Hi! I am new to site, hope this is correct place to ask this question? Can I weld heavy duty truck chassis? Better to to bolt a channel over old chassis? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks. Theodor
The short answer is yes. Of course you have to be certified , you have to use the proper prcedures, And some NDT would probbly be a good idea after the welding procedure. I worked at a truck and trailer shop, this was done quite often when we were turning long haul trucks into gravel trucks. The process involved cutting a piece from the center of the frame and shortening it. We would use 45 degree cuts to increase the strength of the connection. Very seldom did we need to use reinforcing plates.
Welcome to HEF, Theodore. I added your actual question to the thread title so the other members have a better idea of what the thread is about.
It depends on the manufacturer, the type of material and where you want to cut and weld. Highway trucks around here are mostly steel with many of the combination on and off highway units being double framed. I've seen quite a few units with alloy frames with decals everywhere saying do not weld or flame cut. I used to see a lot of highway units with aluminum frames but haven't seen any in a long while. I know some of the manufacturers were touchy about welding on rigid frame truck frames but that was just to avoid any liability. They would send you the recommended procedures and it was on your to make sure the repair was done to their specifications. I've never been where any certifications were required for welding on heavy equipment. Even crane booms don't require any outside certifications. I used to carry a structural certification that allowed me to weld on things in buildings, manufacturing plant equipment and things like sign posts. But nothing was ever required for welding loader, dozer, excavator and crane frames and booms back together.
We needed to use the certified welders in the shop and then have the repairs inspected by an engineer when we did any repairs to crane booms. Other heavy equipment didn't require this. The brake bands for cranes also had to be certified.
Correct me if I'm wrong egoman, but I thought that here in Manitoba, frames welds had to be plated?? I know all of our farm tandem's are done that way - cut between the cab and drivers, spread apart, weld in a piece. Then the entire section from the back of the cab to the front of the drivers gets turned into a double frame section. (One of these was done at Cancade, the other 2 were done before we bought them.) I thought it was required...? Andrew
Frames can be welded, but, there are recommended practices that should be adhered to, AND, the root cause of the failure needs identified first. Almost all truck frame weld repairs should be in addition to supplemental bracing/ reinforcement. I've seen many F series rollbacks with broken rear frames, and the only cure is to properly weld them, AND, attach addition bracing, because the failure is due to poor design considerations by the rollback manufacturer. The failure is common enough that reinforcing kits are readily available.