Body stress cracks

[BajaSportsmobile]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

I'm a little laissez-faire about these things, so don't take my word for it, but when I first started welding on vehicles I heard you absolutely had to disconnect batteries and everything. Then I forgot a few times and saw no adverse affect, and so said the hell with it and have welded dozens of times on Ford F350s and E350s.

I've never seen any issues.. Has anyone seen any problems firsthand?

I have never seen a problem with electric components as long as the welder's ground is attached close to the welding point. What I have seen is brake lines and shock seals melted when they become the current path.

[carringb]

I don't think problems are common, but it was enough of a warranty headache that Ford had to issue that bulletin.

I weld on my van without disconnecting anything, and haven't had problems (other than plasma cutting in the wrong spot ) but if I had a newer van I'd probably stick with Ford's advice, seeing how they seem to know the vans pretty well.

[daveb]

Well I made my point and we'll see if I need a tow in the future. I read about damage to the batteries as well. Fact is there is no reason not to open the separator every time it goes into the shop. It's one of the best shops around town.

[shenrie]

whats a camero?? my sister would freak out if she saw that... and 6500? you should see what happens at 10k when things come apart. it aint pretty, lol.

on those cracks. really sorry to see those, but good eye catching and monitoring them. of all the vans on here i see yours twisted more up than most. ive always envied how and where you get your rig, but wondered if there was ill affects from such fun.

i wouldnt be too concerned about the repairs though, especially if they are reinforced. youd be surprised at the type of repairs to vehicles that are out driving around on the streets. hell weve cut cars in half to ship here from japan then reassembled once here. in fact a local body shop instructed us on exactly how to cut the cars so they would reassemble easier and supposidily just as, or stronger than the original build. i had a hard time believing at first, but a few of those cars are still running around these parts 10+ years later.

my only concern would be refractures (if thats even a word), but you are obviously diligent about whats going on around you and noticed those cracks. i know a lot of folks that wouldnt even notice that kinda stuff in the first place. will just have to keep an eye on them. might be a good idea to dig a little deeper and see if you can find other hidden cracks just to be on the safe side though.

makes me wonder if a cargo is more prone to this kind of damage vs a passenger. would the extra spot welds throughout the windowed areas limit range and help stop flex, or would it be more prone to cracking because it couldnt flex as much?? thoughts??

[daveb]

Well some of those welds look very poorly done if that has anything to do with it. I did a once over with my glasses on and everything looks ok but I'm worried about around the top. I recall somebody having similar issues up there.

BTW the Camaro sits in the garage unstarted for over 10 years. Hell its hard for me to climb into the thing now days. But I've had it since 1974 and am calling it my retirement project now. Do they make gas for 12:1 pistons anymore? 8K wasn't an issue way back then until something broke then I just waited till payday. On the old man redo A/C, tilt wheel, power steering, and power discs are more of a priority than running a 1/4 mile like I did when I was young...god I never thought I'd say that!

[shenrie]

ive noticed some real crap welds on mine too, but after seeing this thread, I plan on doing a once over just to be safe. i know you will keep us posted, but im curious to see the final outcome from this.

and hell ya theres still fuel for 12:1. one of my buddies just did a 15:1 build for a guy in singapore, but most people around here are actually running e85 these days. i personally dont have anything put together atm to need any sort of good smelling fuel. kinda sucks, but we are more focued on camping lately vs racing

youve had that car since i was 4 wish i had a car worth holding on to that long. my record was my 88 toyota pu that we sold to get funds for the van. i had it 18 years. what year is the camaro?

and im right there with ya on the comforts. once i stopped religiously driving slammed vehicles, my back problems were cut in half. go figure huh?? have never been a 1/4 mile guy though. i get my thrills from pushing the limits of adhesion in the twisties

[daveb]

Its a 67.
Hopefully I'll get the van out by Thur and will take some pics.

[ANZAC]

So what kind of offroading do you do?

I've seen stress cracks like that.... on my rally car.

The typical fix is to grind a bevel into the crack, weld/fill and grind flat.
But they don't always hold... worst case you need to put a small patch plate behind them and repeat.

Anyway, sorry to see this, looks like a pain to deal with.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by ANZAC

So what kind of offroading do you do?

The typical fix is to grind a bevel into the crack, weld/fill and grind flat.
But they don't always hold... worst case you need to put a small patch plate behind them and repeat.

Yeah, that's what they're doing but the question will be if any more pop up. I can't say I'm into heavy rock climbing but have had several strange looks by the Jeep crowd when I come pulling up

Shuteye peak is an example of the type stuff I do (and where the pic came from). I'm sure the weight of the van has something to do with the problem. Like me, my van needs to shead some weight. I've broken my sway bar disconnects at least 7 times. SMB knows me well.

[daveb]

Body repairs are a done deal. Looks good, van still starts and no glitches so far.

They installed the re-enforcements and all I hope is another crack doesn't form. Pulling the weather stripping was not a wonderful experience. Seems the body welds are the source, but I'm sure both weight and where I take my van is an issue as well.