Trussing dana 30 questions

[National Drivetrain]

I need to truss my boys 30 so I'm looking here for advice.
Someone who has done it, lets see a quality write up on how you went about it.
I have an idea, and I'll take good notes, but before I start I'd like some input.

For instance, welding to the pumpkin....using my MIG, is there a special wire?

:dunno:

I've used a Mig to weld to the cast pumpkin for years with good results. You need to heat it first (not red hot) and make sure you have plenty of material to weld to.
Meaning: if you have a 2" bracket that need to weld to cast you'd better make it a 6" bracket some how ect. ect.

I'll get picks of mine when the suns up.

Eric

 

[National Drivetrain]

I have a question why do some people truss the top and other truss the bottom?
What is the benifit of one over the other?

Alot of it has to do with axle to oil pan/crank pully clearence.
I had my 2WD front end trussed on the top, but the truss was only about 1-3/4" tall.

 

[jjvande]

I notice that most of these failures are at the weld interface with the cast steel. Is this due to weak alloy in the HAZ, or is this just stress concentrated there? Maybe both... Or does the cast section break outside the weld area?

 

[slcpunk74]

gravedigger and I got my main truss tube welded on last night. I will post some pics when I get home(damn dentist office!). I still need to add gussets but it is a good start. I just mig welded to the cast diff and you can tell that it welds different but I think its on there pretty good.

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

 

[slcpunk74]

Thanks strat

 

[dirtbagXJ2103]

old thread but do i need to preheat the Cs and center section before i weld to them?

 

[beakie]

I've used a Mig to weld to the cast pumpkin for years with good results. You need to heat it first (not red hot) and make sure you have plenty of material to weld to.
Meaning: if you have a 2" bracket that need to weld to cast you'd better make it a 6" bracket some how ect. ect.

I'll get picks of mine when the suns up.

Eric

old thread but do i need to preheat the Cs and center section before i weld to them?

see the bold above? from 6 posts above yours. same goes for the C's.

though for the pumpkin, some suggest arc weld, nickel rod.

 

[dirtbagXJ2103]

thanks

 

[Loose_Nuts_Enterprises]

The inner C's are not cast...no need to preheat those.

-Dan

 

[National Drivetrain]

I'll get picks of mine when the suns up.

Eric

1790
Tara50 Housing

 

[Jake104]

Yeah what J' said!

I'd follow Skully's lead, he does good work.

(Although rumor is he just builds rigs but has no idea how to drive them) :gee:


~C!~

It looks to me like the welds failed due to lack of penetration.

 

[dirtbagXJ2103]

ive never had a problem with lack of penetration

 

[Swamprat]

where the tubes welded on the axle?

 

[Jake104]

tubes are pressed into the axle

 

[Swamprat]

tubes are pressed into the axle

yes, but welding the tube to the housing is just extra protection.

edit, the tube was pulled out of that picture you can see daylight in the little hole for the case splitter.

 

[Jake104]

Yes welding the tube to the housing would be extra protection. Common pratice. I did this on my D60. On the D30 I'd be afraid it might distort where the axle seals sit and leak.

 

[dirtbagXJ2103]

well i just want to say thanks for the info, i just finished my cousins D30 truss and install and it looks good. I dont have pics of the build but he has a RE 5.5 long arm with fox shocks all around and an 8.8 out back it should handle the rough stuff, i bent the old front end when it was stock so it was on me

 

[XJRunner]

names XJRunner not XJRanger haha. I would think having a one piece tube running under the center section from C to C would be stronger then 2 peices with plate would it not?