Tig Weld Wevo Sway Bar Mount?

jamesjedi · 07-09-2016, 03:01 PM

My knowledge of welding is not great. Neighbor is a profferssional welder. Is coming to my place tomorrow morning to weld brackets for my oil cooler. While he is at my place with his tig welder I was hoping to get him to weld the sway bar mounts. Is tig recomended for this type of welding?

toddu · 07-09-2016, 03:28 PM

As long as he's using the correct filler rod, I think TIG is fine. Just ask him, he'll know.

Todd

jamesjedi · 07-09-2016, 05:28 PM

Thanks. I just want it to be strong.

john walker's workshop · 07-09-2016, 05:43 PM

A good mig weld would be fine.

jamesjedi · 07-09-2016, 05:47 PM

Thanks John. I have a mig welder, however I am a crappy welder. My neighbor said that the mig makes much nicer welds, but I do not know if they are stronger?

Cory M · 07-09-2016, 05:51 PM

Mig will be easier weld through the dirty metal and galvanized body but tig will probably work fine. Mig is plenty strong for this. Grind off the paint and get the area really clean before he shows up.

jamesjedi · 07-09-2016, 05:55 PM

Sounds like you like the mig better. My mig is small, runs off a household plug. thanks for the heads up on the dirty metal - I will talk to him about it tomorrow.

Charles Freeborn · Charles Freeborn's Garage

I did mine with a TIG, but MIG would be an easier reach. It's tucked way up there and getting the torch head and filler rod in is tight.
And we're off! '74 Rear Suspension Rebuild

Dr DIY · Dr DIY's Garage

Where I work, tig would typically be considered superior for any thin metal. Welders around me typically tig up to about 1/2" in all kinds of exotic metals. Mig is considered faster but not stronger.

Cory M · 07-09-2016, 07:41 PM

I've got both mig and tig. I used the mig to weld in the wevo mounts, it was fast and easy. The mounts weld surprisingly well despite being a lot thicker than the sheetmetal they attach to. My mig runs on 220 but 110 should do it. Leave it up to your friend, he may prefer the tig since it's his box and he's more familiar with it.

Lake Guy · Lake Guy's Garage

+1 Tig and +1 for very good prep work (grinding to bare metal)

jamesjedi · 07-10-2016, 09:55 AM

I think he may go with the mig. Perhaps easier to use than trying to get the stick in the tight space. We did not do it today, as he tig welded my tabs for my center mount oil cooler.

bpu699 · 07-12-2016, 04:05 PM

I have mig and tig. Ended up using both. Laid a bead with mig, and strengthened it by going over it with the tig without filler rod.

Trying to use a filler rod and tig by itself would be a bear... That's a tight area...

jamesjedi · 07-12-2016, 06:12 PM

It is tight. My engine is out, which will make it much easier.

bigel · bigel's Garage

Pics???!!!

Don Ivey · 07-13-2016, 03:54 AM

One thing to do first. Remove the ecu from under driver's seat (may be somewhere else in your car) before welding on body. Mine went tit's up very soon after similar welding, and the coincidence is too great to not suspect a connection. YMMV,

mb911 · mb911's Garage

Speaking from being a welding instructor for 16 years at a local college and before that an aviation welder. I can tell TIG will be just fine. In fact it truly is better to define a good weld vs a bad weld. With TIG what you have in the top (face) of the weld is what you have in the root so no hiding poor welds or porosity where as MIG you can hide lots. Food for though TIG is used for things like pressure piping in nuke plants,food manufacturing, all the way to .020 chromoly so it does everything well. Mig is a great tool for production welding and home hobbyists because it's fairly easy to learn.