Short answer: - I would farm it out if it were me….
Long Answer:
I am an amateur welder (just hobby stuff) not even close to being a metalworking pro - but I do have a 135 Mig, a buzz box, and a torch set that for some sick reason I use from time to time to gas weld (mostly ‘cause that is how grandpa taught me). I build stuff from time to time (things like a tackling sled for my kiddo's football team etc...).
I farm out three types of work:
1) Things that need to be pretty…
2) Things that protect my life (roll cage, etc…)
3) Things that protect property which is valuable enough to me that it is worth paying for good welds.
I would see rock sliders as mostly #3 with a little bit of #2 thrown in (imagining a big swinging hunk of rock-slider metal breaking off and going where it wants if your welds fail).
When it comes to weld strength I worry about the following stuff :
1) Cleanliness (You will have a lot of work to do to properly prep the frame and get things very clean. If you do – be very sure you prep properly – and that you clean and prep between passes.)
2) Good fitment of the pieces to be welded (Getting really tight fitment on a hand cut set of mounts against the old frame will take some work – but is doable…)
3) Proper shielding of the puddle during the welding process (there is absolutely nothing wrong with flux core MIG other than that it can be messy and sometimes temperamental)
4) Sufficient penetration - enough power – but not too much… (I am not sure what material you are using – but my guess is it will be thick enough to be at or beyond the accepted capacity of a 90 AMP Harbor Freight welder. If you do choose to go this route – make VERY sure that you have strong / clean power to the welder through as little extension as possible… none unless absolutely necessary. Prep your work and make multiple passes ensuring appropriate penetration without getting too much heat in to the work)
5) Correct materials matching and filler material selection…(I have no clue what material Toyota makes their frames out of. I am sure you can find out – and it is probably a fairly common mild steel. However – you will want to know – and you’ll want to ensure that you have appropriate wire that works well with the base materials).
All in all I’d suggest that this is not necessarily a great project for someone at the beginning of a welding hobby. If you are doing this because you want your rig to look cool think about whether you make cool looking welds. If you are doing this because you get in to the rocks (or want to) – think carefully about whether you want the health of your vehicle – and possibly your health – depending on your welds… just my 2 cents…
:typing:
