I have been watching Pakistani and Indian truck repairer's on Youtube I find

it very fascinating they seem to be able to repair and fix anything ,no putting

new parts in , they fix what they have, still keeping those old Bedford trucks

on the road.

 

I know nothing about welding ,metal work , just watching a video now ,broken

front axle ,snapped clean in half , no wonder the weight they put on those trucks,

anyway on the video he's cutting bits out ,of the axle , and welding it back together,

what I want to know would a welded axle , halfshaft , gears be as strong as original ?

 

It's real medieval , industrial revolution stuff , it's all done outside in the streets ,

sandals and flip flops ,no safety glasses. but they get the job done.

 

regards Worgeordie

 

 

 

 

, 

 

   

There are many reasons the weld can fail, but done correctly, it becomes the “same” as the surrounding metal. One issue can be stresses created in the metal near the weld if it is not heat soaked to allow the crystals to redistribute. Contamination of the weld, or using the wrong composition sticks for the metal or poor technique are others. 

I haven't touched a welder in years.... My knowledge is dated & prehistoric on the topic....

If the half shaft is hollow, there's a chance that an oversized bead/weld could hold on a lumbering, slow truck.....

If it's a solid piece, like a spindle, there's no way a weld would last - welding just the circumference... Not to mention the loss of any needed tempered strength built in during the forging/foundry & machining/milling process....

My unknowledgeable 2¢ worth....

My ex FIL from my I'll fated & I'll advised teen marriage was a heavy mechanic for a large concrete construction company....Those trucks and the heavy construction equipment took some heavy stress & abuse....The things he & his buddies could improvise, weld, and repair on those cement encrusted trucks was truly impressive.....

Edited November 29, 20223 yr by pgrahmm

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

I know nothing about welding ,metal work , just watching a video now ,broken

front axle ,snapped clean in half , no wonder the weight they put on those trucks,

anyway on the video he's cutting bits out ,of the axle , and welding it back together,

what I want to know would a welded axle , halfshaft , gears be as strong as original ?

I had some driveshafts welded here when i did a gearbox mod. The shafts were drilled and a rod inserted in the middle of the 2 parts. Then they were welded and machined smooth. However, one did break under load.

Been there, done that.  45 years ago.   I'm pretty amazed watching Thais weld with nothing but a pair of sunglasses, no leathers, no hood, no cares at all.  Probably like the Pakastanis and Indian guys.

However, I know one thing for sure.  Given enough time they are going to fry their retinas. 
But like you, I've a ton of amazement and respect.  But I'd never do it without safety equipment. 

I weld daily.

 

Mig and tig steel/stainless steel/alloy.

 

Also maintain 38 robot welding machines that pump out our product.

stick welding doesnt always give good results and thats what theyre likely using

as the rods seem to age and dont strike quickly but a good stick welder can make good results and its cheap to do

mig is better if   u have a rig and plenty of leccy power available

1 hour ago, 3NUMBAS said:

stick welding doesnt always give good results and thats what theyre likely using

Poor skills, poor setup, contaminated base metal leads to poor results.

SMAW has the highest Charpy ratings.

In China I watched a guy weld with an A4 piece of paper taped to his forehead for a mask with two finger holes poked in it for his eyes.