Advice for welding a suspension component? Beginner.

[JACK D EYRES]

Hello everyone,
I've recently started welding an old ford for the first time. I was given the car for free and wanted to learn how to weld so I thought this lockdown was as good a time as ever!

Anyways, I've welded the sills easy enough as a beginner, but i was wondering if there was any advice on how to fix something like this? I completely missed it when expecting the vehicle for the first time!

Should I cut all of the metal off and create a new part in the same shape? I'm still a beginner as I said so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[voipio]

Don't really want to pour cold water onto enthusiasm, but suspension component welding and beginner don't go well together. It's too risky.

 

[Ali]

Can’t tell from the photo, is it actually rotten? It looks like very heavy rust but if it’s solid it might be best left alone apart from a clean up. I’ve had worse pass an MOT.

 

[JACK D EYRES]

Can’t tell from the photo, is it actually rotten? It looks like very heavy rust but if it’s solid it might be best left alone apart from a clean up. I’ve had worse pass an MOT.

Annoyingly, this is part of why it failed it's MOT.

 

[JACK D EYRES]

Don't really want to pour cold water onto enthusiasm, but suspension component welding and beginner don't go well together. It's too risky.

Fair enough! I don't want to give up since the engine is only on 30k miles though. I might as well give it a shot anyways and it I fail, I'll just scrap the car. The only thing I lose out on is my time and effort!

 

[brightspark]

knock a few pieces of metal up similar shape and thickness and weld them up .if it goes ok get on with it if it doesn't have another go .practice makes perfect just don't practice on the motor 1st

 

[a111r]

Hi Jack, glad the Clarke 90 has already been put to good use.
Doing sills satisfactorily, at 2 weeks in, is good progress.

Now you've found out that you need more tools, like a die grinder.

 

[Anguz]

what is the car?

 

[JACK D EYRES]

what is the car?

It's only a 01 Ford KA, I've been given the car for free so thought it would be a good no-risk weld learning project since it would be scrapped anyways.

 

[JACK D EYRES]

Hi Jack, glad the Clarke 90 has already been put to good use.
Doing sills satisfactorily, at 2 weeks in, is good progress.

Now you've found out that you need more tools, like a die grinder.

It's become a new obessesion! Thank you so much, the welder is great

 

[anto44]

Give it a good clean up and get rid of all the paint and loose rust from the area and post up some more pics then, it'll be easier to assess the extent of the problem.

 

[tom2207]

as mentioned , it might not actually be that bad ,, but have you looked at the floor strengtheners in front of the rear arms they can be a bit iffy .. last time i looked no repair sections , so its make your own.

 

[a111r]

It's become a new obessesion! Thank you so much, the welder is great

Thanks for the praise. I like to get them working 'as new'.

Used / abused 'hobby' MIGs have gone mental on Ebay, the last 2 months. I had to pay near £50 last week ... and the rectifier's broken.

 

[JACK D EYRES]

Give it a good clean up and get rid of all the paint and loose rust from the area and post up some more pics then, it'll be easier to assess the extent of the problem.

Will post updates tomorrow, cheers everyone!

 

[Cobbler]

I can’t see from the pictures, but can you cut a decent mount out of a scrapper & weld the whole thing in? It might be easier.

 

[JACK D EYRES]

I can’t see from the pictures, but can you cut a decent mount out of a scrapper & weld the whole thing in? It might be easier.

I'm debating doing this!

 

[brightspark]

as I said practice on some scrap 1st don't be put off I started gas welding and it wasn't too clever then I got proficient and fast. then got new vehicles so no need now but still do a bit and haven't lost the touch

 

[JACK D EYRES]

Hello everyone! Sorry for the late response, I've been busy finishing up my degree from home!
Anyways, I was having another look at the car and inspecting for rust, annoyingly I found this on the underside.
I gave it a clean with a wire brush although the area is tight so I didn't manage to clean all of it. Is this worth saving/welding? The end has crumbled away but the majority of the metal is still pretty solid. I'm still a beginner so not sure it's worth welding a structural component like this since I don't want to create a death trap
This wasnt flagged in the MOT failure though, so is it not too bad?

 

[Matchless]

looks like one layer has rusted where it is double skin, try not to make it triple skin, more places for salty water to hide in the winter, I would say it is very repairable, I would try to cut all the rusty crusty layer off and then take another picture, looks like you would end up with a 3" square patch between the bracket and the chassis part, if your car was beyond repair my Transit would be long gone! main thing is to get waxoil or just old oil inside the box members when you are done, enough to soak into the double skin areas.....

 

[JACK D EYRES]

looks like one layer has rusted where it is double skin, try not to make it triple skin, more places for salty water to hide in the winter, I would say it is very repairable, I would try to cut all the rusty crusty layer off and then take another picture, looks like you would end up with a 3" square patch between the bracket and the chassis part, if your car was beyond repair my Transit would be long gone! main thing is to get waxoil or just old oil inside the box members when you are done, enough to soak into the double skin areas.....

Any advice for welding under a car? I'm still a beginner and have only ever welded a sill so not sure how to tackle being upside down