sj13 sami virtual lift help

jamieclifford · Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:17 pm Post subject: sj13 sami virtual lift help

right then.. after being quoted 150 quid to repair the rear arches of my sj the fron have decided they dont really want to be holding onto rust also Laughing

so i have now bought a brand new welder for 200 quid and have never welded before and rather than just repair whats there i want more room... i.e. virtual lift. whats the best way to go about this? how much should i cut away?
have tried searching but keep fidning nonsense... cheers Very Happy

muddymesser · Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:29 pm Post subject:

personally what i did was chop the metal off at the bottom of the rib on the arch which removes the lip on the arch and make it flush with the top of the inner arch

on the inner arch remove asmuch as you like/is rusted and weld a strip of metal across from the wing to were you hav cut to

remember to only weld in short sections (weld a inch miss 3inch) this will help to avoid the wing from being warped by heat

and before you set to welding the zook you should try afew test pieces first

good luck

virtual lift is the future

weld-werx · Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:31 pm Post subject:

have you got any one who is a skilled welder to help you, doing a virtual lift on a rusty zook is a lot of work especially if you have never welded before?

muddymesser · Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:35 pm Post subject:

heres scottiej's zook with virtual lift +2 springs and 33s Cool

http://forum.difflock.com/viewtopic.php?t=48518

Wollys World :) · Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:50 am Post subject:

Found this from a good while ago when i had a sammy.

ScottieJ · Guest

All i'm going to say is practice a bit before you start welding on the SJ, the bodyworkis very thin so you will want a low enough setting to not blow holes the second you start welding but high enough to get good penetration. what welder have you bought? also take it very slowly, tack them on and then weld a small bit at a time, do tn inch or 2 at the top of the arch, then an inch or 2 at the front, then back etc. allowing the panels to cool down nicely in between so that you dont get too much panel distortion. have a look on this welding forum as they have some tutorial videos etc.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php

jamieclifford · Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:17 pm Post subject:

thats a great help, got an experienced welder mate whos gunna help but wanted a bit of advice before i start cutting stuff.

bought a clark 150amp welder with a 30amp low setting so i can do the body and make myself a bumper... also ?????? loving the arches been made there...

thanks for the advice i know it aint gunna be easy but just figure if i take my time then it'll be useful to learn and save me some cash long term. the other thing is my zooki aint exactly a minter and don't owe me a fortune so i don't mind treating it as a test bed.

cheers again! Very Happy

weld-werx · Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:24 pm Post subject:

Sounds good, heres a few welding tips...1, always always use good clean steel, go to a sheet metal workshop, and buy a few off cuts, dont be tight when you chuck a few quid in their tea jar and theyll probabley be happy to help you out in future! 2, when you cut out rust, cut away about 2 or 3 inches away from the rust, this way your more likley to get back to good metal. 3 preperation is key, take your time to make sure the area is clean of paint, rust, oil , underseal, everything. 4 if your welding outside make a wind break, i use a couple of old bonnets clamped together, it will help stop the shielding gas from being blown away. 5 weld "down hill" its a lot easier to make the molten metal flow downwards, than upwards. ( there are exceptions to this, but thats for metal much thicker than bodywork). hope this helps.

Arc-Eye · Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:09 am Post subject:

All good advice given, did mine a couple of years ago out of 16swg (1.6mm) plus shaped and welded 12mm diameter bar around outer edge to strengthen and remove a sharp edge. They are that strong you can stand on them and took some punishment with only a scratch or two. Will try and put up a picture when I can find them.
I'm a welder by trade with about 35 years behind me and the best advice I can give as previously mentioned is to get back to good clean metal. This extra preparation is worth every minute, you will not weld to paint, rust or underseal. One extra point I would say, whatever the amount of welding ALWAYS make sure you have some means of putting out a fire just in case. A mate of mine only a few months ago was preparing a Mk1 Escort rally car, lost the car and his workshop. He was upset to say the least, but not as much as the car owner!
regards
Arc-eye

jamieclifford · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:39 pm Post subject:

cheers guys, advice much appreciated will be trying the basics as advised and see how it goes... will get some pics up if poss