was

'a thick bar machined straight & round. Passing through machined bushes in the wheel bearing housings at each end of the axle, and through machined bushes in the bearing carriers of the installed centre section. '

This is a jig for reassembly after cutting. It won't stop welding distortion, if it happens.

autofetish · Post by **autofetish** » Thu May 17, 12 7:56 am

thanks guys

so looks like i dont need this brace

its more the fact i got it now and might as well have it welded on

Going to a welding shop today to see when they say