Jump to content

Welding on my Rig?


Recommended Posts

I been told that when doing welding on my rig I need to disconnect the batteries! Does the Salesmen switch do that good enough?

Still seeing Places we have never seen before and others that we thought we would never see again!

.

homelesshartshorns | Trying to spend the last Dollar on the Last Day! (wordpress.com)

George Hartshorn | Facebook

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remove the posotive lead and be sure you have a good ground for welder as close to where the weld will be as possible. If you need to run a self tapping screw in part way to hook your ground clamp to.

Jim Spence

2000 Dodge 3500 1 ton QC 4x4 dually 5.9 diesel LB

BD exhaust brake, 6 spd manual trans

34CKTS Cedar Creek 5er, Trail-Air hitch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I have been guilty of welding on our rig without disconnecting anything. First was the exhaust pipe extension for the APU and the second was welding the plate extension to our ET hitch to accommodate the new safety lock holes. Both times we made sure that we had a good ground and that it was within a few inches of the weld. I'm sure there are others that have done this as well.

 

It might not be recommended but given some precautions, I went ahead instead of pulling the battery cables ahead of time. To be completely safe, go ahead and disconnect the battery.

2017 Kenworth T680
2015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites
2016 Smart Prime

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have welded a rear hitch on my trailer and vehicles in the past and never touched any batteries. It's all about the ground, if you have a weak grounding connection then your vehicle could be at risk. Any good welder knows to grind a fresh connection near the weld area for a good contact.

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have welded a rear hitch on my trailer and vehicles in the past and never touched any batteries. It's all about the ground, if you have a weak grounding connection then your vehicle could be at risk. Any good welder knows to grind a fresh connection near the weld area for a good contact.

Greg

 

Even a not so good welder , like me . ;)

Goes around , comes around .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We weld in very sensitive electronics area routinely. Just ground close to weld. Current follows ground to weld. Creates a circuit. Grounding anywhere will get you in trouble. I wouldn't think twice about welding on my truck.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had the frame on our trailer repaired last year, and the mobile RV/welder guy disconnected nothing and we had no issues with AC or battery powered things. Not sure if some MH's or tow vehicles can be welded on without problems, but it may be prudent to just disconnect to be safe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the Manufacture recommends it I would not hesitate to disconnect the batteries, an engine or transmission computer is not cheap to replace. Many others have done it and got away with it, they also have probably won the lottery, I have not. Your call, good luck.

U.S. Navy GSMC(SW) (RETIRED) 1993-11-01, 26 years service with 23 years of that active and 3 years reserve.  Now retired after 20 years at local hospital in the maintenance department.

1995 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser 34' DP W/6Spd Allison.  Road Master Sterling All terrain, Air Force One, towing new 2019 Jeep Cherokee Elite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the Manufacture recommends it I would not hesitate to disconnect the batteries, an engine or transmission computer is not cheap to replace. Many others have done it and got away with it, they also have probably won the lottery, I have not. Your call, good luck.

How does disconnecting a battery protect the transmission computer? If you think about it doesn't make sense. The electrical system has many grounding points to the vehicle frame (ie. starter ground) and the battery is only one of them. By disconnecting the battery you will only isolate the battery but not anything else.

If your goal is to isolate a transmission computer, then you need to unplug the electrical connector. Most newer vehicles have up to 10 computers on board.

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How does disconnecting a battery protect the transmission computer? If you think about it doesn't make sense. The electrical system has many grounding points to the vehicle frame and the battery is also grounded to the frame. By disconnecting the battery you will only isolate the battery but not anything else.

Greg

If those amps coming out of that welder happen to feed back into the ground on a circuit somethings gonna fry ( not likely ) but just how long does it take to be sure and unhook a battery cable ?

Jim Spence

2000 Dodge 3500 1 ton QC 4x4 dually 5.9 diesel LB

BD exhaust brake, 6 spd manual trans

34CKTS Cedar Creek 5er, Trail-Air hitch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How does disconnecting a battery protect the transmission computer? If you think about it doesn't make sense. The electrical system has many grounding points to the vehicle frame and the battery is also grounded to the frame. By disconnecting the battery you will only isolate the battery but not anything else.

Greg

Like I said "IF THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS IT" :)

U.S. Navy GSMC(SW) (RETIRED) 1993-11-01, 26 years service with 23 years of that active and 3 years reserve.  Now retired after 20 years at local hospital in the maintenance department.

1995 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser 34' DP W/6Spd Allison.  Road Master Sterling All terrain, Air Force One, towing new 2019 Jeep Cherokee Elite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like I said folks. Welding creates a circuit. Just keep wiring and such out of the current path. Simple, ground close to weld. Current will always take path of least resistance. What what do I know. Just started welding professionaly in 75

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like already posted above......disconnecting the batteries only isolates the batteries! If you want to protect your electronics from a freak spike they would have to be disconnected themselves.

 

Been welding on vehicles for 25 years and not a single issue! It's all about where you ground your work.

1999 Peterbilt 385 C12 430/1650 13spd

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4

2010 Hitchhiker Champagne 36 LKRSB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like I said "IF THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS IT" :)

The reason a manufacture suggest disconnecting a battery is to prevent it from exploding from an electric spike, which would be a bad thing by itself (and a liability issue). Disconnecting the battery is still a good thing, but don't be misled to believe your computers are protected. If a welding current tries to find earth ground and its path is through a circuit board, that electric spike will destroy it. As others have said, if you have a good welding ground, the current will take the path of least resistance to earth ground

Think of current as water on top of a mountain. The water will take the path of least resistance to the ocean (sea level), taking advantage of streams and valleys along the way.

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen welding done on vehicles many times with no problems and if you write the loop equations you can see that if the ground is very close to the weld there should be no problems.

However my Allison transmission said to disconnect the transmission connector, so just in case I missed something I did disconnect it and the batteries when I welded a fuel line heat shield back on.

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
Honda Accord toad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...