C7 frame welding
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 894
Likes: 667
St. Jude Donor '17
C7 frame welding
Does anyone have experience welding a C7 frame?
I need to replace the front and rear bumper bar on my 2015 Z51. The welds are pretty simple and the service manual is very descriptive. However, you need a pulsed mig welder and I have not been able to find someone who has one locally. Just need to ask someone with experience a few questions.
I need to replace the front and rear bumper bar on my 2015 Z51. The welds are pretty simple and the service manual is very descriptive. However, you need a pulsed mig welder and I have not been able to find someone who has one locally. Just need to ask someone with experience a few questions.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: cookeville tennessee
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 245
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From: nj
Yes they are mig welded along with the torque tube and the driveshafts also. Very common method especially for production.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 894
Likes: 667
St. Jude Donor '17
Yes, 100% sure it is mig, the manual tells you the specific wire to use. My question is can I do it with regular mig, or does it have to be pulsed mig like the manual says. A Pulsed mig welder costs 5k minimum.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 204
Likes: 35
From: buffalo new york
welding alum
Welding alum with mig depends on the filler metal being used . If your welding with 4043 filler metal then any spool mig can be used. 4043 is a general welding wire .The difficulty is when you use 5356 filler . A pulse machine is best for this wire . You will see the difference in it . 5356 is a wire mainly used on structural weldments. If at all possible use a pulse machine anytime your welding now a days, much better ,less heat applied to the welded zones. Your local welding supply shops often rent them , just need a experienced welder and go to it.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 894
Likes: 667
St. Jude Donor '17
No, I bought a wrecked 2015 Z51 3LT for 14k so it needs a lot of work. The front bumper bar is dented in the middle (frame rails measure correctly though) and the rear bumper bar was ripped off. The last 2-3 inches of the rear frame rails are crushed inward, but the cool thing about the new Aluminium frame is that it is made up of 1.5 foot segments which are welded together at the factory. So, on those two rear segments, I just need to cut the old welds and weld in a new segment.