Tubing Axle Truss

[xcm]

I was wondering if you guys could grace us with pictures or discussion on rear (or front) axle truss', constructed out of round tubing.

I recently did an mj soa swap, and figured 'why not' throw some tube at it, and this is what i came up with. This d44 swap was an ultra low budget affair, and tube is cheap. Diff covers arent, and thats why it's not tied into the diff yet... i figure go into 2 top bolts with a tie in plate once we throw a cover at it. Tubing is 1.5", .188 wall DOM.







SO? will it do any good? im kinda worried about the long spans in the middle. between the two V's, theres nothing but the 2 longitudinal tubes. should i plate this to form a shear panel?

Im looking to do version 2.0 on my personal dd's d44, im thinking tighten it all up closer to the diff, move the V's out onto the bend a lil bit, and make the overall width thinner. but i wanted to make sure im not wasting my time first!

 

[vetteboy]

Here's my front:

and rear:

What are you trying to do with your truss? Are you going to eventually tie in links or a traction bar, or is it just for additional bending strength?

Plating it in will probably make the most difference, however ideally you want it to stretch over as much length of the axle as possible. Kinda tough with leaf springs.

 

[xcm]

thanks for the pics vetteboy, i like you're rear tie in to the pinion support --wish i had one on these 44's--.

im not planning on linking it yet, and definately not the first axle. and compared to your crawler, this one is only gonna see light duty 2wd use, prerunner style. im mainly looking to add extra strength while theyre out of the trucks. i need to go back and install bump pad's. (another example of beautifull execution on yours, btw). then again, they may see a 4link some day, i'd have it professionally welded to the carrier if i did that.

any comments on the welds? i know theyre shitty iphone pics, sorry. this was my first axle work with my 220v. and while it felt good welding, and i took 3/4" to 1-1/4" passes, i still smelt burning gear oil once or twice, kinda worried about warping. thinking about building a jig for it, but storage is sparse.

 

[knucklehead 61]

vetteboy, your housings look great!
can you school me on welding to the cast housing section?
can you mig to it or must you use tig & hi nickle filler rod?
must you preheat it?
i can mig fine, but don't know the "rules" about welding to cast materials.