Technical Welding drilled axle ??

Hey fellas , I have a partial drilled axle , and was wondering if it’s gojng to be a problem with heat to mig ( I don’t own a tig) the holes closed ?
( prefer undrilled)
I shouldn’t need to make a jig should I ?
I just want to be sure I don’t bugger it up. Thanks

 

Welding those wouldn't leave me with a great feeling of security, always wondering if it compromised the integrity of the axle. They're small, so how about filling them in with some epoxy, smooth and paint?

 

I assume that's an original axle? If so it is forged steel and you can weld the holes closed without any problems.

 

It is indeed original

 

I would suggest to pre-heat the axle before welding. When finished welding wrap in fire proof cloth and let cool sloooowly.......just to be safe.
6sally6

 

Thread the hole with fine thread.Cut a section from a bolt,or all thread of the correct size. ,and run it in.Leave it a bit low, in front and fill with lead ,or loctite,and use bondo to level.

 

What?

 

Plug them.Hide the plug. No weld no heat worries.

 

More than the holes in your axle your real problem is that your already getting real measurable snow at your house haha

 

Lot of work to smooth that out after welding, so my first choice would be swap or sell and get another, second choice epoxy fill .

 

I cut my F-1 axle in two pieces narrowed it and stick welded it back together . I wouldn't get to concerned about welding up some holes.
Try and trade someone for an undrilled axle and save a lot of time and effort. A guy gave me mine and it had a brand new disc brake conversion. He was going to a Mustang 11 front end.
Should be plenty of them around

 

I have an Non-drilled axle I would trade you.
r


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Shipping costs are very high
And I bought this local , I have others that need straighted and could send out. ( again shipping cost )
But this one is straight, And was the main reason for wanting to use

 

Those holes are pretty small I don’t see any problems with welding. Weld it, grind the welds with some finesse so you don’t make things too ugly and finish any lows or pin holes with your favorite filler.

 

I'd drill slugs, insert, weld, grind flush. But I live on the edge...

 

I would check it for straight after welding. Weld equally on both sides.

 

If you can’t mix those small holes closed and leave an almost flush weld pool behind(bugger all cleanup needed) then get someone who can. Shouldn’t be a drama.

 

Ok judging from the responses it’s half mixed emotions
Thanks for weighing in fellas

 

I've welded holes that small in forged axles before. I preheat the area and tig weld with mild steel wire to minimize any porosity. I back the hole with a piece of brass when welding. Let it cool naturally, don't rush it.

 

I'd use locktite on the threads, and then just leave the cutoff bolt as flush as I can, and don't try to fill them in. Instead of holes, you'd now have "beauty accents"

If you used stainless bolts, they would probably stay shiny. Might actually look good. Kinda like wood work with inlays of different colors/types of wood. Could even use brass, bronze, or copper if you wanted to add a bit of color.

 

Thread them, short button head Allen bolts from both sides. Nice accent that would drive most people nuts as to why they were there

 

Having done this several times in much more extreme cases (1” holes all the way across) in your case, I’d just hold a block of brass or copper behind the holes, crank your mig up, and weld them closed. Should only take a few minutes to carefully dress them to invisibility with a die grinder or small flap disc.

 

Well the guy who actually does it for a living gave you the right answer from my viewpoint and that is pre heat it, weld it up and let it cool. I'd be finding some bolts that were the correct diameter to fill the holes and cut some plugs to fill the hole and do a lot less welding.
I don't know where some of these other guys get their half baked ideas but I don't want them around my car with any tools.

 

We welded on over the road truck frames for many years, no problems. I used to weld 3/4 ton pickup hubs on car spindles to get a full floating hub on the right front. When is the last time you saw a straight axle break???