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View Full Version : Welding to unibody. Welder type



cooperzj
11-09-2007, 11:49 AM
So here's the deal, I have a 220amp arc welder- no mig no tig. Can I weld to the unibody with this?

What rods should I use? What amp setting?

Friends tell me I will have burn through, but I don't see how the chances of burn through will be increased compared to a Mig welder.

I will be welding on slider mount supports and body mounts for control arms.

Yes, I did read the unibody welding bible- it doesn't mention types of welders- it just assumes that everyone has a mig.

I think with the right rod and amperage, the result should be the same. Am I wrong in thinking this?

dangerousdave
11-09-2007, 12:01 PM
you can burn through with any type of welder. You can use a stick welder if thats what you have. Use a low setting and stitch weld. If you have a friend that knows how i would let him do it. I highly recommend letting a pro do it though. This is your butt on the line if something fails. YOu dont know when it will happen or where so you might not be the only person that gets hurt in the event of failer. My dad welded for the better part of 10 years and its time to do my uni.. he is putting tons of time into researching the thing. I will post later with the Rods you need to use. I will have to ask him. I use 6013s in gen but the is a 70?? that is suppose to be better for frames.

rccolacc
11-09-2007, 12:12 PM
Yeah I would think stitch welding with a low heat setting would be best. A 6013 rod is good for metal that may have some impurities on it (like a little rust or paint) and works well for general welding, but some people prefer the 7018 for it's strength. It's surface strength is harder then the 6013 weld, but it's a slightly cooler weld than the 6013. For welding on the unibody, I would try to use the 7018 becuase it's cooler and you're less likely to burn through than if you used a 6013 or 6011. 7018's are harder to strike an arc with than the 6013 though. Welding vertically under the jeep may be difficult.
If all you're doing is welding on sliders though, any of those rods will work pretty much. Just be careful not to burn through the frame and mess it up.
Good luck.
-RC

dangerousdave
11-09-2007, 07:50 PM
7018 is the rod i was going to recommend. either will work though. Goodluck and post on how it goes.

AndyZJ
11-09-2007, 07:54 PM
I used 4018 rod with my Arc welder set around 120-150 when i welded up the Clayton crossmember to my Jeep. And, i know this from personal experience, i'm not bullshitting this time. I found the best method when doing this was to start with a thin welding rod and going over it with a thicker rod.

Katesdad
11-09-2007, 08:18 PM
Im sure your planning on starting the arc on the slider then moving to the uni.

violatedppl
11-09-2007, 11:33 PM
I know I have never welding on a unibody but with the post about using a small rod than building up to a bigger one. In my experience its all about the root pass, without a decent root pass your wasting time. I would use 7018, you get good pentration and I think its easier to control in an out of position weldment.

AndyZJ
11-10-2007, 06:22 PM
What i ment was that stick welding can be temper-mental. So when i was welding with the Jeep above my head i would use the thin rod to get the patch started then complete the line with a thicker rod. And since the thin rod had already made a good spot welded on it was easier to get the thicker rod to arc and start without having to move it back and forth getting frustrated with sticking the rod to the metal and then having to try and arc all over. Anyway, always clean the metal SUPER good.

Kraqa
11-10-2007, 06:36 PM
you can use anything to weld to the unibody.

it is the correct technique of controllign the heat that you will have to deal with.

Read the bible. in the write-up section .

cooperzj
11-10-2007, 08:19 PM
Thanks, I stated in my original post that I had read the bible, but said that it didn't specify what rods to use or amperage setting for arc welding. It is this specific information I am looking for.

Thanks for the advice on the rods all. I will try the 7018's first- I've not had good luck with those 1/16" rods before, but I'll give it another go. The 6013's at 1/8 are nice to weld with, I'll just have to check the amps and see how low I can go- I'll start around 100-110 and go from there.

adam99wj
11-10-2007, 08:53 PM
id go with less then 100 amps myself, and as for the doube pass someone suggested id forget that as well , single pass on sheetmetal is plenty