T25 Trailing Arm Perch Plate

[DjD]

Any advice on securing steel perch plate to trailing arm on T25

Pervious attempt - 6 spot welds - the welds failed and only two M6 studs held it in place

Have considered 4 x M6 coach bolts through into trailing arm with stainless nylock bolts accessible through where the drive shaft enters trailing arm

Retain the two alignment M6 studs - hence two holes into trailing arm

Allows plate to be removed - and checked for rust - which is a common failure area

Thanks


 

[cobblers]

It's a low stress area, even fairly mediocre welds would hold perfectly well.
Bolting could work, but the issue is the quality of the welding rather than the method. No need to reinvent the wheel.

[silverbullet]

WHS ^^^

Its thick steel, so a Fisher-Price welder won't have the amperage to deliver a decent weld.

They should be plug welded too or at the very least stitched on around the perimeter with inch long welds.

[BigBlueVan]

The chances are the welds were not hot enough and did not penetrate into the trailing arm sufficiently, or the prep was not ideal, lack of shield gas resulting in porosity. In general I have learnt weld the hottest you can, a blow through can be dealt with should it happen.

If the perch plate is not on the vehicle currently you could try some more test welds onto some scrap material of the same thickness and have a go at separating in a vice etc...