Welding on a leaf spring

[jeepntxj]

Now, before you freak out... this would NOT be mounted on a vehicle afterwards. I'm wanting to build some decorative type pieces and trying to find the proper process for welding spring steel without it or the weld cracking.

I'm not worried about annealing, it doesn't need to retain the "spring" , just hold its shape under a max load of 250 lbs.

What's the best way to do this with a stick machine? Rods, preheating, postheating, etc.

Thanks!

 

[padronanniversary]

I've done stuff like that on a leaf spring more for decoration using just mig no issues. Also done TIG as well, with anything prep was key grinding and cleaning

 

[HotRodKush]

You should be fine with welds not cracking, even with a ton of weight on it. 250 pounds on a car or truck leaf spring isn't enough to worry about it bending so far that it cracks the welds. Maybe if you put it back on a car and ran down a dirt road you'd have issues, but a consistent load of a few hundred pounds that aren't constantly bouncing up and down on it doesn't seem like an issue to me.

 

[jeepntxj]

Thanks. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't like cast and would crack at the weld if not heated/cooled properly. I'll be welding regular tube steel to it.

 

[theknurl]

no problem for static use at all

 

[ken w.]

We used to practice welding on pieces of leaf spring.

 

[APEowner]

I've never stick welded a leaf spring but I've mig welded several sculptures with them. Grind it clean and lay a bead. No special treatment needed.

 

[kbs2244]

And give us a PIC of what you have done!

 

[BMW Rider]

no problem for static use at all

Exactly. Its the dynamic loading that a spring gets in its intended application that would lead to cracking.