Welding C Gussets..

Just got my c gussets for my Dana 30. Iv been watching a lot of videos on how to weld them up but was wanting some advice tips or tricks you guys may have before I put them on. Thanks!

Clifford33 said:

Just got my c gussets for my Dana 30. Iv been watching a lot of videos on how to weld them up but was wanting some advice tips or tricks you guys may have before I put them on. Thanks!

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Do small sections at a time with a wet rag. Do a small section on the pass side then switch to the driver side. Do this to keep the ball joints from getting hot.

cozdude said:

Do small sections at a time with a wet rag. Do a small section on the pass side then switch to the driver side. Do this to keep the ball joints from getting hot.

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Yep, this ^^^ Out of being over cautious and only having flux core available at the time, I covered my wheel sensors with wet rags.

Thanks I think I'm going to weld them on today

Yea pretty much the above. Clean welding surfaces good. I squeezed the c gussets sides closer together with a c clamp for a tighter fit. I welded the very tops one inch passes at a time. Wet rag immediately after . I had two rags in a bucket of cold water near by. I would swing and apply rags every 10-15 seconds for faster cooling effects. Then work on the other side. I would not weld on the top until it was cold again. You can work on the lower gussets pretty much worry free as far as heat goes. If you feel the heat traveling to the lower ball joint then stop for a bit. If you have a compressor have it handy with an air gun to blow away water from the wet rags. Only other advise is do it inside a garage or in a day with zero wind. I thought it was not that windy when I welded mine outside and had my shielding gas blown away a couple times. Food for thought. Have fun.

When I did mine. I noticed the lower ball joints barely got warm. Mainly the uppers got warm. I did full passes on the lower gussets. But the uppers definitely take your time. Like others said. Use cold rags, and flip them to keep them cool.

To me the longest part was cleaning all the welding surfaces. It was a pita for me.

Thanks guys. Yeah I watched the video from ORE and now I got some good feedback from you guys so I think I'm pretty comfortable now that I can get them on next weekend didn't have time today :/