Welding tube inserts

YotaOnRocks

YotaOnRocks

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Jul 17, 2007
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Madison
I am fixing the crap transfer case shifter that fell out of,my 07 dodge. Some moron at Chrysler decided it was smart to hold the linkage in with a rubber bushing.

I bought some 1/2 rod ends and tube inserts from Barnes to make a new shift linkage. I've never welded a tube insert before and looking for advice.

Should I weld then with rod ends in them? I don't have a left handed tap to chase the threads afterwards.
 
I usually gob some anti seize on the threads of the tube adapter and also the heim. Run the heim in and do your welding then remove it while still hot.
This way youll be able to run it in and out to clean up the threads in the absence of a tap.

Works for me at least!
 
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Find out exactly what type of heim you have first if you will use it at all during welding. If it's a lined heim, you can destroy it with the welding heat. You can use a bolt instead of the heim during welding, and a socket head cap screw is usually closer to the heim thread tolerance than cheap grade whatever bolts.

A cap screw is much cheaper than a new heim, remember that....
 
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Where do I find a left handed cap screw locally? Fastenal didn't even have a 1/2 left hand thread nut last time I stopped and needed one.
 
Jody Treadway said:
I usually gob some anti seize on the threads of the tube adapter and also the heim. Run the heim in and do your welding then remove it while still hot.
This way youll be able to run it in and out to clean up the threads in the absence of a tap.

Works for me at least!
Click to expand...


X2
I've done a bunch this way. Weld it, then unscrew and drop the heim out into cold water to keep from damaging the plastic race in the heim.

It works.
 
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Jody Treadway said:
I usually gob some anti seize on the threads of the tube adapter and also the heim. Run the heim in and do your welding then remove it while still hot.
This way youll be able to run it in and out to clean up the threads in the absence of a tap.

Works for me at least!
Click to expand...



This has always worked well for me.

I still chase the threads with a tap after it cools for added measure. For chasing threads, an elcheapo tap will work just fine.
 
Mac5005 said:
X2
I've done a bunch this way. Weld it, then drop the heim out into cold water to keep from damaging the plastic race in the heim.

It works.
Click to expand...


Agree, but just the heim. If one tries to dunk the end before removing from threads & gets those hot threads in the cool water. Instant stuck!
 
Same as above. The bigger heims seem to be more resilient than 7/8 or smaller.
Still worth it to buy a spare of every size. Buy one now or buy two or three to replace the ones that get fawked up. I noticed on mine especially with them being stick welded, the amount of heat that goes into the tube and insert is ridiculous.
 
Dont weld it with the heim in there. Fuks up the heat treat of the heim.

If you dont over heat the insert, you will not have to retap
 
Buy a bolt or piece of threaded rod with the same threads, and just use that. You can also weld with the link vertical (insert at bottom) so that more of the heat travels up into the link instead of down into the money. But if you're doing it vertical, make sure the penetration is deep and consistent (that's what she said).
 
Success!!! Covered the threads on anti seize welded it up and quickly removed the rod ends. They thread back in freely now.
Excuse the welds this ain't the weld porn thread and I don't have much practice on round stuff. Thanks for all the tips guys.
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i welded all of my dad's in on his mid arm project without anything threaded in. I kept a JJ or TRE (depending on what i was welding) next to me and ran it in and out a few times with a bunch of anti-seize as soon as i was done welding. had no issues.
 
Having the heim threaded into the tube adapter acts as a heat sink for the threaded adapter itself.

It also restricts the assembly to prevent shrinkage at the root of the weld, which would make the id of the threads smaller.

Another note, the heim shouldn't be getting hot enough to change the heat threat of the heim itself.

If it is, your total weld time is too long, and I'd be more concerned with how the HAZ has affected the link itself.

The heim is heat treated prior to having the nylon/plastic race injected into it.

To get it hot enough to affect the heat treat, would be above the melting point of the plastic race.

In a perfect world, I would have a spare identical brand heim to thread in for welding, as every manufacturer heim and thread adapter is going to be toleranced differently.

The same is true for bolts or taps to chase the threads.

I've used the same method for welding adapters in steel over 50 times with no issue.

I welded one pair without a heim inserted, and nearly ruined the adapters as the id shrank from the weld heat input.

I got lucky fixing it without buying any more tube adapters, taps, or heims.

Anywho, glad it worked out for the OP.
 
why not just buy a $10 set of poly bushings for the OEM links on ebay?:p From what I've seen they are designed for a 1-time use
 
I think I only spent about $24 to fix it so I never have to worry again. That stupid bushing failed at the dump on a very rainy muddy day. So because of said stupid bushing I got to crawl in the mud at the dump to shift my tcase into 4wd.
 
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