From: GOTAM35 (gotam35@sc.rr.com)
Date: Thu Oct 31 2002 - 04:26:02 PST
Hello everyone. Welding on anything hardened is tricky. In theory you can
heat the area, weld it, quench it or let it cool slowly (I usually quench
it). But no matter how you do it, it's not the same as before. Hardened
steel will break like glass under the right conditions. I have welded on
plows and stuff like that, but if they fail you get off the tractor, swear a
little and pick them up. If your leaf fails you could end up in serious
trouble. At very least you should make sure the weld is solid. The welder
should have ground a 30 degree bevel on both sides of each piece to be
welded and used a rod that would penetrate well (6010), ground each pass and
filled and covered with a 7018. I would not trust a mig machine, but I'm a
little partial to stick. If your axle can't leave the vehicle if this
cracks again, you could probably get by and check it for a new crack often.
I have found when I grind on something, if the sparks tend to "sparkle"
instead of just glow, it's too hard to weld. It could break where the weld
is stuck to it. However I welded a 7/8" end wrench piece to a 1/2" drive
socket to remove and install the heads on my deuce. I have installed one
head and will do the other today and the "adapter" held up under the 157 ft.
pounds of torque. For what it's worth, I had to "estimate" the exact torque
since the adapter extended the reach or the wrench. I took physics in
college, I think I got it right. Guess I'll find out next week. Didn't
have to remove the injectors either.
Just my observations, base on experience, subject to change without notice,
Joe Trapp
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bjorn Brandstedt"
> Has anybody had any experience with broken leaf springs that were welded
as
> a temporary fix?
> My son's '53 M37, which we have been working on lately, had two broken
> leafs, one left front and one right rear. Top leaf in both cases. I took
> them to a local shop and asked if they could be welded. "Sure", the man
> said. He bridged the break with a small piece of steel and got it done.
> Well, spring steel is very hard to weld and consequently, it looks like
hell
> and who knows how well it will hold up. The wheels are still off the truck
> and there is still a lot to finish before a test ride, so, meanwhile, I'm
> presenting you with the question regarding the reliability of this kind of
> fix. Anybody know?
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