Welding Tips and Tricks

A Corvette Z06 has a aluminum frame. My repair manual tells me it's 6063-T7 aluminum. There is a kink in the frame that I could straighten in the top outside corner of the rectangular frame if I cut it out for access. It was involved in a front collision. The cast magnesium control arm broke and the wheel went back and pushed in the top corner of the frame. The car is still in alignment but the rail needs to be repaired or replaced. The insurance co totaled it because a frame repair is not considered "insurance grade" repair and the whole rail replacement is silly expensive. It is about 4X8 rectangular tube that I would cut about 3X3 angle out of the top outside corner for access about a foot long. About 80% of the original frame would be left behind. There is tons of room to work it once the corner is removed. It is 4MM thick. Manual calls for pulse mig and 5356 wire for frame repairs. I don't have a pulse mig maching but do have a 250 amp inverter tig maching. The thought is to cut out the effected area and straighten out what's left behind. Have 2 pieces of aluminum radius bent. One to match the frame and one to fit inside for a sleeve if 6063-T7 can be radius bent without cracking. The outside radius is about the size of a nickel. This is not a job for profit or to fix and sell the car. I plan to keep it for my self

Hey stefuel...welcome to the forum. If you could send in a pic it would be a big help. Normally I turn down critical repairs but your frame job doesn't sound critical so let's see. IMO you could get away without pulse but don't take my word for it. Let's see what you got....you'll get plenty of input on a job like that.

exnailpounder wrote:Hey stefuel...welcome to the forum. If you could send in a pic it would be a big help. Normally I turn down critical repairs but your frame job doesn't sound critical so let's see. IMO you could get away without pulse but don't take my word for it. Let's see what you got....you'll get plenty of input on a job like that.

Let me figure out how to post a picture on this forum...Oh, BTW I drink Bud

OK, lets see if this worked

stefuel wrote:

exnailpounder wrote:Hey stefuel...welcome to the forum. If you could send in a pic it would be a big help. Normally I turn down critical repairs but your frame job doesn't sound critical so let's see. IMO you could get away without pulse but don't take my word for it. Let's see what you got....you'll get plenty of input on a job like that.

Let me figure out how to post a picture on this forum...Oh, BTW I drink Bud

You got me Your pic showed up but can you post the actual repair area...like close ups

From multiple angles too

click on the picture. It will open up to the full image. It is the only one I have at this time. If you can't see it, it's time to ditch the beer

Instead of cutting out a piece, would it be possible to weld in a correctly shaped piece that restores the original box section size of the frame. I'm not sure what the original frame looks like, so can't tell if the frame is just pushed in, or if it's also been increased in size vertically.

MarkL wrote:Instead of cutting out a piece, would it be possible to weld in a correctly shaped piece that restores the original box section size of the frame. I'm not sure what the original frame looks like, so can't tell if the frame is just pushed in, or if it's also been increased in size vertically.

Are you not seeing the picture???

stefuel wrote:

MarkL wrote:Instead of cutting out a piece, would it be possible to weld in a correctly shaped piece that restores the original box section size of the frame. I'm not sure what the original frame looks like, so can't tell if the frame is just pushed in, or if it's also been increased in size vertically.

Are you not seeing the picture???

We see the pic but we cant blow it up. Bear with us we're welders and tool geeks, not computer geeks Lot's of talent around here that will help you get your job done right...holiday weekend..all the good welders around here are passed out in their own vomit by now. They'll be available when the bail goes through

is this the 'kink' area you're describing?
If the control arm was ripped off, just what is that area of the frame, etc.-like?
In any case repair setup really should include good dimensional checks on all frame
measurements on a decent frame machine.
You state " The car is still in alignment but the rail needs to be repaired or replaced."

??? in alignment as in wheel alignment--or full blown alignment checks on a frame machine?
Real world would mean doing the repair on the frame machine to keep verifying and maintaining alignments of the entire
frame and its datum points.
That has everything to do with panels and parts fitting/functioning and vehicle performance/reliability.
I've got no idea how GM discusses frame machine repair methods on AL framed, corvettes.
That would be good for you to find out.

Hey, I just a dumbass country boy my self. Right click on the picture and save it to "my pictures" in a .jpg format. Open it in 'my pictures" and you will have the option to "zoom" it. In the picture you are seeing 100% of the damage.

IITYWYBMAD

Looks totaled to me.

stefuel wrote:Hey, I just a dumbass country boy my self. Right click on the picture and save it to "my pictures" in a .jpg format. Open it in 'my pictures" and you will have the option to "zoom" it. In the picture you are seeing 100% of the damage.

IITYWYBMAD

OR...take a couple more closeups for us

zooming a <200 KB picture will just blurr the pixels. It's clear that no one can clearly see the damaged part, at least I can't. I don't know if that part circled in red is the shape it is supposed to be, or the damaged part. All this could be avoided with a proper picture in the first place. You can buy a phone at a gas station with an 8MP camera now a days.

OK I only have one picture so ask 3 or 4 more times and it might help. The yellow line is where it is. The red line is where it's supposed to be. I know exactly how I'm going to attempt the repair. How to do it is not the issue. It will be a sleeved repair using ER 5356 filler rod. I'm just looking for information about 6063-T7 aluminum, where to get it and if it can be radius bent without cracking.

Here is some basic information on bending aluminum alloys for your research:
http://www.clintonaluminum.com/which-al ... ends-best/

I don't know where you live, but, if the insurance company "totals" a vehicle where I live, the title for that vehicle is now a "Salvage Title" and the vehicle is no longer road worthy. In order to reinstate the vehicle to usable on the road, a State Inspection is performed to insure the vehicle has been completely and properly repaired.

To that end, I think what you are considering doing, is very risky and very dangerous for you, and any other person who may in the future own/operate the car. I saw where you wrote, "I plan to keep the car...". But there is little assurance that means until the car rots away and returns to the earth as a post-consumable pile of scrap metal. So I would caution you (as respectfully as I can) that what you are about to undertake is not a DIY in the driveway type repair. It needs to be performed on a frame jig by a professional frame shop. If it were a steel tubed hot rod and you wanted to channel it, that's a different thing. But an alloy framed modern vehicle is a world apart. Because you can, does not translate to you should.

Just some input from someone who has dealt with similar but not the same issues.

I would pass on that repair. I'm out.

You should be able to get a frame repair section from GM. Cut out the damaged section & weld in the new section. They have instructions on how to do this.

wfolarry wrote:You should be able to get a frame repair section from GM. Cut out the damaged section & weld in the new section. They have instructions on how to do this.

Chances are he's trying to do this on the cheap and won't want to pay GM prices.

Since all sorts of new vehicles are starting to use aluminum frames I bet this will soon become a common repair.

Poland308 wrote:Since all sorts of new vehicles are starting to use aluminum frames I bet this will soon become a common repair.

This is quite true. Even body panels are moving towards alloy. BUT, the repair procedures at the Dealerships is per manufacturer guidelines. That is the means by which insurance liability and road-worthy certificates can be re-issued. Ford has required Dealers to purchase and become certified on specialized repairs for the F-x50 trucks body panels alone. I have no idea about possible frame repairs. The machinability (forming/bending) of the frame material is a major factor in repairs.

electrode wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alluminio-Barra ... SwRQlXepic

Also, China will make you anything you want. Just gotta find the right factory that doesn't produce shoddy stuff. A dollar goes a looooong way over there. Just gotta keep the shipping in check.

This is a very rough sketch of what I plan on removing from the OEM frame for access to straighten it out. I think it can be done with no problem and in under a day. The alternative is remove the engine cradle, suspension, drivers side interior, floor, cross members and supports. Then sawzall the frame in half per the manual and splice under the rocker panel. a new frame rail is about a thousand dollars and about 40-60 hours of your time to do it. PM me a e-mail address and I'll send the first responder a copy of the manual See section 2-20