HF-TIG is the "finest kind" of weld, there is very little made of metal that cannot be welded with TIG, and the right gas and filler...

 

I should probably get mine welded before any damage is done, as Fred said its not if but when they will go.

On a side note I have been getting the urge to learn how to weld recently

 

For clarification, are you referring to having it "welded" in some/several spots, or actually "spot-welded" in the conventional sense of the term?

I suspect the former (welded in several spots), as "spot-welding" technically refers to having two electrodes on either side of adjacent panels to be welded, and passing an electrical current sufficient to fuse the metal through the panels...

 

I assume he has had them welded in a few different "spots" around the boxes themselves. Actually spot welding them further would require equipment that the average shop does not have. Plus, the strength increase of doing so would be marginal at best.

 

That is what I assumed, and why I asked, and I agree 110% that true "spot-welding" would be an extreme waste of time and money...

 

That is what I assumed, and why I asked, and I agree 110% that true "spot-welding" would be an extreme waste of time and money...

Additionally, added "spots" of welding along the exposed seam is also a waste of time and money--to do it properly you need to drill a number of "largish" holes (1/4") through the outermost layer of metal at close intervals (1/2" to 3/4" intervals), and then weld (preferably TIG) through the holes to the base panel.

 

Yea they are welded at the seams

 

I was pondering doing something along those lines or just drilling through the spot welds themselves and installing a large bolt through each of them with around 3/4" OD washers at least 1/8" thick on either side to sandwich them in. I would think this would spread the stress over a much larger area vs a couple small ~3/8" spot welds. Then I realized that I would be spending $20-25 on just hardware when the actual upper box kit is only like $50 which would be a lot stronger.

 

It would perhaps distribute the load over a larger ares, however it would also allow movement--perhaps only microscopic levels--between the components.

The problem is not that the OEM spot welds are a bad way of doing it, just that they are too few and far between to accommodate loads that are far in excess of the design goals.

'Twas me I would just add simulated "spot" welds as described above (drill through one surface, then TIG the hole)--or grind through the "roll" at the mating surfaces and TIG the whole length of the joint...

 

but you wouldnt want to weld all the way around the torque box would you? because the torque box still has to move a little bit doesnt it? And what type of shops would do work like this?