UltraZLS1

I just bought some BMR tubular SFC's.

My grandpa has an old 70's or so sears arc welder in the garage that still works. From the looks of the manual it is at least 25 years old.
We have a pit as well.

Could we use this to weld in the sfc's?

Any tips? What type of rod etc?


thanks

steelerfan

I just had a set welded on last week by a buddy of mine who welds for a living,he told me a MIG welder is the way to go,ARC welder won't do the job correctly

SpeedDemon02SS

I have SLP bolt ons. Can i still weld them in?

steelerfan

Yes.It's usually a good idea to tack-weld bolt ons,in addition to bolting them on, so the bolt holes won't elongate over time,it's cheap insurance.

SpeedDemon02SS

were should i weld?

clemsb4c

When welding on SFC should you relax the suspension on the car or should you leave pressure on it. Also if you have to put the car on jack stands to relax the suspension how important that all the jack stands are the same hieght.

TobyZ28

I've heard that the weight of the car should be on the wheels when you weld them.

steelerfan

With bolt ons tack weld in the area near,but not right next to the bolts,anywhere the SFC's come in contact with the frame rail.
If you have access to a drive on lift that's the best,I didn't so I used 2 sets of ramps,that way the weight of the car is on the tires as it normally would be,it was a little cramped under the car with the ramps,but not too bad & it gave enough room to weld everything up correctly

SpeedDemon02SS

i have SLP's, that run alont the entire frame rail under the doors. Should i run a good bead along the whole thing, or just tack it at 4-6" intervals?

steelerfan

Weld ons only get welded at the front where it contacts the subframe,& at the rear where it contacts the LCA mount,for bolt ons the same is true,so tack weld front & rear,not the entire length,sorry if I confused you.

UltraZLS1

I just finished installing mine....have a few questions.

Had the car up on four blocks ( one under each tire)....each about a foot high.

Now I found the most level ground I could but space was limited as the welder would only reach to the side of the garage.

Would it hurt anything if the car isnt perfectly level? ( each tire the same height)

Also...a couple small spots.....maybe a half inch long....I didnt have all the paint removed...and didnt notice until it was too late....will the weld still hold on top of some paint?

thanks

steelerfan

Level is important,but as long as it's close you will probably be ok.As for the paint,I don't know for sure how well that'll hold,it depends,a 1/2 in might be ok if there are other good welds nearby,just keep an eye on it,check it every couple weeks or so for the 1st couple months to make sure everything's ok,that includes ALL weld points,watch for cracks,etc. If yours are bolt ons the welds aren't as important as if the welds are the only thing holding them on.VERY IMPORTANT...make sure you paint the welds so they don't rust ASAP as the welds will develope surface rust quickly,I used a primer & paint,but at least paint.Hope this helps