welding galvinized steele

[lime4x4]

I recently bought a 1979 grady white 201 marlin. The trailer i beleive is unique to the boat. The boat has a roundish flat bottom at the stern but a deep V in the front. So i would like to keep the trailer. The problem with the trailer is the axle support tubes have rusted thru. If i grind all the coating off is it just like welding regular steele? My idea was to purchase new square tubing and weld onto the frame.

 

[90stingray]

Re: welding galvinized steele

She will weld just fine. The galvanized coating will be harmful to your health once heated and starts burning off. I have done it a few times just have a draft from a fan or something to keep the fumes away. Should be an easy fix.

 

[Redneck_Randy]

Re: welding galvinized steele

Make sure and drink a glass or two of milk after welding on galvanized steel.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: welding galvinized steele

I would take a decent hammer and tap the main beams of the trailer to make sure they are in decent shape when you hear a light spot hit it harder and see if it dents to easy or drill a few small holes in the main spans of the frame to check that the rest of the trailer has good steel no sense wasting your time if the trailer is in overall bad shape. I use a fan when welding galvanized steel including grinding off the coating as has been stated then I spray it with cold galvanizing afterwards. Another thing I would do is drill weep holes at the bottom or low point of your steel, and several decent sized holes so that you can spray galvanizing or some other coating onto the weep hole area it looks to me as though your trailer has been retaining water so that will need to be fixed.

 

[lime4x4]

Re: welding galvinized steele

I just bought the boat today. The trailer seems solid every where else but where the support tubes are for the leaf springs. I was thinking of just cutting off the the supports then u-bolting in a peice of channel. Then i'd have to move the spring plate on the axle in by 2 inches. But i think that might make the axle start to bend. Having the support plate further away from the wheel. Not to mention it would also make the trailer sit alot higher. I've seen a few pics on the net of this boat and they all show this type of trailer.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: welding galvinized steele

I don't think your out of line by wanting to replace the vertical pieces, After relooking at your pictures they certainly held water, the bottoms of the vertical square tube were boxed, which means once water got in it simply sat there and rusted until you have the holes that you have. I would get some of the same box steel and weld it in using either a band saw or a Sawzall to cut it out, you should be able to weld in the new steel pretty easily just remember to drill a 1/4" or 1/2" hole in the bottom of the vertical tube so that water can get out easily, and then hit it with cold galvanizing inside and out

 

[justchecking]

Re: welding galvinized steele

That is a simple boxed frame with spring tabs that was welded up originally. You might consider welding up an all new frame. You can buy the metal at metal supermarket (or something similar) cut to your length. Then weld up a new frame with new spring tabs and install it. You will actually have fewer cuts to make (because they will cut it and with better equipment). You'll have about the same number of welds to make (if you are replacing all four corners), but they will be easier because the parts will fit better.

Then you KNOW the metal is sound.

 

[lime4x4]

Re: welding galvinized steele

If i move the srping seats in about 2 inches would that weaken the axle too much? After looking at the axle and spring mounting there is no spring seat it's just u bolted fast. I have some 2" by 3" square tubing laying around. So was thinking of laying it on top of the main support beams then u bolt it fast. Just for a temp fix.I have extra spring shankles i can weld onto the steele. I bought the boat cheap enough cause it doesn't run. A used engine was just sit in but never hooked up. My goal is to get the engine running then take it to the local lake once or twice to c how she handles and works. Before spending a couple of hundrend on a trailer repair just to find out the boat isn't going to perform like i want

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: welding galvinized steele

I don't believe it will hurt the axle much if at all, I just like the springs as far out towards the wheels as possible since I drive like a man on fire

 

[Fjandy]

Re: welding galvinized steele

Just be cautious about the fumes from heating the galvanizing compound as mentioned. They can be very harmful. Ventilate as best you can. I've never gotten to the point of drinking milk but that may help with symptoms, not source.

 

[blacksmith04]

Re: welding galvinized steele

Go to your welding supply house and get the pink 3M filters(P100) foir a half mask that you can get at lowes or from the same place. They work for what you need to weld on.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: welding galvinized steele

I would just saw the rusted vertical tubes off of the horizontals.
Then before welding in new verticals, just grind the galvan back from where you need to do any welding by a half inch.
Weld it up, amd paint it good and your done.
I would leave the ends of the new verticals un-capped. They might make good sockets for guide-ons.

Too much of a breeze while welding will make your weld be of poor quaility. Grinding the galvan off of the weld zone will suffice.

Oh and if old verticals are open to the horizontals tubes, put a notch in the bottom wall of the horizontals for drainage.
And then do not cut windows in the verticals.

Of course all of the above is mute if the rest of the trailer also has punky areas about to fail.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: welding galvinized steele

What jeeperman Sugested, Exactly.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: welding galvinized steele

I may have to recant my statement.
If pic number 3 is the area in question? I would get steel of the same thickness, and duplicate the reverse L shape patteren and weld that on. Does that make sense to you, and others?