Mag drill use for drilling plug welds?

[ssray]

Just wondering If anyone has used a Mag drill with an annular cutter to drill out plug welds in a differential housing for removing/shorting/turning the housing. I’m good with a cutting torch and can do it that way, just wondering if a drill would be cleaner and quicker. If so did you temporarily tack a plate on the tube to drill or fab a clamp on mount to hold the drill. Thanks for any comments!

Scott

 

[Yeller]

Could I suppose, but why pull the tube? Work on the C end. It is much simpler but even then you may still need access to a large lathe to make the pieces fit back together. There are 1000’s of housings that have been cut and welded back together.

 

[ssray]

Could I suppose, but why pull the tube? Work on the C end. It is much simpler but even then you may still need access to a large lathe to make the pieces fit back together. There are 1000’s of housings that have been cut and welded back together.

Ford Sterling/10.25. Still easier to cut and shorten/splice the outer end? I think I could come up with a jig to trim the axle tube if need be. True that there’s a lot less bending moment outboard and I will be building a truss for 4 link mounts at the center. I‘m aware the Sterlings have been known to spin the tubes so that will naturally help with that. Just going with 37/38“ tires and want something I don’t have to worry about for moderate rocks even though I’m not an abusive person with vehicles. I will likely be spending some time on the road with it as well and wanted a floater to avoid ever seeing a wheel pass me by on the highway. Lol

Thanks Steve

 

[Yeller]

Most definitely easier. Cut and section the tube in the center and use angle as a V block to weld them back straight. It will be as straight as it was from the factory. Which often wasn’t that straight lol. I always draw a straight line down the tube so I can orient the spindle the same as it was before. Most FF spindles are spin welded so if there was an Imperfection it was straightened during that process so the spindle may not be in the center of the tube. Keeping it oriented the same will help midigate small issues with straightness. The best way is with an alignment bar but that’s a whole other can of worms, I have one but have to make tooling every time I do something different, and I haven’t done a sterling since I made it.

PS: thanks for not thinking I was just being an a$$. I always worry about that.

This housing is butt welded 3 times, the bearing ends and and a piece added where it was too short. This is in my Jeep truck that I do do some towing and hauling with. Wish it was FF, just wasn’t in the cards for this build.

 

[Qumanchew]

The annular cutter does the job. A buddy of mine set his up in a mill and used an annular cutter. That being said , I'm with Yeller. Getting the plugs cut is only half the battle. Getting the tube out And in is a pain in the ass also. I'd go another route.

 

[jamesroney]

Just wondering If anyone has used a Mag drill with an annular cutter to drill out plug welds in a differential housing for removing/shorting/turning the housing. I’m good with a cutting torch and can do it that way, just wondering if a drill would be cleaner and quicker. If so did you temporarily tack a plate on the tube to drill or fab a clamp on mount to hold the drill. Thanks for any comments!

Scott

This question has a couple of answers. So the correct answer is: "it depends."

The reason why you wouldn't use a mag drill is because you can't provide adequate lubrication and cooling to save your cutters. The reason for setting up in the Bridgeport is to keep the tool flooded. The biggest problem with machining those rosette welds is that the cast steel housings draw carbon into the weld...and they get hard. A carbide cutter gets thru them, but that's expensive.

I almost always end up burning them out with a torch. Of course that ends up blowing a hole thru the tube as well.

Extracting the tubes is also a pain, since any missed weld ends up scoring the tube OD and then they leak when you put them back. But it can be done.

Unless you are sucking the tubes out of a High Pinion 60, I can't think of a reason to make the investment. The GM 14 bolt solves the rear axle question.

And I would never, splice or butt weld a tube in the middle. Drives me crazy when I see it. I get nervous enough when I weld on housing ends. But out there in the middle? No thanks. I'm not that good of a welder.

So what are you building?

 

[Yeller]

This question has a couple of answers. So the correct answer is: "it depends."

The reason why you wouldn't use a mag drill is because you can't provide adequate lubrication and cooling to save your cutters. The reason for setting up in the Bridgeport is to keep the tool flooded. The biggest problem with machining those rosette welds is that the cast steel housings draw carbon into the weld...and they get hard. A carbide cutter gets thru them, but that's expensive.

I almost always end up burning them out with a torch. Of course that ends up blowing a hole thru the tube as well.

Extracting the tubes is also a pain, since any missed weld ends up scoring the tube OD and then they leak when you put them back. But it can be done.

Unless you are sucking the tubes out of a High Pinion 60, I can't think of a reason to make the investment. The GM 14 bolt solves the rear axle question.

And I would never, splice or butt weld a tube in the middle. Drives me crazy when I see it. I get nervous enough when I weld on housing ends. But out there in the middle? No thanks. I'm not that good of a welder.

So what are you building?

I completely understand and respect your opinion and process. If you have an alignment bar I'm on board 100%, if you don't I stand by the process that has been used a lot with success. Well done butt welds, you'll never find...... and if adding a truss like the OP says he is the welds would have to be really bad to even be considered an issue.


I've probably spent too much time performing butt welds on pipe followed with an xray, I have a lot of confidence LOL.

 

[jamesroney]

I completely understand and respect your opinion and process. If you have an alignment bar I'm on board 100%, if you don't I stand by the process that has been used a lot with success. Well done butt welds, you'll never find...... and if adding a truss like the OP says he is the welds would have to be really bad to even be considered an issue.


I've probably spent too much time performing butt welds on pipe followed with an xray, I have a lot of confidence LOL.

I respect anyone that can make a weld that will pass NDT.

I was the Senior Director of Engineering for an Aerosapce and Defense Energetics provider. If it floats, flys, or falls (orbits…) we are usually on board. I don’t trust anything butt welded.

And I’m supposed to be the AWS guy…

 

[ssray]

Guys…Sounds like cutting at the outers definitely makes better sense. Maybe building up a long side front axle could be the exception but I’m not there yet. Been looking at other builds and Hinmation’s 3 link currently but wow, as he says it’s challenging.

Yeller: I have been trying to keep up on your Jeep build as well. Have seen some alignment bar use in pics and somewhere use of a string line to check alignment. I’d sure want to get it real close but I’m not sure I’ve seen any actual tolerance specs mentioned. P.S. Can I borrow your x-ray machine?

Q: (Don’t take this as a reference to the Star Trek character) I”m probably using this as an excuse to pickup a mag drill. Manhandling a hand drill is getting to be more of a struggle. Even the midrange Evomag I’ve been looking at is pretty spendy but a drill press isn’t cheap either.

James: I wouldn’t have thought about the hardening issue as I’ve not tried anything like that. No stranger to burning bearing races out of hard to get places, but you have the advantage of the boundary between the two. I have used a torch to cut partially into parts but it’s really imprecise and can be hard on tips as well. Cut a bit, knock the slag out, cut some more and so on. Not much fun!

This is for the Bronco. Was looking at FF mods to the 9“ and options seemed to say go with something made for it rather than throw a lot of money at it. The 2nd gen 10.25 seems to have a decent rep because of the bigger inner pinion bearing and I’m looking at picking up the Ford e-locker. I’ve seen online dealer listings of them for around $500 if their legit. The 9” offerings are air only as far as I know. I actually considered the Ox locker as well. The cable system would not rely on electric or air, but the downside is the price. They don’t work for a 9” because they use a back cover for the shift mechanism. Just my reasoning right or wrong along with a lot of procrastination. .

Thanks! Scott

 

[Yeller]

Don’t know about the X-ray machine but we sure need a teleporter lol

 

[Yeller]

I respect anyone that can make a weld that will pass NDT.

Thanks! When you don’t get paid for fixing failures and paid by the piece you get good or get hungry lol.