Welders: What do you use for frame and suspension work?

[cantvalve16]

Looking at doing a Mustang II install on an old truck soon and want to make sure I have the equipment. What are you guys using for welders?

[TC]

Whatever your going to buy make sure it runs on 220v, the 110v's aren't going to do it.......

[Bamfster]

I've gotten wonderful results w/a 110 .....

Lincoln 3200 MIG

[Barry Donovan]

TC, he isn't welding a tractor trailer...and even then...

as long as the 110 is in modern age it will do .25 inch. No weld is fast and furious and ready to crack like a 220.
110 demands a proper freq...
and welding is not a hot glue gun. Suspension stuff could settle for days afterwards, don't splash with cold.

be sure it is trigger active, not active at all times. That would be an old one, (should not even be legal, but they exist)

even tractor supply has a feedback smart /trigger activated.

[TC]

Most 110v welders will barely weld 1/4" steel and have a very low duty cycle(20%) and that is using Flux core wire which leaves a hell of a splatter mess in it's wake, I know I own two of them, one gas, the other flux core............. Once you convert the 110v welder to gas the thickness of the metal you can weld gets chopped in half.... Granted gas will give you a better looking weld, but only being able to weld 1/8(.125)" or less with gas your not going to fully penetrate the thickness of the roll bar tubing or the thickness of the frame, which means you'll have weak welds....... Though if you don't mind grinding down a bunch of splatter and with some practice and taking your time you can do a pretty good job with the flux core wire using a 110v welder.......

The better choice IMO is if your doing welding on your chassis or building roll bars, you should be using a good 220v welder that has a 60% duty cycle or higher like a Millermatic 212.............

[MR P-BODY]

All 3 of my welders are Lincoln. 220 v for the 185 tig and and my mig..
I do have a 110v 140 mig for the race trailer.... but if I am doing any
chassis work its with my 220v units... tig for moly, mig for mild steel...
I wouldnt use a 110v on a real job for a customer but the 110 I have
in the trailer says it'll do 1/4"... thats a bunch of BS... sure if you want
to make multiple passes but I say any unit should be rated what it can do
in 1 pass even if you want to V the joint... I was aircraft certed for a number
of years but I let it drop(I just wanted the cert) I was a welder/fab guy
at Chrysler for 35+ years doing mostly pre-proto type work... anyways
if I were to replace my equipment right now I would go with Miller.... I
know lots of guys will say they can do chassis/frame and suspension work
with a 110...... I would say... if its your car and you want to do it with a
110 unit............. fine......... but I wouldnt want you welding my chassis
with it... both of my cars(race car and street rod) are moly tubing so its
all tigged
Also if you use a 110v and using gas the gas cools it some so think of that
when you go to buy.... and I hate shielded wire... too much splatter even
when its set correctly............ ALL THE ABOVE IS JUST MY OPINION

[Cyclone03]

I have a Hobart Handler 140, I have NO PROBLEM welding 1/4 with Gas.

It's 20%DS and I've only had it shut down over temp once and I was pushing it. I had it cranked at max voltage and running about 75% of max wire speed building up the beads around a set of headers. I made a complete pass around all but the last of 8 ports,nonstop less whatever time it took to move 3-4" to the next port . It shut off after about 1/2" of the last port. I would say
60" of continuos bead. I let the machine rest about 20 mins and continued,no problem.
I completed the work with 3 like passes around each port at a slower pace and never had a problem.

I did all the suspention work on my Mustang with this machine,no problem.

If you have 220 available and can spend the money the Hobart HH185 is dual voltage and is a nice home unit. The 220 does lay down a nicer bead when you need to go over 1/4" but the little 110 do great on sheet metal .

Installing a ready made PINTO set up should be no problem with the highest amperage 110 you can get. But If you have to weld/fabricate the crossmember a 220v,185-210amp would be a better choice. But with PROPER joint prep a 140 will do the job.

[1931s/x]

like cyclone said, a 140 will get it done. i am a welder, sometimes they give us the little 110 wire feeders at work if we have to do rails or some other lite stuff. at first i wasnt really interested. but they grew on me. right now i have a 140 and we have been usining it on a lot of 1/4", the last one i had i used to run cranked up all the time. this one, it throws some heat for a little 110. at home i have a lincoln i think its a 100 amp have had it since 96, and i have a hobart handler 210. i also have a lincoln inverter tig. ive been eying up a used 250 mig, but i really dont need it. if you have 220, go for it. if not, look into one of the new dual voltage machines incase you get 220v down the road.

[CDMBill]

If you are buying from scratch a 185-220 machine that uses a dedicated 220 circuit would be better but as stated here you can get great results at .125" and under with a 110-140. Use the good Argon-CO2 mix, no flux core, and I like smaller wire for most work as there is less spatter and you can work the puddle a bit more at slower speeds with a high feed speed.

[cantvalve16]

Thanks for the info. I think I may end up passing on doing this job for my friend. I am a mechanic not a fabricator, although I can do some light fab work. The welder I have access to is going to be a bit small for this job at my skill level. Thanks guys.

[Deaf Bob]

All frame work and all cage work get done with 6011 stick..
We do use a 125A lincoln wire feed... But mainly on bodies and some fab work if we do not wanna run the 220 cord for a few welds..
To do 1/4 inch plate, we use gas and 0.023 wire and faster spool speeds.. Works fine.. 0.035 wire is a little big for the 110 machines..
One derby guy builds all his cars with a 110V 140A Lincoln.. Running flux core ... Does alright.. I wouldn't..

Welding supply recomends 7018 for frame work as it will bend, while 6011 will crack.. For what we do. 6011 is fine... All factory frame welds get a once over on most of our builds.. The majority of the frame welds from the factory SUCK!

Can't tell you how many times I see welds that are birdsplattered and the "welder" beams and asks me what I think.. Gag gag..smile sweetly...

Just make sure the welder can weld and get pentrention...

[TC]

Welding supply recomends 7018 for frame work as it will bend, while 6011 will crack.. For what we do. 6011 is fine...

How do those numbers translate to mig wire?? I tried looking them up but only the sticks came up for arc welding which is what you said you use on the frames......

[Deaf Bob]

How do those numbers translate to mig wire?? I tried looking them up but only the sticks came up for arc welding which is what you said you use on the frames......

I use stick on frames, yes...
Most wire is 7018 or a few points up or down..
I also weld the spyder gears with stick..
My son and I both can weld on our backs... Not fun no.. But possible..

[TC]

I use stick on frames, yes...
Most wire is 7018 or a few points up or down..
I also weld the spyder gears with stick..
My son and I both can weld on our backs... Not fun no.. But possible..

Thanks Bob, I know a little about welding from teaching myself, but I never knew about the wire differences other than them being for Stainless, Steel or Aluminum...... Guess I need to look at what I got and make sure I'm using the right stuff.........

[Cyclone03]

Thanks Bob, I know a little about welding from teaching myself, but I never knew about the wire differences other than them being for Stainless, Steel or Aluminum...... Guess I need to look at what I got and make sure I'm using the right stuff.........

Yes TC, I took a welding class over at Mesa Communtiy in the early 90's,you want to look like a pro get some 7011(IIRC) that stuff lays down the pretties bead you have ever seen.
Pick up a welders handbook at your local welding store,all the info you'd want on wire/rod selection and gas choices/uses.