New Alpha 1 Spindle Gusset

DieselD said:

To ensure the strongest weld you should really preheat the cast part before welding. After welding is complete slowing the cooling down is also a good idea(wrap the part in a old sleeping bag overnight for example)

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Always

Or just have Jamie Campbell weld it... Lol

-Greg

Loving this- ordering 3 sets. Much easier than making them.

Can we get an "official" statement on the welding of these, from the manufacturer? Recommended welding type or method, filler material, procedure?

Thanks!

BigJ said:

Can we get an "official" statement on the welding of these, from the manufacturer? Recommended welding type or method, filler material, procedure?

Thanks!

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Good call big J. I have it tomorrow. Thanks.

Outlaw, do you think you might do in house welding of this then ship them to customers to be installed ?

We definitely recommend a certified welder do this for you, somebody who is familiar with welding on cast.


Here is what Lincoln Welders recommend for this application:

Cast iron is difficult, but not impossible, to weld. The most common is gray cast iron, and these guidelines are directed toward this type of material.

A few facts about cast iron help in understanding the welding challenges. Cast iron typically has a carbon content of 2% - 4%, roughly 10 times as much as most steels. The high carbon content causes the carbon to form flakes of graphite. This graphite gives gray cast iron its characteristic appearance when fractured.

When castings are made, molten iron is poured into a mold and allowed to slowly cool. When this high carbon material is allowed to cool slowly, crack free castings can be made. Remembering this is helpful when welding cast iron: during and after welding, the casting must either be allowed to cool slowly, or should be kept cool enough that the rate of cooling is not important.

A critical temperature in most cast iron is about 1450 degrees F. When at this temperature, conditions that can lead to cracking occur. While the arc will heat the casting to temperatures above this level, it is important that the casting not be held at this temperature for long periods of time.

Electrode Selection
If the part is to be machined after welding, a nickel-type electrode will be required. Use Lincoln Softweld® 99Ni stick electrode for single pass, high dilution welds. Softweld 55 Ni is preferred for multiple pass welds. Sometimes, root passes are put in with Softweld 99 Ni, followed by fill passes with Softweld 55 Ni. For welds where machining is not required, and where the weld is expected to rust like the cast iron, Lincoln Ferroweld® stick electrode can be used.

Welding Techniques with Preheat
Preheating the cast iron part before welding will slow the cooling rate of the weld, and the region surround the weld. It is always preferred to heat the entire casting, if possible. Typical preheat temperatures are 500-1200 degrees F. Don’t heat over 1400 degrees F since that will put the material into the critical temperature range. Preheat the part slowly and uniformly.

Weld using a low current, to minimize admixture, and residual stresses. In some cases, it may be necessary to restrict the welds to small, approximately 1-inch long segments to prevent the build up of residual stresses that can lead to cracking. Peening of weld beads can be helpful in this regard as well.

After welding, allow the part to slowly cool. Wrapping the casting in an insulating blanket, or burying it in dry sand, will help slow cooling rates, and reduce cracking tendencies.

Welding Techniques without Preheat
The size of the casting, or other circumstances, may require that the repair be made without preheat. When this is the case, the part needs to be kept cool, but not cold.

Raising the casting temperature to 100 degrees F is helpful. Never heat the casting so hot that you cannot place your bare hand on it.

Make short, approximately 1” long welds. Peening after welding is important with this technique. Allow the weld and the casting to cool. Do not accelerate the rate of cooling with water or compressed air. It may be possible to weld in another area of the casting while the previous weld cools. All craters should be filled. Whenever possible, the beads should be deposited in the same direction, and it is preferred that the ends of parallel beads not line up with each other.

Thanks guys.

One quick question: our spindles are cast iron? For sure? They are *not* cast steel?

BigScott said:

Outlaw, do you think you might do in house welding of this then ship them to customers to be installed ?

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BigScott great idea.

Yes, we can weld the gussets on for people that do not have a person accessible to them. The cost to weld the gussets on is $65. Raptor owners are still responsible for the shipping of the spindles to and from us. Local people can drop off their spindles at the shop.

For Raptor owners that are local to our shop and want to just drop the truck off for us to strip, weld, and reassemble call the shop for pricing. 949-581-5001

---------- Post added at 11:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 AM ----------

BigJ said:

Thanks guys.

One quick question: our spindles are cast iron? For sure? They are *not* cast steel?

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Big J,

Yes, they are cast steel. The welding techniques are very similar to cast iron. The techniques in the article can be used on both. Again we recommend a certified welder install them for the consumer.

Outlaw Raptor said:

Big J,

Yes, they are cast steel. The welding techniques are very similar to cast iron. The techniques in the article can be used on both. Again we recommend a certified welder install them for the consumer.

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Hmm ok. Thanks for the feedback guys.