Welding WEVO RARB mounts....

[Weaver]

The shop I deal with for a few things here in Indy just informed me that they don't do RARB mounts.

So I have the WEVO mounts and I have a tig welder and plenty of grinders and cut-off tools to attemp it. But no lift.

Has anyone done this with the rear of the car up on jack stands and the front on the ground, similar to an engine removal?

Are there any tricks or things to watch for when attempting this?

Thanks for your time.

[callard]

I did mine with the chassis on jack stands. Ensure clean metal to weld to and have the mounts attached to the ARB. Measure the locations for the mounts, prop the bar and mounts in place and tack weld both sides. The trick is to avoid too much heat initially that would cause the mount to twist/distort the bar's alignment. If your initial tack welds cause binding on the bar, you can grind them off and reposition the mount. Keep testing that the bar turns with no binding as you slowly add weld. I went side to side and did about 1/2 inch welds at a time and then allowed them to cool before more welding.
Chuck

[Cory M]

A MIG will be more forgiving and easier than TIG, especially if the surfaces are dirty at all and you are laying on the ground. The only issue I see with doing it on stands is getting peppered with hot sparks, so use all the right safety gear and dress accordingly. When I installed the Wevo mounts it went smoothly and was a lot faster and easier than I anticipated.

[KTL]

I did these as my first major welding job. My original mount had the nuts pull thru it (that's what I get for hitting apex curbs at Grattan) and I decided it's time to quit being a baby and buy a welder to do all the things i've been wanting to do with a welder!

I did it with the car up in the air like you describe. My welder is a Hobart Handler 140 MIG and it was more than capable of doing the job. That little welder could easily penetrate the mount and of course the chassis sheetmetal. I used flux wire because that's all I had at the time. Gas or no gas, prep is indeed key.

Like Cory said be prepared to be a bit frustrated and take your time. I did a lot of contorting and grunting and so on to get myself into postion well enough to properly place the gun and lay down a decent bead. Definitely need the welding gloves and heavy jacket for this job.



Just be aware that the Wevo mounts place the mount a good bit lower than the original mounts. So if ground clearance is an issue, you may want to choose a different mount. Buckley Racing makes a good mount that lets you leave part of the old mount in place.

Smart Racing Sways Ground Clearance

[Tom '74 911]

As Chuck said, keep checking as you initially tack them on that the bar rotates freely - this is very important! Here's a progression of pics that I stole from another thread. I used them for my install. . .

[aston@ultrasw.c]

That welding looks superb.

I struggled with my MIG unit. Not as easy as it looks.

I don't think that section of the body is reinforced to take the loads of a sway bar.

I abandoned the Wevo and went with the Buckley Racing mounts.

[Flieger]

Pretty colors.

[Weaver]

Thank you all very much for y'alls input. Everyones replies have made me feel better.

I'll be using one of my tig welders. I've been tigging for about 7 years, and I've never touched a mig welder. Always wanted to learn, but since we don't have one at work, and I never bought one, well thats that.

Thanks for the pics KTL and Tom. Those help a lot.

Thanks for the heads up on the mount deformation during welding Chuck.

[callard]

Weaver, TIG and gas welding require coordination, skill and practice. MIG is one handed point and squirt (he says while lovingly patting his Miller). You'll do fine!
Chuck