Drivetrain welding axle tubes

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Are you talking about welding the tubes to the center section? If so, I've always heard that it is unnecessary and can actually weaken the axle, and distort the tubes to where they wont carry the shafts straight.
 
Someone correct me if im wrong, but from everything I have read on welding axle tubes the right way is that you have to remove the rear end from the car, get it set up on a rear end jig, and have someone weld it completely around the tubes who really knows what their doing.

If you just try putting some half ass reinforced welds around the tubes with the rear end still in the car all you will really do is weaken the axles/tubes/material.
 
Nope rear ends out of car but i was trying to see if welding it hollow would distort it to the where it wouldnt be able to hold the axles straight i have it out to clean it up weld tubes get rod of quad shock mounts and do new diff and 5 lug disc conversion
 
Not to say that you dont have good welding skills/experience, but remember that the axle tubes, and the center section/pumpkin are two different kinds of metals/material, and thats where you really need someone who knows what their doing when trying to weld the tubes to the center section/pumpkin correctly...

When I mentioned about getting my axles tubes welded to a friend of mine who runs a speed shop, and who has a few pro street dragsters, he said... "There is really no need to weld your axle tubes." "We dont even weld the axle tubes on our 1000+ hp race cars"...
 
Well I'm not doing it but my buddy is a welding for work and was gonna have him do it
But if you say theres no benefit no sense in doing it i just heard of people doing it
I think a lot of people just slap some welds around their axle tubes thinking they are reinforcing/strengthening them, and not knowing they did it incorrectly, and are really weakening the axles/tubes...

And something to think about is that when your axle seals go bad they are meant to drip/leak fluid out of the seams where the axle tubes press into the center section/pumpkin. So if you ever see fluid leaking from your axle tubes you know the axle seals are bad.

So if you weld up your axle tubes, and your axle seals go bad, how would you know? Where would the fluid leak from/past? How would you change the axle seals once the axle tubes are welded? So welding your axle tubes has its pro's (if done right), and its con's...
 
I think a lot of people just slap some welds around their axle tubes thinking they are reinforcing/strengthening them, and not knowing they did it incorrectly, and are really weakening the axles/tubes...

And something to think about is that when your axle seals go bad they are meant to drip/leak fluid out of the seams where the axle tubes press into the center section/pumpkin. So if you ever see fluid leaking from your axle tubes you know the axle seals are bad.

So if you weld up your axle tubes, and your axle seals go bad, how would you know? Where would the fluid leak from/past? How would you change the axle seals once the axle tubes are welded? So welding your axle tubes has its pro's (if done right), and its con's...
what seals are you even referring to , I did mine it wasn't too bad , go slow low heat , tack 4 spots do a stitch , let it cool do another stitch etc ... axle seals are on the outer part of the tubes on the axle side and the pinion seal is on the back if its gonna leak you will see it .Mustang and fast fords has a write up on it
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1355441032.538152.jpg
one of the stitches
 
you want to weld in small sections at a time. instead of a steady hot bead around the tube that will distort it. weld in sections and then fill it in.

Edit: doesnt matter now
 
you want to weld in small sections at a time. instead of a steady hot bead around the tube that will distort it. weld in sections and then fill it in.

Edit: doesnt matter now
That's what I did I described that too him . I went in 4 small sections and just made 4 tacks as a reference
 
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Are you talking about welding the tubes to the center section? If so, I've always heard that it is unnecessary and can actually weaken the axle, and distort the tubes to where they wont carry the shafts straight.
you heard wrong....

When I mentioned about getting my axles tubes welded to a friend of mine who runs a speed shop, and who has a few pro street dragsters, he said... "There is really no need to weld your axle tubes." "We dont even weld the axle tubes on our 1000+ hp race cars"...

you shouldnt listen to him anymore....

this is a MUST do if your going to run a stickey tire on an 8.8 housing! your axles tubes are held in with just 2 plug welds on each tube and these can and do break out from time to time
 
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what seals are you even referring to
The inner axle seals...

When I mentioned about getting my axles tubes welded to a friend of mine who runs a speed shop, and who has a few pro street dragsters, he said... "There is really no need to weld your axle tubes." "We dont even weld the axle tubes on our 1000+ hp race cars"...

you shouldnt listen to him anymore....

this is a MUST do if your going to run a stickey tire on an 8.8 housing! your axles tubes are held in with just 2 plug welds on each tube and these can and do break out from time to time
Yea dont listen to me, im usually drunk anyways when I post on here... lol

But im not saying NOT to weld the axle tubes, im just saying if your gonna weld them have them welded the right way. Dont just have some welds slapped on there thinking its done right.

And ill totally agree that if it is a track car running slicks that the axle tubes should be welded. But if it is a street car, running street tires, it is not a "must" to have the axle tubes welded...
 
There are no seals in the middle of the rearend. If you are leaking fluid from where the tube meets the center, your axle housing is cracked. thats not an opinion, that is fact.

When you weld the tubes you need to put a straight tube thru the housing as a jig to keep them from moving. I was told by the guy that did my rear that the only way to make the rearend straight is to cut the ends off and reweld them after the housing is welded. my 8.8 has 9'' ends for this reason and that eliminates any bs with c clip eliminators
 
what inner seals??? you drunk already? you ever pulled an 8.8 apart???
Im working on it! lol

I have done 8.8 rear end swaps in my mustang, but I have never actually replaced the inner axle seals in any of my 8.8 rear ends. Do the 8.8 rear ends not have inner axle seals like a lot of other rear ends do?

*Edit* - Guess not... Learn something new everyday...
There are no seals in the middle of the rearend. If you are leaking fluid from where the tube meets the center, your axle housing is cracked. thats not an opinion, that is fact.
 
Im working on it! lol

I have done 8.8 rear end swaps in my mustang, but I have never actually replaced the inner axle seals in any of my 8.8 rear ends. Do the 8.8 rear ends not have inner axle seals like a lot of other rear ends do?

*Edit* - Guess not... Learn something new everyday...

exactly... i actually dont know of any rears that have inner seals