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Frame Plating

Starboard M

Starboard M

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
Location
Lafayette, CA
Im in the prosses of making my own frame plating similar to the TMR plates. Im trying to decide if I should stitch weld them on, or weld the entire thing.


Also, Im going to be welding up the pinch seams that are all over the front end. Again, Im trying to decide if I should stitch weld them, or weld over the entire thing.

Opinions?

Example of stitch welding if thats the way to go:
Picture116.jpg



Seems like most people weld the entire plate on, similar to what is on the TMR site:
DSC07663.JPG
 
Frame Plates

I welded mine all the way around.I will say you do have to be careful to not weld them to hot, there is a lot of carbon in the uni-body and will cause cracking. be very cautious weldind the pinch seams for the same reason. you don't need to over do it if you plate it.
 
Re: Frame Plates

FordGuy said:
I welded mine all the way around.I will say you do have to be careful to not weld them to hot, there is a lot of carbon in the uni-body and will cause cracking. be very cautious weldind the pinch seams for the same reason. you don't need to over do it if you plate it.
Click to expand...
The frame plates or the pinch seams? Sounds like the frame plates.


What are you talking about with the carbon? Thats the first time I have heard about that. Ive welded a couple things onto the unibody, so Im not all that concerned about the actual welds, mainly just which weld style to use.
If that makes sense.
 
000_0538.jpg


Using the 1/8" thick TMR units, I started out stitch welding mine......until I decided to just weld the complete perimeter. I welded in 3" passes and then moved to the opposite end for another pass and then let them cool to touch. If installing them again, I would have drilled a several 3/4" holes for more rosette welds.....just because.

I also chopped about 5" off the TMR plates and mated them smooth to the JKS SBS plates on the front of the frame.


More ideas here ........ http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=932148
 
Last edited:
Stitch them. If you get bored, you can go back and weld more, but wouldn't it suck to run out of time and have half of it fully welded and half not welded when you have to go back to school?
 
XJEEPER said:
000_0538.jpg


Using the 1/8" thick TMR units, I started out stitch welding mine......until I decided to just weld the complete perimeter. I welded in 3" passes and then moved to the opposite end for another pass and then let them cool to touch. If installing them again, I would have drilled a several 3/4" holes for more rosette welds.....just because.

I also chopped about 5" off the TMR plates and mated them smooth to the JKS SBS plates on the front of the frame.


More ideas here ........ http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=932148
Click to expand...

I saw that thread awhile ago, and thats part of what prompted me to start the thread. Looking at it though, that was more along the lower frame rails, and not with the forward part.

I cut out the plates tonight, and will be drilling holes and welding them up tomorrow. Im going to fully weld the plates, and stitch weld the pinch seams.

Anyone have any input on the pinch seams?
 
Re: Frame Plates

Starboard M said:
The frame plates or the pinch seams? Sounds like the frame plates.


What are you talking about with the carbon? Thats the first time I have heard about that. Ive welded a couple things onto the anybody, so I'm not all that concerned about the actual welds, mainly just which weld style to use.
If that makes sense.
Click to expand...
When manufactures build uni-body vehicles the steel used has a very high carbon content, this makes the metal tensile strength very high and allows them to use thinner metal, when you weld this material the hotter the weld the more brittle it becomes thats why its such a bitch to pull out a bent uni-body and have it last. I learned this when I got my body shop certification in welding. That also why tig welding the plates on dont hold up as well. Its the heat.
 
I was under the impression that you will create a "brittle" areas and more potential for cracking/breaking the unibody if you weld the entire thing. Maybe it's a different story on the forward part of the frame rails, but everything I read prior to doing my center frame rail plating, was to go with stitch welds.

You can always start with the stitches, and fill in the gaps later if you decide to.
 
I my opinion, if you weld at the correct temp the plate absorbs the heat enough to lessen the problem of overheating the weld. Stitching it is faster, but you are only going to save a hour on the whole thing. It also seals the top area better from water.
 
isn't the point of stitching to allow a break on the off chance a weld cracks it won't continue to spread along the weld. the stitching will allow one weld to crack, stop and leave the others un-affected.

I see the idea of keeping moisture out, but it could still get in from the holes in the frame rails already.
 
Have you ever seen a Offroad Race car with stitched welds? I may be wrong but I think weakness occurs between the stitches, Strong/week/strong/week? Normally I have seen stitch weld when the strength from the stitch is plenty in a production type situation.
 
old thread but wher can you buy/see TMR plates??
 
THank you!!!
 
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