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Need to do's before burning in frame stiffies

Lake919

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Mobile, AL
Okay, so just as the title says, what do I need to do the the electrical side of the xj before I take a millermatic 215 to the underside of my 95 sport this weekend? I bought the JCR full frame stiffeners. I've put this off for a while and finally got my new welder in and figured I'd tackle this job this weekend. Also going to be installing Novak transfer case cable shift mod and Teraflex 4:1 crawl in the 231j. Thanks for any advice.


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That's a good idea, thanks. I will definitely do that. I'm excited to finally get it done. What did you set your welder to to burn them in? The stiffies are 3/16th but I know the body is no where near that. I can run my machine on either 120/240, I have access to both, I'm also going to mig them with shielding gas.


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Remove, or pull back the carpet. I had a bud start his interior on fire welding mid stiffeners.
 
I did none of those things. And have had no issues.

I have welded to the frame and body countless times.

As long as you ground your welder directly to the chassis a reasonable distance from where you are welding, you should have no issues.

You should only need to pull the carpet if you're welding to the floor. Easy insurance is pulling it though.


I do highly recommend using weld through primer on everything to help cut down on rust. You'll never be able to completely seal the stiffeners. Water will get in between them and the unibody.
 
What did you set your welder to to burn them in?


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No offense, but if you have to ask that, you need to get some more welding practice in with similar materials before you tackle this job. Maybe even have someone with more experience help you on this. You can do some damage to your thin uni-body if you don't do this right.
 
My advice is to be aware you are welding together 2 different thicknesses, and because of this, you can't keep the heat and subsequent puddle on both pieces for equal amounts of time.

You need to start your arc on the thicker material, and then drag that puddle over to the thinner uni-body and bring it back to the thicker material, spending 2/3rd of your time on the thicker stuff. As you drag the puddle over to the uni-body, you are bringing it back to the thicker stuff quickly and then spending most of the time burning it in there and then dragging that puddle back over to the thin uni-body just enough to get the puddle to sink in and grab the sheet metal, then bring it back over to the thicker stuff quickly, but not too quick where you lose the grip of that puddle.

Hopefully, that makes sense to you.
 
If you really want to practice that technique, grab a spare fender and some 3/16 flat bar and practice on them. Once your consistently not burning through the fender you're ready to burn the stiffies on. Yes the fender will be thinner than the unibody and that's why I think it's good practice.
Also, aren't you the guy who just bought that brand-new Miller mig, tig, fluxcore welder? If so, it will have all the settings you need in the book or on the inside panel of that machine.
 
Yes Dan, I did just buy it. It's seriously a killer machine. Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm going to go to pick and pull and grab a fender.


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I wouldn't bother with going to the junkyard to grab a fender. Just go to your local metal supply shop and get a piece or two of sheet metal. (If you are new to welding and have not yet found your metal supply shop, you might as well go get acquainted now. Odds are you will spend a good deal of time there. Find their remnants section. ) If it were me I would get a piece of 16 ga and a piece of 20 ga and practice welding the 3/16" to those, in that order.

First practice with them laying flat, then practice with them vertical. Then clamp one end to a sawhorse with the other end hanging in open space and practice welding upside down.

BTW, put in ear plugs for the upside down welding. Not for noise, but just because it is so much fun to get molten metal inside your ears.
 
When you think you have all of the zinc off of the frame sand it off again.
 
When you think you have all of the zinc off of the frame sand it off again.

Wipe the surfaces down well to remove any dust the sanding left behind.

Self ->:sure:
 
UnibodyWelding.jpg


Pulled from pirate about reinforcing the unibody :rtm:
 
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