Rear Radius Arms
- Thread starter mrbilman
- Start date
Joe K
Well-known member
Lilies can always stand improvement.
Sorry - facetious.
What do you hope to accomplish?
My own experience with radius rods is due to the gap there is always rust inside the rod. Typically you can pick it up, turn it end for end and hear the rust "tinkling" in its passage internally from one end to the other.
AND I have seen holes formed in the radius rod from the loss of metal on the inside. I have at least two rods which have been set aside because of a hole. (The damage ALWAYS seems to occur on the passenger side rod - closer to the gutter at the edge of the road?)
If you're not going to seal weld it shut and prevent the entrance of water - what is the point? And in the process of welding you may find something you might not want to know?
Joe K
Sorry - facetious.
What do you hope to accomplish?
My own experience with radius rods is due to the gap there is always rust inside the rod. Typically you can pick it up, turn it end for end and hear the rust "tinkling" in its passage internally from one end to the other.
AND I have seen holes formed in the radius rod from the loss of metal on the inside. I have at least two rods which have been set aside because of a hole. (The damage ALWAYS seems to occur on the passenger side rod - closer to the gutter at the edge of the road?)
If you're not going to seal weld it shut and prevent the entrance of water - what is the point? And in the process of welding you may find something you might not want to know?
Joe K
Unless you see deterioration to warrant doing so, I would not suggest this nor find it necessary. They've lasted 90+ years in spite of what might seem like a design flaw, and have traversed all types of terrain, drivers, accidents, poor preventive maintenance procedures. etc. If they're not ready to fall apart (which would suggest replacement before repair), clean them as best you can, blow out any accumulated rust by flushing that entire open length with compressed air, paint them if you choose ........ or .... just leave them as they are. The areas shown in your pictures look fine.
nkaminar
Well-known member
Welding a split tube will improve the torsional stiffness. In the case of the radius rods, the stress is compression or tension. Welding up the tubes is not necessary and may cause a problem when you re-install them because they would not flex to adjust to the rear backing plate.
Fullraceflathead
Well-known member
I personally would not do it in running a weld along that seam would induce a pretty good warp unless you weld it very small amounts spread out without creating a lot of heat!!!
Bob Bidonde
Well-known member
Do not weld the tube. Structurally there is nothing to be gained by welding it locally but a stress concentration point that is not good.