Trailing arm welding
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 294
Likes: 10
From: Palmer Alaska
Trailing arm welding
I am thinking about welding my own TA's up rather than buying new ones. I am replacing bushings and doing some other work so they will be off the car. Anyone done this? Plan on doing small sections at a time to avoid overheating or warping. Reason is I have heard the stitch welds are points of failure for high HP cars and my HP is climbing steady through the winter.
Limping across the line
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 5,299
Likes: 109
From: Peoria Az
I bought a set of double offset trailing arms from VanSteel.
I wound up boxing them in Welded them up with a Tig welder.
No problems with twisting or warping.
If you plan on making your own I'd suggest using some sort of Jig
I wound up boxing them in Welded them up with a Tig welder.
No problems with twisting or warping.
If you plan on making your own I'd suggest using some sort of Jig
Last edited by AzMotorhead; Jan 18, 2014 at 11:59 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
If you don't build a jig to keep everything straight, you run the possibility of warping your arms when welding them. I probably have some good used California cores around, $200 for a pair of straight clean good metal arms (cant say rust free but free of that cancer I see so often in the cars from other states.)
Pro
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 721
Likes: 105
From: hernando fl
I welded mine .....small sections at a time. if they warped or twisted I can't tell , the alignment after the welding was problem free and the car drives like it should. I welded mine more for cleaning up the look of the arms than strength. all things considered it was worth the time and effort , I say go for it
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 338
Likes: 4
From: Bowling Green Kentucky
Get out the MIG and spray wire!
When I welded mine, I tacked between the original welds first, then ground the original welds to an acceptable point to weld over. The factory welds were horrible.
Once that was done I clamped them to the table and welded them up.
I bead blasted the arms prior to working on them.
When I welded mine, I tacked between the original welds first, then ground the original welds to an acceptable point to weld over. The factory welds were horrible.
Once that was done I clamped them to the table and welded them up.
I bead blasted the arms prior to working on them.
