DirtyComanche

I've seen some very nice MIG welds done on aluminum. But, that was in a production environment. The MIG satisfies the need for speed (MIG is what, 10X faster than TIG? Maybe more), and the guys have everything in their favour in that they're welding every day and have stands/jigs for the part so there's no messing around. Some alloys shouldn't be MIG welded, but some shouldn't be welded period. So I consider it a tossup. 5051 or 5052 both can be MIG welded properly, and they're probably what should be used in an automotive application. For sheetmetal or exotic metals, I understand the desire to have a TIG welder. For anything else, nah. Takes too long. I'm not building parts with 5 digit price tags, so I have trouble justifying the time with the amount of work that I always get myself into. Although, it would be really nice for doing stainless exhaust... And a MIG will do fine sheetmetal easily enough. Just a little more cleanup/grinding. Thin wire is better (I'm guilty of ignoring this, I weld 20ga with .030 wire and wonder why it's so damn hard). Of course, I'm a hacker when it comes to body work. Bang the big dents out, smooth the really rough edges down with the grinder, then put lots of runs in the paint so nobody knows how many corners you cut!

And if you do scratch something... Buff it out with scotchbrite until it shines again. (I learned today that the RMS on my cummins is a 1-piece design, and it's doing the whole exxon valdez thing right now, yay)

Flux core works on steel without gas. It's ugly, terrible stuff to weld with. Get gas, and use solid core wire, it is worth it. For mild steel, most guys use stargold (75% Argon, 25% CO2) as it burns a little hotter and is cheaper than pure argon. Some use pure CO2 as it burns the hottest, but it causes more splatter and a lot more cleanup. For aluminum, you need pure argon, which will also work with mild steel and will produce the cleanest results. However, it is more expensive to run on a regular basis and can be a little less available. Aluminum can be a pain. A spool gun is preferred, as it is a lot more likely to kink or have other feed issues than steel wire. You also need more voltage for the same thickness of material, a lot more. And aluminum is more picky about the wire type you use (you want it to be compatible with the alloy you're welding), and requires more stringent prep. It also flows like mad, so doing anything but a flat position weld is really hard until you're good at it. And I still figure a bigger welder is always better. You might not need it, but the duty cycle and capability is nice to have if it ever becomes a need. Also, resale is a lot higher on 220V welders than the 110V jobbies, I find. There's lots of people who bought a 110V and find they need to upgrade; I'd look for a used one rather than a new one. Oh yeah, I've got a millermatic 180... I'd recommend it.

I've had mine on the back burner for about 2 years now (since before I moved to dawson creek, that was a long time ago). Today I sold the tcase out of it. The links are going to go to the XJ. The trans is junk, and the new one I bought for it is going to the XJ. And pretty much everything else on it that I need will wind up being pirated for the XJ. It's down to having almost no usable parts. I half debated cutting it up today and getting rid of it. Even worse, I'm under pressure because I found a terribly cheap J-truck (rhino grill AND a brow, sex on wheels) but have no where to put it until I fence my chevy. Better yet, I don't even feel that I want a hard-core truggy that is only good for very limited use. I just don't see ever using it as such again. But, it was the first vehicle I ever owned.... Damn sentimental value. Sorry to steal your thunder, SuperWade2. Anyways, from what your describing, I'd pull the dash out. It's actually not a very hard process, just kinda time consuming. There isn't a point in half-assing a rust repair, it just won't last. Do you need a walk through on the dash/HVAC removal? And swapping the engine/trans isn't too bad if you have a couple people to help you. Look around a CL and local forums and see if you can get a combo.

I did some rear tire location mockup, and checked to make sure my intended axle width and such isn't totally unrealistic. Image Not Found Image Not Found That's where it would be with 64" wide axles, and 8" wide wheels with 3.5" BS. I can probably tuck the tire in about 1.5" more before my front hubs extend into the fodder zone, providing I run 10" wide wheels. But, I had to check that it definitely wouldn't work with the stock front width of 69.25" - I had no intentions of not narrowing the axle, but there's always that little voice screaming for an easier way out. I need to buy some tube.

I'd pay up to about $3500 cnd for a goodish one. From what you describe, I'd be saying $2500~ cnd. But that's me.

I use a product which we simply call 'aircraft soap'. A more proper term would be 'jet-clean' or such. It's terrible stuff, but works awesome for cleaning things without risk of long term corrosion or damage. It also works great for remove carbon buildup on/in parts, just submerge it and wander off for a bit. I don't know what the availability is like, though. I get it from work, we buy it in 45 gallon drums.

dasbulliwagen, your BiL sounds like a genuinely useless fellow. Support your sis the best you can, and if things go sour prey for a quick divorce and make sure she has a good lawyer (as much as they are all bloodsucking parasites, sometimes you need one). It doesn't sound like he'd be overly capable of caring for children, so it'd be best not to let him have the chance. Besides, it's probably (I can't say personally) better for the children if any desire for a divorce is settled now, while they're (very) young.

I'd rock one as a DD. But I think the fuel cost would hurt a little.

Where did you pick it up from?

I think I just used some cheap 1/4 - 20 nuts and bolts, with penny (fender) washers. Not pretty, but it worked. I didn't even have a rust issue with them, since I took them off often enough.

Out of round rollers? IDK. Seems really weird to me. I've never had feed issues beyond my own stupidity, and I run lots of different brands/sizes of wire (no flux core though).

Exactly. It's probably perfect. If not it might just have a bit heavy of oil in it (diesel oil, perhaps).

FWIW, have you employed or worked with any alcoholics? How did they fare? Like anything, abuse (IE, gross over-use) will definatly affect somebody. I'm sure you're guilty of having a few drinks on friday night. Would you naturally assume that somebody who takes a few drags from a marijuana cigarette on occasion to be a worse person? I'm not into weed, but I wouldn't hold it against a guy for wanting to get high occasionally. All the time? Yes, then they have a problem. I know people who have to get high in the morning before work, sneak off to get high during work, then get high after work. Sounds a hell of a lot like an alcoholic to me, just with a different substance.

Know many three-pack-a-day weed smokers, do you? :brows: Actually, my understanding is that the tar content of weed is actually much higher than properly processed tobacco. However, that came from a biased source. Regardless, I think there is few people who smoke large qunatities of unfiltered tobacco in this day and age. Pipes aren't in style, and how many people take the time to roll? FWIW, the tar problem in weed can easily be fixed by baking it. Since you're going to get stoned out of your tree and want to eat brownies anyways, you might as well make a batch of 'green' ones and a batch of regular. I know a few people who do this, as they think smoking is 'icky' (rightly so) but still want to get connected with nature, or jesus, or whatever the hell it is that people want to get high for. And I don't know many 3-pack-a-day cigarette smokers, most of them have already died.

I'd buy it. I think if I can cobble my GMC together sometime I might try to sell it and find a j-truck to replace it.

I don't think that blue XJ is functional. The guy building it is :nuts: , but not in a good way. I'm interested to see what happens when the time comes for it to be wheeled, but my head can't stand reading any more of the build thread.

They're two rims welded together - giving you a 6" or 8" or whatever 'I may be white but my neck is red' wheel spacer. So, I wonder if he just sucks at proof reading, or if he actually didn't complete Gr10.

Sure

Sounds like money, not brains. Common problem. There is a lot of TERRIBLE tech floating around. I've heard things that just make me shake me mumble and wander away. Normally it's whenever I'm around a bunch of full-size owners who like mud, for some reason.

That'd be a bit of a roadtrip... My place isn't as hacktacular as your's was. What you describe sounds downright terrifying. Mine is just bad enough that it seems okay (other than the obvious peeling plaster/paint) until you spend some time in it. I fixed most of the leaks that I saw in the plumbing, but it won't drain right because it's all kinda wonky. The paint all sucks, they obviously had no idea how to sand anything. It's a lot of small things that just make you shake your head. Of course, since I got all fired up and decided I should try to move, luck would have it that I'm actually working some hours for a change. I'm doing 9 hour days, 7 a week now... Shouldn't last, so I'm taking it while it's there, but it's hard to look for a place when you're at work every day.

I've never had american budweiser. But the stuff they sell here is pretty gross. The label spells it right out 'brewed with the finest wheat, hops, and rice'. Rice? That's for sake. And there is something in it that I'm intolerant to, makes me hurdle even if I only have two.

Yup. Limited market. Hell, there is plenty of car rags/reviewers that bash the wrangler for having two solid axles. Albiet, none of them are 4wd rags. I'm not worried. Why buy something new when there's plenty of old junk just waiting for a little love? I guess it'll run out someday.

Driving? I take it you're going the boring route (skit accross the praries to Alberta, then north-west to Dawson Creek BC, then north on the Alaska highway)? If you have time to burn, go back the other way on the Stewart-Cassiar highway. It might be basically the wrong direction, but you can go through Prince George, then west through McBride onto Edmonton, Alberta. Or you could go south from Prince George to Kamloops and east on the #1 to Calgary... See a bunch more stuff. Especially if you have time to burn.

Cool. I want to see how it turns out. That's a decent looking fuse panel... Kinda pricey though?