Chassis Connection

[jives]

Hi folks;
First welding project, seeking advice. I am making a mini-farm wagon using the frames of two old Wheel Horse garden tractors. I am butting two frames back to back as in the pics below. The frames are currently mated together at the transaxle mounting plate, simply bolted together. My question, what is the best way to permanently fix the frames together? I can weld around the mounting plates, or cut off the plates and use standard fishplates, or add another piece of chassis angle iron over the top, or ??.

The ****** mounting plate is 1/8", the framerail is 1/4". I have a Forney Easy Weld 140 FC-i flux core welder, which by it's advertising can weld 1/4 steel.

 

[mike93lx]

Make sure you clean it up really well first if you do end up welding.

How much weight at you planning to put on this? That will help to understand how stout it needs to be.

I'd probably just leave it bolted as is and add a plate on the top. Considering it was bolted to a tractor and clearly lasted quite a while, I bet it would be just fine.

 

[jives]

I did forget to add that I will be adding in another axle to make it a 6 wheel wagon. Hope to be able to carry about 1500 lbs or more, which will be about the ratings of the axles and wheels. Two of the axles will be at one end, with the steering axle at the other.

 

[Gunfixr]

If you're adding another axle, i'm assuming in the center(?), then you can probably just leave as is, since the center of the load will be supported by the axle.

 

[cvairwerks]

I'd just make a "T" shaped plate that would pick up the 5 holes in the frame rails and then the two lower holes on the plates, shim it and bolt it and not worry about welding.

 

[APEowner]

I'd just grind the joints clean and lay a bead in each of the vertical groves and maybe if I was feeling like overkill was called for across the top. If you do that the rest of the frame will bend long before that joint will give up.

 

[mike93lx]

I don't think welding the edges will make it much stronger than a bolted connection. If the bolts or material around them fail, you are likely way beyond what the beams can handle

 

[txvwnut]

I'd just run a bead at the mating points of the two frames then add a fish plate and call it a day.

 

[jives]

Thanks, everyone. Good advice. Appreciate the simple solutions!

 

[kwb]

As posted above your bolted connection is not going to get much better just being welded. It would be better but not a lot.

If you want to really make a difference take a piece of rod and weld at each end and bend over the connection plate. The rod will be in tension and you will have made a truss out of the backbone.