frame welding tips anyone ?

muddyk

vehicle : 15 yr old nissan 720 4x4 w/ 180k

situation: frame rot in last cross member of frame
and adjoining areas at bed rear.

problem: i am a competent weldor but have never
worked on a car. getting mixed info on procedure.

i plan to take out battery, remove bed and fuel
tank. IS THIS ENOUGH ?

should i remove carburetor/engine brain or just
disconnect ? anything else?

thanks for anything you have to offer.

0patience

If it is only the crossmember,you'd be almost better off replacing the crossmember.
If it is the frame,forget it.
You can find a crossmember at a wrecking yard and replace it.Generally,welding on crossmembers or frames is not an acceptable thing to do.
So I am not going to give you info on welding them at all.

But any other welding on a vehicle,it is best to disconnect the battery to avoid sending voltage thru the ECM or control module and connect the ground of the welding lead as close to where you are going to weld as you can.

muddyk

removed bed to get a better look and my chipping hammer penetrated the frame in one too many places!

found a used vehicle the next day and a dealer to give my beloved 720 a proper burial/second life.

just curious though, here in the salty kingdom ( cleveland ) a number of shops specialize in frame repair of this type. why do you say it is unacceptable to do ? safety?

anyhow, thanks for your response. end of topic i guess.

0patience

Frames are designed for stregth at certain points,and the metal is set so that the stregnth is specific.Welding on a frame weakens the metals and can cause the frame to crack or even break,depending on where the weld is.Frames can have an insert put into them and riveted or bolted to maintain the strength. There are ways to weld the frame correctly,not for the do it yourselfer.If not done correctly,it is an extremely large liability.If the frame should break because of the weld and it caused an accident, the liabilty falls on the person who welded it.