I have recently been cleaning up an axle ready to weld and paint. When all the grease came off from around the bracket on the rear of the diff casing I found some holes.

I have cut the bracket off to see the extent of the damage and I am wondering if anyone can offer any advice on how to proceed.



I am worried about clearance on the inside!!

Many thanks,

Dan


[Edited on 25/11/08 by dubstar_04]

i'm no expert on the english axle, but what bracket goes on it? i assume the bracket's outside (can't think of what it would hold inside...)

it may not look pretty, but can you weld the holes shut form the outside and then weld the bracket back on over the top?

does the back plate come out? if so, one of the rally parts shops may be able to help. got one really cheap from www.motoscope-online.co.uk for my atlas. was cheaper than they list them on the website

It's only a lid, so if it's thick enough to weld (i.e. it's not full of holes like a teabag, or paper-thin due to rust) then you might as well fix it up. Get the metal nice and shiny, then fill with some weld using the MIG (don't blow holes through! ).

They're so thin that I think they're made of recycled baked bean tins.

Finish up with a flap wheel in a grinder and it'll be fine.

The back plate doesn't remove unfortunately.

I am hoping some one can suggest a repair plate or similar.

Do you know anyone with oxy-acetylene (and knows how to use it)?

One good way to fix a number of holes would be to bash a bit of steel steel (1mm thick or so) into a shape that matches the curve of the backplate, then use the oxy torch to braze the plate on. Not a hard job, and if done quickly and neatly wouldn't affect the rest of the axle - which would happen if you tried to do it with a plumber's propane torch.

Mind you - if the user was competent with oxy-acetylene, he/she could fill the holes with steel filler rod...

its only where a handbrake bracket went,just weld a plate over the hole,someone on here welded a dog bowl over the back once didnt they?

Oxy-Acetylene is your best bet. We brazed the small corrosion caused holes on ours.

You'll struggle with mig to get anything looking very tidy unless very careful and weld a largish plate over it. I watched a friend chase a very small hole for quite a while, it is quite thin material.

[Edited on 25/11/08 by andylancaster3000]

Thanks Guys.

I started making a panel to go over it but it was getting late and my hammer seems to be a noisy one!!

Does anyone know how close the diff is to the inside of the casing?

I was thinking of knocking the bad metal in about 1mm and welding a small plate in to the recess. That way you would never see it once its smoothed and painted.

Might not be much if the diff grinds against it.

Thanks,

Dan

Braze it on the outside - once it's been tarted up and painted you won't notice it. Once the boot lid's fitted you won't see it at all!

Agree about MIG welding - unless you're experienced you'll be blowing holes through it.

Loads of english axles end up like this, as mentioned the metal is paper thin from new.

MIG-ing very thin metal is possible, just tricky. Pulsing the arc on and off to reduce heat input works quite well, some of the more expensive ones can do this automatically.

place alluminium on the underside and then weld, the alluminium will help to stop you blowing holes through the steel and will not end up being attached to the axle. I have used this method when repairing panels in old cars see avtar cant recall who gave me the advice