Need some welding done, who can help?

[Silverfire9]

You know what they say, you can have something cheap, fast or good - pick two. Well I pick cheap and good, so I'm hoping I can find someone on here who has a welder and the knowledge to weld the sleeve to the tang on my steering rack like this for cheap:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff230/pdiddie1/IMAG0385.jpg

I had it tacked once, but it broke a few weeks ago when I hit a pothole. The guy I got the picture from has had his welded for years, so it should hold if it's done right. It's virtually undriveable as it is. There's about 10-15 degrees of slop, and with a quick-ratio rack, it's quite a challenge even at city speeds.

The only difficulty I see is that it has to be done in the car. It's possible that a couple tacks would be all it needs in the car, but taking it out is a huge production as the whole dash needs to be removed to do it.

I could probably afford $50-100 and as long as you're in the SE and I don't need to get onto a freeway I can even come to you.

THANKS!

[crxcel]

sounds scary and dangerous.

[sr20s14zenki]

Contact me via pm. I run a welding shop in the as ;)

[fiveowed]

its illegal to weld steering componets

[Revhard]

For good reason too. That said, it's going to happen. Better off getting a qualified guy to do it. The heat treatment is the issue, and possible hardening/softening of the pieces. Welding stuff like this on the car is a big no-no with TIG. High frequency and bearings of any kind in the possible electrical path spell disaster. MIG her up I guess.

[Mtn Tow]

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[heavyfuel]

Wow... just do it right dude we're talking steering here....

[Seth1968]

Why even bother with welding?

Use JB Weld:)

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by Seth1968
Why even bother with welding?

Use JB Weld:)

:werd:

[Hamann]

Duct Tape and Zip Ties my Friend, Duct Tape and Zip Ties

[HO2S]

Originally posted by fiveowed
its illegal to weld steering componets

Says who?
In school they will tell you steering and suspension should never be heated or welded. Then you join the real world and its done all the time.

There isnt that much force on the steering shaft, the hydraulics are doing all of the effort. If you go further up the steering shaft,it is collapsable and held together by plastic rivets. In that picture you posted it is welded approitetly and safely. There is a reputable steering shop here in town that sells bolt on adapters. That makes me leary.
Grap a phone book and call any welder with a truck. Shouldnt be any more than $200.

[Mtn Tow]

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[HO2S]

Originally posted by Mtn Tow


Not always. Never if the engine is off.



Thats so your dont get impaled. Totally different set of forces.



Bolts and hardware can be (and are) tempered. Welds are the opposite, not too mention what a bitch it would be to figure out what the metal in the assembly already

On alot of cars, the upper steering shaft is made of stamped tin. The lower is made bigger and stronger to deal with the elements.
When you turn the steering wheel, it turns the directional controll valve to driect hydraulic pressure, the pressure takes over moving the wheels. thus resulting in not much force in the steering shaft. When the engine is running you can turn the wheels with about 10ft/lbs. If you look at old cars and trucks they have a rubber dampener in the staft, so you have a block of rubber turnning the wheels.

Ive had welders come to my shop and weld together spring seats on axle tubes. that deals with alot more force than a steering shaft.

[Mtn Tow]

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[fiveowed]

Originally posted by HO2S


Says who?
In school they will tell you steering and suspension should never be heated or welded. Then you join the real world and its done all the time.

There isnt that much force on the steering shaft, the hydraulics are doing all of the effort. If you go further up the steering shaft,it is collapsable and held together by plastic rivets. In that picture you posted it is welded approitetly and safely. There is a reputable steering shop here in town that sells bolt on adapters. That makes me leary.
Grap a phone book and call any welder with a truck. Shouldnt be any more than $200.

In Sait I was told by the welding teacher that it is illegal to weld any steering componet. I am not saying a welder wont do it but there is liabilty issues.

[Toma]

Can't see it being illegal, the good shafts for Mustangs, like Maximum Motorsports etc all have the U joints welded, rather than bolted.

I would not trust a slip fit bolted multi joint shaft. I would DEFINATELY have it welded.

The flaming river ones aren't even bolted through, the shaft just has a little divet that the bolt tightens into. Mine came lose.

Fuck that.

I would prefer a splined or D shaft slip fit, then a weld.

[Ymerej472008]

Im also in the S.E and can do it for you. Monday at the earliest.

[Silverfire9]

I knew I should have written more in the first post.

This is going to be a track-only car come summer anyway, so I don't care about the laws. Also, it's on an '87 MR2. Good luck finding one in pick a part. They get maybe two MK1 MR2s a year - if that - and the steering column is different between '85/'86 and '87-'89. They might interchange, but the parts don't mix and match. I just haven't been able to find out for sure. The biggest reason I decided to get it welded was because I COULDN'T find one after 6 months of looking. The forum guys with parts cars didn't want to pull it since it's such a PITA, or it's got to come from the states for shipping from the states. To be fair, the slop wasn't as bad before I got the tacks done than it is now that they broke and I was working out of town, so didn't drive much - like <100km between May and November.

About the electronics - the ECU is at the complete opposite end of the car and is being replaced when the car comes off the road anyway. If I wind up having to do it early, oh well. It might cause some more financial trouble but I'm willing to take the risk. As for hydraulics, it's manual steering so that's not an issue. I suppose there's hydraulic fluid on the other side of the firewall from the steering column in the brake master cylinder, but if the welding gets anywhere near there, something else went drastically wrong.

If the concern is safety, the guy that first picture came from wrote his car off by rear-ending someone. These cars are so low that it just goes under whatever you hit unless it's a wall, in which case, I'll have other worries. Besides, there's no room for it to collapse on mine like there is on his. There might be 1/4" between the sleeve and the wide part of the shaft. He was going to sell me his until he pulled it and saw that it was bent from the crash.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by Revhard
For good reason too. That said, it's going to happen. Better off getting a qualified guy to do it. The heat treatment is the issue, and possible hardening/softening of the pieces. Welding stuff like this on the car is a big no-no with TIG. High frequency and bearings of any kind in the possible electrical path spell disaster. MIG her up I guess.

Why would one use AC instead of DC TIG on a steel shaft like this? Just curious as I bought a Miller Diversion to piss around with in my garage.

[sr20s14zenki]

Originally posted by Darell_n


Why would one use AC instead of DC TIG on a steel shaft like this? Just curious as I bought a Miller Diversion to piss around with in my garage.

Ac is not high frequency, the high frequency is an underlying current allowing you to get a touchless arc start.Most TIG welders these days, with exception to portable units, use high frequency start for both ac and dc. Alot of the portable stuff like engine powered welders, or little inverters, are still scratch or lift arc, as its easier to build the little buggers without high frequency.


You dont use ac to weld mild steel, you use DC. AC is for aluminum.

I have a diversion too, love that thing.

[Darell_n]

Gotcha. I wasn't thinking about the arc startup. I'll keep the bearings issue in mind for sure. Thx.