It looks like that hole was caused by rust. It wont be so simple. You need to start by evaluating the integrity of the rest of that.
Unless you are already a great welder that will be a tall task. And let’s be honest, if you were a great welder you would already know how you could best tackle that.

 

i have poked and prodded around it and nothing else gave and you're right- im not a welder i do want to learn though...

 

Dont just poke at it. Give it a couple healthy wallops with a chipping hammer or ball peen hammer. Like was mentioned…it was caused be rust and is likely a lot worse than it looks. post another pic that shows a larger area so we understand the context better.

This spot looks like a prime target for the above mentioned healthy wallops

 

Dont just poke at it. Give it a couple healthy wallops with a chipping hammer or ball peen hammer. Like was mentioned…it was caused be rust and is likely a lot worse than it looks. post another pic that shows a larger area so we understand the context better.

This spot looks like a prime target for the above mentioned healthy wallops
View attachment 1818790

yeah took a look at that as well gave it some healthy stabs and whatnot with a screwdriver and nothing gave it's just kind of scaling around it (screwdriver stabs are the best i can do don't have a ball-peen or chipping hammer)

 

You either one but do to clean before welding

Dave

 

is any better than the other for this?

 

im just genuinely stressing about it tbh

 

Ok clean the area, post more pics, what are you good welding with, what type of machine do you have

 

A good fast freeze wire is best for that. Easier to build it up without blowing through.

Flux core(self shielded) comes in a couple of varieties. Lincoln makes NR211-MP, which is a T-11 wire. Or, you can use a GS wire, such as Weldmark, or Blue Demon.

GS wires are more tolerant to less-than-perfect base metals.

By the looks of it, your part is thin..........not much left to actually repair, at least from what I can see in the pic. I'm thinking it's a candidate for replacement.

 

Or try to cut a plate to fit in ,around and tack in and tack in in small amounts til all connected

 

You have to grind/sand it down to shiny, clean metal, otherwise, the weld will not fuse. That grinding will make the piece even thinner. This will certainly be a challenge.

i know that it's not an option for you to do yourself, but if I was welding it, I would tig it.

Rich

 

Might not be nothing left if ground down to clean metal 😳.

 

stick - probabaly 6011

 

Remove the part out for under the chassis, clean it, take pictures and let’s see it on the table

 

Looks like a frame rail. Will be a buggerin thing to get on the table. Do your best to find good metal to work with,, anywhere around the faulty piece.

 

For one off job, they are equal. However, price of stick electrode lower/quantity and commitment to size and filler type is smaller with stick and you have a variety to choose from.

 

This being a spring perch?? They're usually rivetted onto the frame, sometimes welded. Fairly easy to remove, and replace.

BUT..................................

If you do weld it out, it's possible to do a fair job if there's enough thickness left.

A fairly rusty mess. It sat in manure/mud for about a decade, or more. The top rails were cut off, and a new rail welded on.

The original stuff WAS 11ga material. Cleaning it up probably reduced it to something on the order of 14ga. And.....ya gots some MONDO gaps to fill.

If you can get a puddle started...........aim the gun at the puddle, not the steel. A fast freeze wire will solidify fast enough to allow you to actually build on the metal that's cooled within the puddle. Some very tiny bit of a weave is needed to make the toes wet in...................but I'm mostly letting the puddle fill the gap, allowing it to make contact with the adjoining pieces. You really need to be the puddle (polish up your peepers so you can see it good). Because this weld was a regular horizontal weld, I was able to hold the gun at an absolute 90* angle to the joint. You'll see a different angle below, when dealing with a fillet.

Note how nicely the GS wire works with crappy steel. It's good stuff for this application.

This is just an illustration of the gun angle for this type of fillet joint. I never hold the gun at a 45* angle to the joint. I come in fairly flat, and aim directly at the root, and let it fill. The puddle does the work. I run a similar stick weld the same way. Go in lowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Just make sure you don't short the gun to the steel.

This is .030 Weldmark GS wire. Great stuff for thin material. Very forgiving.

Parameters were probably set for 11ga material, being as the new piece was full thickness. You just watch for excessive heat going into the badly corroded material.

 

for everyone wanting a more clearer picture of the area here it's my front axle i personally don't have the means or money at the moment to have it professionally replaced- which is why I'm asking what would be best for myself to do it, it hasn't gotten any bigger since i first jabbed it out which in my eyes is good it's not at risk of just popping off anytime soon the metal is thin but not paper thin like sheet metal so there's something- I'm personally looking for a temporary solution that'll last as well as a permanent solution- i know that's probably a bit much to look for

 

That spring looks clean and fairly new the bushings look clean, why didn’t you fix it before you put all back together

 

it's been all back together for- a while now i did those springs about 2 years ago back then the hole was small but that's because A. i didn't notice it and B. i didn't screw with it to make it bigger the fact it's so big now is because i poked around at it (i use poked as a general term here) the metal around the parts that gave out even though it has thinned a bit is still pretty strong i'm not the brightest really-

 

So now that we know what it is ... you are wanting to fill the hole to keep crap out. try to tap in the edges to give you a bevel to fill and burp the gun as you move around the hole. Maybe someone else has a better idea. Take all info and work with all of it. You got this.

 

If that's an aftermarket lift kit, it's probably in bad shape throughout. You're just seeing the worst of it as you look at it.

I'm thinking that the small hole is just the tip of the iceberg.

Cut a small patch, and weld it up(shrug). Replace it when you have the money.

If that's OEM, shame on them. The dog ear holding the strut will probably go bad in time. Judging by the shape of the axle, and other stuff under there...............it doesn't look like an ancient vehicle.

 

it's from 2002- it's decently old

 

I'm wondering if it's rusting out because that area is full of crud holding moisture inside. It's on the way out anyway, I'd be tempted to poke a big hole in the bottom so you can weld from both sides, and provide drainage in the process.

 

on the 99-04 grand cherokees it is common for the spring's center mount (its a cylinder) to rot out due to the fact that doesnt have a drain hole however- the lower half like what you see in the pictures does have drain's

 

So tell us about your welding experience? Have you ever welded anything before, did y go to school, or pick it up in a family business, or did you get the idea that’s what it needs and you can do it after watching it on the web. You have a lot more damage there than that little hole you may be better off buying a new replacement part and having an actual welder do the work of welding it back on. So where are you located if you’re close to A good shop take it in. Show us pictures of your welder please

 

He doesn't own a chipping hammer or even a ball peen hammer. So a grand in welding equipment will make him a weldor.
That bracket/spring cup is rusting from the inside out and is probably worse off than that small hole.

 

If it was me….

I would take that tire off. Compress that spring and get it and the shock outa the way. The bottom chunk under the spring (rubber?) is gonna have to come off before you weld as well. It may also allow you to see the inside of that bracket which is where your trouble started from.

If there is any steel to weld to it looks to me that you could cut a 2” wide band out of 4” pipe and cut notches and slits in it to slide up over that bracket and weld all the way around Including along the shock mount tabs which is where its going to fail next.

But as was mentioned…if you dont have a chipping hammer…What do you have to weld with and what is your skill level. Gonna make all the difference.

I know from long experience that you DON’T want to LEARN to weld on that bracket….Stuff like that falls into the “advanced” welding category

 

I know from long experience that you DON’T want to LEARN to weld on that bracket….Stuff like that falls into the “advanced” welding category

that's kind of what i was worried about- guess i'll take it to a professional- wanted to see if i could do it myself at all- thanks everyone for your responses

 

It is your coil spring and control arm mount so don’t cheap out on a critical safety part. Get a new can from the dealer. Dorman also makes them and you can get them at Vatozone or Napa.

Dorman - OE Solutions Coil Spring Bracket 926-083

Shop for Dorman - OE Solutions Coil Spring Bracket 926-083 with confidence at AutoZone.com. Parts are just part of what we do. Get yours online today and pick up in store.

www.autozone.com

 

Great get it safely repaired and drive it back and forth to welding school

 

A rusty hole is just the tip of the iceberg, but you need to remove the rust and get ready to blow a hole twice the size and as you weld you'll be chasing it. Try using a 6013 and maybe strait polarity. Embrace the suck...

 

We are all very glad he has decided to get this repaired by professionals. Very glad he joined or site and asked questions about the repair. Now he is trying to get his welding journey started. Wish him the best sure hope he asks more questions.