Aluminum welding question.

[69427]

69427,
Thanks for the photo. What sort of front end do you have? Looks like a C4 A-arm in a custom housing. You are correct. It's a C4 suspension with a crossmember I welded up to fit the C3 frame.Now that you've made the radiator support, what other parts on a C3 currently made of steel, could be replaced with aluminum? Next project is probably going to be the radiator surround bracket. I'm thinking of the (automatic) cross member I'm using the crossmember as part of a (torsional) structional element, so other than some lightening holes, I'm a bit shy to replace it with aluminum at the present time, trailing arms presently aluminum C4 units, diff. support I'm using the late C3 aluminum batwing, maybe even the big cast iron pedal bracket. The nightmare of taking the dash apart has temporarily put this lower on the list while I've been working on other easier to get to items.

Let's face it, we replace cast iron manifolds with aluminum ones, same with water pumps. What about the power steering pump? So why not replace some of the other steel or iron parts in a C3 with aluminum?

What do others think?

Regards from Down Under:drink:

aussiejohn

I'm replacing everything with lighter parts whenever possible, as long as the handling and safety aren't compromised in the process.

 

[mrvette]

69427,
Thanks for the photo. What sort of front end do you have? Looks like a C4 A-arm in a custom housing. You are correct. It's a C4 suspension with a crossmember I welded up to fit the C3 frame.Now that you've made the radiator support, what other parts on a C3 currently made of steel, could be replaced with aluminum? Next project is probably going to be the radiator surround bracket. I'm thinking of the (automatic) cross member I'm using the crossmember as part of a (torsional) structional element, so other than some lightening holes, I'm a bit shy to replace it with aluminum at the present time, trailing arms presently aluminum C4 units, diff. support I'm using the late C3 aluminum batwing, maybe even the big cast iron pedal bracket. The nightmare of taking the dash apart has temporarily put this lower on the list while I've been working on other easier to get to items.

Let's face it, we replace cast iron manifolds with aluminum ones, same with water pumps. What about the power steering pump? So why not replace some of the other steel or iron parts in a C3 with aluminum?

What do others think?

Regards from Down Under:drink:

aussiejohn

I'm replacing everything with lighter parts whenever possible, as long as the handling and safety aren't compromised in the process.

I wonder if it's possible to subtract ~5? lbs of steel out of the stock piece by drilling holes in it?? I had to replace my support when I got the car, as it was a swiss cheese rusted out terror, had I looked again, I maybe have had something else made up....as it is, I drilled drain holes in the lower back area of another stock piece, as I did with the new/repo support, to allow the water to drain outta there, keeping rust to a minimum....

on that frame support there, I loaded it with some rust proofing shit, and let it set in the sunlight for a week or so, to dry out but GOOD....

 

[69427]

69427,
Thanks for the photo. What sort of front end do you have? Looks like a C4 A-arm in a custom housing. You are correct. It's a C4 suspension with a crossmember I welded up to fit the C3 frame.Now that you've made the radiator support, what other parts on a C3 currently made of steel, could be replaced with aluminum? Next project is probably going to be the radiator surround bracket. I'm thinking of the (automatic) cross member I'm using the crossmember as part of a (torsional) structional element, so other than some lightening holes, I'm a bit shy to replace it with aluminum at the present time, trailing arms presently aluminum C4 units, diff. support I'm using the late C3 aluminum batwing, maybe even the big cast iron pedal bracket. The nightmare of taking the dash apart has temporarily put this lower on the list while I've been working on other easier to get to items.

Let's face it, we replace cast iron manifolds with aluminum ones, same with water pumps. What about the power steering pump? So why not replace some of the other steel or iron parts in a C3 with aluminum?

What do others think?

Regards from Down Under:drink:

aussiejohn

I'm replacing everything with lighter parts whenever possible, as long as the handling and safety aren't compromised in the process.

I wonder if it's possible to subtract ~5? lbs of steel out of the stock piece by drilling holes in it?? I had to replace my support when I got the car, as it was a swiss cheese rusted out terror, had I looked again, I maybe have had something else made up....as it is, I drilled drain holes in the lower back area of another stock piece, as I did with the new/repo support, to allow the water to drain outta there, keeping rust to a minimum....

on that frame support there, I loaded it with some rust proofing shit, and let it set in the sunlight for a week or so, to dry out but GOOD....

Which part are we (well, actually, you) talking about?

 

[69427]

Well, I'd sure like to start working on duplicating the radiator bracket in aluminum pretty soon, but I know it's gonna take me a couple weeks to do the running around getting the material and doing the cutting and welding. So far my metalworking experience has been that it takes me three times as long to complete the task as I initially estimate it to be. Given that, I hate to have the car apart for an extended period just because I'm using the present bracket as a pattern for the new bracket. I'm hoping I can find a cheap rusted example at the swap meet next weekend in Kissimmee (the one and only time per year you will see me at an NCRS event) to use, so I can keep the car together until I swap over the bracket.