i finally got the axle back under the jeep... i welded the brackets together and tacked them on the axle then took them to a professional to get them welded on. i think i may have screwed it up though:scared: i had visions of the plates being welded on both sides to the axle tubes for extra strength. when i picked it up they were only welded on one side. so, being in a 3x overkill mindset and being a young grasshopper welder, i welded the other sides as well. i got to thinking that the professionals must know what they are doing and then i realized that by welding both sides, the shrinking effect has probably put all the welds under stress:doh: is the stress going to be enough that i should be worried about the welds holding? i did as suggested above- ran a 6011 root with a 7018 cap, pretty good penetration. i want to make sure it is safe to drive obviously. to add to it, i've got a 3-link setup so if 2 of them are crap, i'm in trouble!
Thanks