Welding on truck

[Oasis-3]

I have herd that you must disconnect your batteries before you do any welding on your truck. Is this true?
Thanks
Cliff

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2001. 5 Black Sport 4x4 Q-cab 6-Speed HO,3. 54 - No Stickers on Tailgate - Towing & Camper Packages - Real Backup Lights - Fog Lights - Phord 4 Door Nurf Bars - Leveling Kit - CB - Electric Brakes - Class 3 Hitch on front

 

[LSMITH]

That is true.

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99 2500 QC 4X4 AUTO SB 24V LARAMIE SLT 3. 5 LSD 285-75-16'S SPA Boost/EGT Everything but leather NRA Member Great Lakes TDR Member

 

[Big-D]

If disconnecting your batteries is required prior to welding, than I must be one awfully lucky guy. I have welded both aluminum and steel on my 99 without any computer or electrical problems whatsoever.

Matter of fact, I've just about welded on every piece of equipment that has wheels and a battery from my riding lawn mower, tractors, GMC and my Dodge.

Should I expect sleepless nights now?
Dave

 

[David Phipps/Mike Hurd]

Yep unless you like buying computers. Been there done that. Mike

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http://hometown. aol.com/hotshothauler/myhomepage/business.html 2000, CTD 3500, Air brakes on truck & trailer. 179,000 miles todate. DOT custom built sleeper unit. pulling a 40' G/N flatbed
2000 FL-70 Pulling a 48' low boy.
Just bought another 92 D-350 215 P-Pump motor and NV 4500 180,000 miles 24 lbs boost all stock For now

 

[illflem]

Big-D you've been lucky,I've welded on many rigs without disconnecting the battery for 35 years, with no problems, until one day welding on the tailgate of a Toyota PU, fried the computer. Ran fine when I backed into the shop, wouldn't start when it was time to go. $550 for parts. I unhook the ground on the newer rigs now,once was enough. I've heard that if you connect a real ground to the earth then to the chassis that it can help. Another thing to watch for when welding on a rig or any other piece of equipment is that your welder ground is connected in a place where the current can't flow though any bearings, I know for a fact that you can arc though the bearings to the race = dead bearing.

 

[merryman]

Guess I am as lucky as BigD.
I have welded on several trucks, including the '01 Dodge without disconnecting the batteries.
I got pretty concerned when I learned you must not weld on the frame. I welded the fiver hitch on to the '93 (did not disconnect batts), 100+K later no problems had developed. Also no problems on the '01 after welding on it.
Think I will try to mend my ways.

Vaughn

 

[Bumble]

You fellows may want to rethink doing any frame welding. You can induce stress concentrations at welds.

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2001, 3500, 5sp, 3. 54LS, 4x4, pyro and boost on the A-pillar, 165 watt backup lights, Thomas powered on-board air system, Grovers.

 

[Straight6Jeff]

Disconnecting the battery is alway a good practice. One other important item is to connect the work lead of the welder as close to the point of welding as possible. This is for the path of least resistance and minimum disturbance of nearby systems.

When welding on a frame or other stress-bearing areas, if shielding gas composition is important. Aluminum, and stainless, and mild steel require different gases for a contaminant-free weld and one that is not brinelled.

Some welding supply houses have great books for free (ARCO is one ). These books of course are advertisements for their products, but they also contain HUGE amounts of tables and specs.

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01 2500 V-10 4x2 QC/LB, 4. 10, Ruenel Bumper/brush guard, RS 9000's, 2" frt springs 1500#/in, KC Daylighters, Rhino Liner, Spin Tech Muffler, DD 4" Tail, 265 BFG A/T, Lots more to come

 

[Murle]

Been welding on trucks for 30 years. Never unhooked a battery yet. Never had any problems. Weld on farm equipment that is hooked to tractors for 30 years. Never unhooked a battery on the tractors before welding. No problems. If you are unsure, unhook you batterys. When in doubt Whoop it out. #ad

 

[Big-D]

Bill, Been thinking hard on the welding issue and maybe I've been lucky (can't say that for a wining Lottery ticket though)so will heed your advice along with the others. I'm in the process of hanging my tool boxes now and still have a little welding to do. Removing the cables isn't a big deal for me and if it saves the onboard computer, it's well worth the effort. Ya just gotta love this site for learning. Dave

 

[illflem]

Murle and Dave, I still weld on tractors without disconnecting, no computers, but they say you can fry alternators. On my narrow compacted orchard tractors getting at the batteries is just too much hassle. One of my M-F tractors takes 3 hours just to change a battery, nobody's stealing that one. I won't weld on a computerized rig without disconnecting though,$500 for three minutes work is just too good of pay to pass up.

 

[Murle]

illflem, I hear what you are saying. But I also look at all of the welding rigs out there and all of the welding rigs that I have had where I was welding off of the bed of the truck and they nor I never unhook the batteries. These beds are bolted or welded to the frame of the trucks.

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1998 4x4 2500. White. Regular cab. Not bombed. Gear Vendor(9 forwards)
2001 4x4 3500 White Flat bed. Has BD Plug in Power. I represent Murle's Gunsmith Shop and Sporting Goods.

 

[Oasis-3]

Thanks for all the replies. When I had to weld extitions on the front of my truck to bolt my class 3 hitch on a friend said I should unhook the batteries, and I did easy enough. I just had to get that hitch down under that Shiny Black Sport frontend #ad
I could not bring myself to cut a hole in the front #ad
like I did on my OLD 96 ram diesel.
Thanks Again
Cliff

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2001. 5 Black Sport 4x4 Q-cab 6-Speed HO,3. 54 - No Stickers on Tailgate - Towing & Camper Packages - Real Backup Lights - Fog Lights - Phord 4 Door Nurf Bars - Leveling Kit - CB - Electric Brakes - Class 3 Hitch on front

 

[merryman]

My problem is simply and abundance of ingorance it too many areas. Every thing I sort-of-know about vehicles and things like welding, I just picked up on my own; they did not teach any thing like this in Law school, and the 60-70 hour weeks in practice did not leave much time for learning anything else.

Vaughn

 

['956Wheel]

Do not weld on a frame unless you know what you are doing, i. e. any load bearing area MUST be welded LENGTHWAYS ONLY as across will induce cracking. Look on the top of the frame rails on the side of the engine, you will see an excellent example of what I'm writting about.

TIG (heliarc) and MIG are great however they heat in a remote area causing stress this is the reason so many homebuilt airframes are oxy-acetelyne welded or heated with a oxy- acetelyne after TIG or MIG welding... stress relief. Everyone is a weldor, few are great ones.

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9535hundred

 

[Big-D]

Vaughn, Just think... by reading at your leisure on this site you can learn from everyone else, who learned it the hard way or from some other person. Doesn't get much better than that in my book.

LAW of averages in doing something correctly after a little reading and asking questions here, far out-weighs what we could ever do on our own. Synergistic all the way. Dave

 

[Koa Man]

DO NOT weld on the frame BETWEEN the axles. Proper way to mount a bracket would be to drill holes in the frame and bolt it on. It is OK to weld on the frame OUTSIDE of the axles.

 

[rickhans]

Just a note: You can also blow your computer when jumping your battery from another running vehicle with jumper cables. My daughter learned the hard way on one of our cars.

Also learned the hard way that a defective battery can blow the computer.

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98. 5 24V QC 4x4 SB 3:54 5sp

 

[Murle]

Originally posted by Statland:
Do not weld on a frame unless you know what you are doing, i. e. any load bearing area MUST be welded LENGTHWAYS ONLY as across will induce cracking. Look on the top of the frame rails on the side of the engine, you will see an excellent example of what I'm writting about.

TIG (heliarc) and MIG are great however they heat in a remote area causing stress this is the reason so many homebuilt airframes are oxy-acetelyne welded or heated with a oxy- acetelyne after TIG or MIG welding... stress relief. Everyone is a weldor, few are great ones.

Statland, You are right that there are few great welders. I'm not bragging here but will state facts. I am a certified nuclear welder. I'm certified in Tig, Mig, Auto, and Stick welding. I'm am certified in all positions including limited access. I'm am certified in carbon steel, stainless steel, moly chrome,and many others. I personal own and use 5 different welding machines. Again I have never unhooked a battery when welding on any vehicle. It is a mith that you have to unhook a battery to weld on a vehicle. If it makes a person feel good to do so, that is ok with me. But I still say it is not needed. After 30 years of welding I may blow one up tomorrow. But If I do I will feel I'm am ahead of the game. #ad

 

[merryman]

Murle;
I am certified too----certified to most likely get into a jam about every other thing I try on my vehicles, but I can't keep my hands off them and its allways interesting to work my way out of those jams.
Big-D is right about the education on this cite----they ought to charge tuition.

Vaughn
heck, as you see I get into trouble when I try to type too!!!!!

[This message has been edited by merryman (edited 03-23-2001). ]