Welding Tips and Tricks

I welded 3/16" perches on the top of my Ford rear end. I welded them using my Eastwood MIG 135 in its highest setting of "J" using the supplied .6mm wire, gas shielding is CO2/argon mix. I did the first pass and them added two more passes for strength.

I did not even occur to me about using flux core wire and no gas option. Until now, I just read that the flux core option is the recommended option for thicker metal.

The car has not been driven or drivable just yet, but now I am concerned.

Should I go purchase .035 flux core wire, grind down the welds, and weld again or just pay somebody to fix this?

I'd think that Eastwood, run WFO with hard wire and gas, is sufficient. I'd feel comfortable using it, depending on what I observe as I weld. If you're not comfortable, or have limited experience with the machine, some practice may be in order, but the machine can do the job.

I can not recommend the flux-core option on a machine that small. Your results will be inconsistent, at best. I'd much sooner recommend SMAW than a flux-core weld with less than 250 amps.

Can you post up some pictures?

Steve S

After using some technique with my small flux core welder, I noticed a big difference in weld quality. I keep wanting to cut a weld to actually see how it's penetrating. Maybe one day.

Otto Nobedder wrote:I'd think that Eastwood, run WFO with hard wire and gas, is sufficient. I'd feel comfortable using it, depending on what I observe as I weld. If you're not comfortable, or have limited experience with the machine, some practice may be in order, but the machine can do the job.

I can not recommend the flux-core option on a machine that small. Your results will be inconsistent, at best. I'd much sooner recommend SMAW than a flux-core weld with less than 250 amps.

Can you post up some pictures?

Steve S

The top welds showing are my second and third passes over the main weld. I used the cursive "e" method in welding. I used the highest setting of "J" with the .6mm solid wire.
In reading my door settings, it states that for 3/16 to 1/4" steel to use flux core .035 wire. I looking at some you tube videos under your channel here, it show what flux core can accomplish.
Please advice.
Thank you

I guess a few questions that can be asked.
What kind of vehicle is the 9" in? (Slightly relevant, but more because I'm just curious)
What kind of horsepower?
What is the use it will see? Daily driver, road race, drag race etc

Interesting choice of " restoration " doing coil overs on a Galaxie - got a 63 soft top here on the farm & it's original leaf sprung - drives like a water bed on wheels ! it could use much stiffer springing - only has a stock 390 motor - what kinda lump / horsepower you got in that ?

dsmabe wrote:I guess a few questions that can be asked.
What kind of vehicle is the 9" in? (Slightly relevant, but more because I'm just curious)
What kind of horsepower?
What is the use it will see? Daily driver, road race, drag race etc

The rear end is a 8.8 Ford in a 1964 ford Galaxie 500 two door hardtop. The engine is a 390fe bored over .030 with the cruise-o- matic transmission.

It is not driven at the moment. I have restoring it for 21 years now. Being active duty Navy doesn't leave much free time to restore so it's a real slow process.

The eventual plan is for it to be driven 2 to 3 times a week, once painted.

The rear coil over setup is this way because it is a Lowrider with hydraulics.

noddybrian wrote:Interesting choice of " restoration " doing coil overs on a Galaxie - got a 63 soft top here on the farm & it's original leaf sprung - drives like a water bed on wheels ! it could use much stiffer springing - only has a stock 390 motor - what kinda lump / horsepower you got in that ?

This type of setup will allow you to air bag your 63 which which would give it a meaner stance and better handling and suspension.

Plus you can control your road height

Interesting project - how rare are Galaxies now your side of the pond ? - I don't see many around but then most folks can't afford to put fuel in them here - majority of them I've seen were very basic hard top models used as staff cars on air force bases from the nuke era - had alot of blazers as well - not too many of them left now - they got bought up by farmers for towing as they had the 6.2 diesel in but are mostly now rotted away from winter salt & cow stuff ! don't see much useful surplus vehicles these days - nearly everything military seems to be dismantled for parts - I think few are allowed to be road registered sadly.

noddybrian wrote:Interesting project - how rare are Galaxies now your side of the pond ? - I don't see many around but then most folks can't afford to put fuel in them here - majority of them I've seen were very basic hard top models used as staff cars on air force bases from the nuke era - had alot of blazers as well - not too many of them left now - they got bought up by farmers for towing as they had the 6.2 diesel in but are mostly now rotted away from winter salt & cow stuff ! don't see much useful surplus vehicles these days - nearly everything military seems to be dismantled for parts - I think few are allowed to be road registered sadly.

they are scattered around California. Some muscle, some Lowrods, and some lowriders. Just depends on the choice.

Its a lot harder for Ford rebuilds and more costly than Chevys since there is less abundance. Thats the way it goes.

noddybrian wrote:Interesting project - how rare are Galaxies now your side of the pond ? - I don't see many around but then most folks can't afford to put fuel in them here - majority of them I've seen were very basic hard top models used as staff cars on air force bases from the nuke era - had alot of blazers as well - not too many of them left now - they got bought up by farmers for towing as they had the 6.2 diesel in but are mostly now rotted away from winter salt & cow stuff ! don't see much useful surplus vehicles these days - nearly everything military seems to be dismantled for parts - I think few are allowed to be road registered sadly.

Question for you,

Do you know of any one with a 64 Ford Galaxie XL seats for sale?

For the type of driving you plan on doing i would think those welds will be just fine.
On another note, that is not a ford 8.8. A 8.8 has a removable rear cover. It LOOKS like a ford 9 inch which has a removable "pumpkin" that comes out of the front of the differential. It could also be a 8 inch, which looks very similar to the 9".

@ NavyLDO.

Sorry I don't know of any other Galaxies / parts around locally - the one I'm talking about is a complete car - pretty original - not been registered for the road in a few years but will be shortly - even if I had seen any the cost of shipping something like seats from the UK to you would be out of proportion with their value - I'd assume there must be some around or you could get yours restored - there are companies that can re-cover to original spec if you still have the frames - being as this is not what I'd really call a restoration in the true sense you may find some where that does marine upholstery / sail making that can stitch up something suitable depending on your taste - the car here has vinyl covered seats in a kind of metallic turquoise which contrasts with the sky blue paint - it's been painted once to my knowledge - I think that's the original color- best of luck with your project - I hope you get to drive it in the not too distant future.

dsmabe wrote:For the type of driving you plan on doing i would think those welds will be just fine.
On another note, that is not a ford 8.8. A 8.8 has a removable rear cover. It LOOKS like a ford 9 inch which has a removable "pumpkin" that comes out of the front of the differential. It could also be a 8 inch, which looks very similar to the 9".

Thats what I thought initially, but after doing my homework this is what I found:
The rear end tag info is as follows:
WBS-AD2
3:00 3LB 160

The WBS-AD2 is for a 63-64 passenger 8 3/4" not 9"
3LB the 3 is the year, the L is the month, and the B is the week. Dec 1963, built on the second week.

Just sharing some of the cool info I have learned in the many years of educating myself on my Ford Galaxie. I guess after owning it for 21 years, i better know this information. Plus the Navy has trained me to always keep teaching myself something new.

noddybrian wrote:@ NavyLDO.

Sorry I don't know of any other Galaxies / parts around locally - the one I'm talking about is a complete car - pretty original - not been registered for the road in a few years but will be shortly - even if I had seen any the cost of shipping something like seats from the UK to you would be out of proportion with their value - I'd assume there must be some around or you could get yours restored - there are companies that can re-cover to original spec if you still have the frames - being as this is not what I'd really call a restoration in the true sense you may find some where that does marine upholstery / sail making that can stitch up something suitable depending on your taste - the car here has vinyl covered seats in a kind of metallic turquoise which contrasts with the sky blue paint - it's been painted once to my knowledge - I think that's the original color- best of luck with your project - I hope you get to drive it in the not too distant future.

Thank you.

I hope and my goal is 2015. We will see.

dsmabe wrote:For the type of driving you plan on doing i would think those welds will be just fine.
On another note, that is not a ford 8.8. A 8.8 has a removable rear cover. It LOOKS like a ford 9 inch which has a removable "pumpkin" that comes out of the front of the differential. It could also be a 8 inch, which looks very similar to the 9".

The Hydraulics push down to make the body of the car raise and its not pushing at an angle. We are talking about 3000psi to 5000psi of hydraulic pressure extending the rear cylinders.

NavyLDO,
I think if you put a hydraulic pressure guage on your lines going to the cylinders that you would find that you have a lot less pressure than you've stated, unless the cylinders are fully extended. The rear of the car weighs much less than that and would rise before that kind of pressure could build until the cylinder extends it's full length. then you'd likely have no suspension at all, it'd be ridgid.

I think your welds should be fine in this case since the saddles would see mostly downward pressure and the function of the weld would be just to hold them in place. I'm no expert on suspensions though. Most things on a 1964 Galaxie around my neck of the woods would already be rusted thin and have less structural integrity than even the worst of welds. I was riding in a 1967 Galaxie when the rusted frame snapped and buried about 2 feet of driveshaft in the asphalt at 60 mph, raised the ass end of the car about 2 feet off the road. Stopped incredibly fast though.

Len

Braehill wrote:NavyLDO,
I think if you put a hydraulic pressure guage on your lines going to the cylinders that you would find that you have a lot less pressure than you've stated, unless the cylinders are fully extended. The rear of the car weighs much less than that and would rise before that kind of pressure could build until the cylinder extends it's full length. then you'd likely have no suspension at all, it'd be ridgid.

I think your welds should be fine in this case since the saddles would see mostly downward pressure and the function of the weld would be just to hold them in place. I'm no expert on suspensions though. Most things on a 1964 Galaxie around my neck of the woods would already be rusted thin and have less structural integrity than even the worst of welds. I was riding in a 1967 Galaxie when the rusted frame snapped and buried about 2 feet of driveshaft in the asphalt at 60 mph, raised the ass end of the car about 2 feet off the road. Stopped incredibly fast though.

Len

Thank you for the response.

I love your story regarding your 67 Galaxie. Salt and moisture will definitely destroy any metal object.

I am looking into the pressure with some of the people who have been in the Lowrider world longer than I. Hopefully they say the same thing. Better to be safe than sorry.

I was watching a video here regarding Flux core welding with a small MIG 135 machine and the final attempt held very well when put on the press. After viewing that video, I feel that flux core welding with my Eastwood MIG 135 should do ok with 1/4" steel. That is my next practice attempt on scrap steel.

Is the hydraulics only for ride height control, or is it going to be used for making the car bounce also?
If it's just for ride height them your fine, maybe 1000 psi tops. If your bouncing it, the pressure could be much higher!

dsmabe wrote:Is the hydraulics only for ride height control, or is it going to be used for making the car bounce also?
If it's just for ride height them your fine, maybe 1000 psi tops. If your bouncing it, the pressure could be much higher!

Its just for ride height, thats all.

You should be fine then. And the rough estimate of 1,000 psi tops was come up with assuming the car weighs 4,000 lbs with a perfect 50/50 balance front to rear and side to side. Then assuming the shaft on the hydraulic cylinders have a surface area of 1 square inch (approx. 1.13" diameter). If the shaft is smaller the pressure would be higher, and if it's larger the pressure would be lower.