Thread: welding trailer hubs

Hi,
There a bunch of unknowns and potential variables there.

First up, are you 100% positive you are welding steel to steel?

Secondly the process you are using ,what is it ,stick or mig?

Thirdly,the joint fit up and prepation.Is it suitably prepared to be to take the weld deposit enabling a decent weld strength.Has the preps been veed out to a sufficient degree to fill up with the weld?

Forthly the type of consumable you are using .Is it
Stick electrode.type ,diameter
Wire feed electrode

Fifthly ,machine adjustment,
Amperage setting or ammps volts if mig

Answering those questions may enable some of us to help with the solution.
Pics help alot
Are you welding hubs (pic 1) to something or welding axle stubs (pic 2) to axle tubes?

Hubs, I suspect are cast iron and don't weld very well to steel.

Grahame

im using stick welding and kobe 7018 rods on dc+ at about 135 amps. im pretty sure the hubs are steel as a magnet stuck really well to them. i will vee it out and try again.

You DO understand THAT Castiron is ALSO MAGNETIC?

no i will check by drilling it thanks pipeclay

To distinguish cast iron from steel observe the sparks coming off the grinder.

Cast iron is very red with short sprigs while steel is yellow with multi forking sprigs.

Stub axles( from a trailer parts supplier) to suit the hubs will be steel and can be readily welded to the steel legs of the mixer.

Kobe 7018 at 135 are ok if 3.2mm and on trans/rectifier/generator machine are ok -bit less say 125 on inverter.

Grahame

You can almost garrantee that the hubs will be cast iron. I have never seen them successfully welded. I have in the past built them up with bronze to be turned out, but not with a steel or nickel weld.

Robert

You can get steel flange-less hubs from places like Martin's Trailer Parts - Stock Items for around $60 each - they're used for making things like swing-away spare wheel carriers for 4wds.
It might be easier to use something like that, rather than trying to weld your cast hub?

Are you trying to weld the hub or the stub axle?
I've seen Holden /Falcon stub axles welded successfully, at a guess I'd say the axles and hubs are
cast steel.