Welding/epoxy lights onto trailer?

[ILLaViTaR]

G'day I just tried to weld my lights to the rear of my trailer but no go unfortunately. The lights have aluminum backings with the trailer being steel and further research shows me you can't weld aluminum and steel together so there goes that idea! I essentially just wanted to spot weld the lights but seeing as I can't remove the aluminum backing I don't think I can attach them through welding? I was thinking of just using jb weld or zero nails and fixing them straight to the beam on the trailer since they're not that heavy, would that be safe enough? Last thing I want is for them to break off later down the track!

Any help would be much appreciated cheers!

 

[roscoe]

I would suggest you drill a few holes and use bolts.

 

[Scott Danforth]

^ +1. bolts are good. if you do not want to drill and use bolts, you can use 3M 4951 VHB tape.

FYI - you can weld aluminum to steel, however you need a bi-metalic transition joint. These are manufactured by explosively coupling the materials. http://www.nobelclad.com/jdownloads/Spec Sheets/detacouple_welding_guide_exp.pdf However the material is almost as expensive as gold.

 

[jayhanig]

Nuts and bolts are definitely the way to go. Lights have a way of getting dinged and with a bolt you can swap them out very quickly and almost anywhere.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

^ +1. bolts are good. if you do not want to drill and use bolts, you can use 3M 4951 VHB tape.

FYI - you can weld aluminum to steel, however you need a bi-metalic transition joint. These are manufactured by explosively coupling the materials. http://www.nobelclad.com/jdownloads/Spec Sheets/detacouple_welding_guide_exp.pdf However the material is almost as expensive as gold.

I've read an article on Friction welding. It allows aluminum to be welded to steel.

 

[acdc96]

could go with the ducktape rout... lol... jb weld or epoxy is a quickfix to something, [my truck exaust flange rotted off a the catalitc converter and i had to go through emissions the next day or i would face late fees, used zip ties, duct tape, and jb weld to old it on. passed emissions! week later when i got the new pipe and flange it was off again and hanging]
:focus:

put a couple of hose clamps on the trailer and bolt the lights to that... pop rivet the aluminum bracket to a piece of steel and weld it on that way... get some magnetic lights from harbor freight and tape them to the trailer...


post a pic of the trailer and lights. pictures help alot.

 

[Starcraft5834]

drill it...........I agree with others......... only way to be sure it stays put

 

[K-2]

When we were in High School we used to mount the trailer lights on a small piece of plywood and just clamp them to the transom on our river boats with a C clamp.
You had to run the ground wire all the way back since you were not using the trailer as part of the ground circuit. Then just un clamp them and get them out f the way to launch . Also then you can use them on other trailers.

 

[thumpar]

Is this a new setup or did the trailer how lights on it before? If it had lights how were they installed?