While a chassis of a race car is subjected to a stress level that an ordinary street car chassis is not, curbs, hits, vibrations, and fatigue take their toll on all welded joints in a tube frame. A poor weld does not necessarily break right away. Sometimes, it fails after several races.
Fabrication shops making chassis parts consider each and every weld to be safety-critical, not just structural. Consistency across several dozen joints is more important than speed. Consistency begins with tools that perform consistently from joint number one to joint number one hundred. It does not matter how good a welder you are. Your shop will produce inconsistent results if the tools fight the welder instead of helping him or her.
Several things set a dependable fabrication environment apart from a shop prone to rework:
- Lens Reaction Time and Clarity: Sluggish reaction time of an auto-darkening lens means that welders must continually flash their eyes. This causes eye strain and produces inconsistent joints further into the shift.
- Shade Control: Inconsistently or incorrectly controlled shade levels reduce ability to see the puddle clearly, particularly when working with thin-wall chromoly tubing used in race car chassis.
- Secure, Consistent Helmets: If you are using a helmet that moves around or fogs up mid-weld, you will lose focus in those passes which need stability and clarity.
All shops specializing in oval track, off-road, and drag applications describe the same scenario. It is when the gear stops being a distraction to the welder that the welds improve.
Gear That Keeps Up With the Shop
When choosing welding helmets for their fabrications shops, professional fabricators do not act on impulse. Rather, they seek out input from experienced welders regarding what has stood the test of time with consistent use. Pipe welders usually offer the most insight on the matter as they often perform some of the most difficult welding jobs out there.
The intersection of these two fields is what has prompted a number of racing motor parts stores to shop pipeliner helmets that provide results. Nothing beats going for an off-the-shelf solution. A pipeliner hood usually offers greater range of vision compared to a traditional hood. This is particularly useful in cases where there are extended periods of overhead welds on a roll cage.
The products designed by Ridge Products Welding were designed keeping that particular need in mind. The owner of the company has many years of experience of welding pipes before moving into making gears.
Welding Mistakes That Endanger the Safety of the Race Cars
Even the best welders sometimes make mistakes, especially when working under pressure. This normally takes place in the case of a busy racing season when the car has to be ready to race by Friday.
Here are some of the common problems you’ll find in a fabrication bay:
- Inconsistent Heat Input: Inconsistent heat input in a joint leads to an inferior weld while distorting thin tubing and causing geometry problems in the entire cage.
- Failure to Clean Before Welding: Failure to clean before welding leads to mill scale, paint, and/or oil being trapped in the weld and results in porosity.
- Bad Fit Up of Joint: Bad fit up of joint means gaps and/or misalignment of the tube leading to welding bridging the joint with additional filler.
- Insufficient Cooling Time: Welding joint too quickly after welding another joint leads to entrapment of stress within the metal resulting in cracks.
All the above mentioned problems are not related to skills but are caused by lack of time, lack of lighting, or welding equipment that hinders the work of a welder. This is one kind of a shortcut that is never worth taking because a driver’s life is at stake.
Filler Rods and Consistent Joint Welding
The quality of filler rods used for welding race chassis is often overlooked. However, this quality is as critical as the hood that is covering the welder’s head. The filler rods that absorb moisture from air in a workshop can be inconsistent because of being fragile and unpredictable.
An oven ensures that filler rods have the same consistent quality as they were produced initially, as it maintains a constant temperature level for each rod. Shops that neglect using ovens spend a lot more time doing unnecessary rework and scrap welds than buying an oven.
Repeatability compounds with each build. An accurately stored rod, with a good and clear view from the hood, allows a fabricator to flow through a build without interruption. Post-weld inspection is also quicker, thanks to the absence of surprises to chase down. Those who run a complete race season in a tight schedule see this compounding effect the most. Missing out on even one step earlier causes everything down the line to be slower.
Conclusion
A race car chassis holds the driver through corners, impacts, and any and all bumps on the track. Just like the engine or the suspension, the welds inside the chassis need the same care and attention. Those fabrication shops that take as much care about their gear as about their techniques have cleaner welds and few callbacks.
