Aluminium repairs

**cewilson** · 5th April 2010, 02:53 PM

I've currently spent about 6 hours searching every where trying to find info with no luck!

I need to replace some panels on the Defender, and they've been spot welded. Now it's easy enough to drill out the weld, but how do I go about fixing the new piece in?

I run both a stick welder and a gasless mig - with the mig being useless for aluminium due to the lack of gas. The stick welder is an option, but it's quite difficult to do without a lot of practice.

Also to confuse the options I was reading about aluminium mig plugs - but I can't find any detailed information with regards to it?

So - how have people on here gone about repairing aluminium panels on their vehicle? In particular the storage boxes that the seats are mounted to?

Last and not least - has anyone had any luck repairing door frames after corrosion? My rear passenger has rusted out the whole lower mechanism, and I believe that new doors aren't really an option - well at least financially.

Thanks
Chris

**kaa45** · 5th April 2010, 03:33 PM

what about these?
Durafix Australia - Aluminium Fluxless Repair Rods
Cheers
Danny

**Blknight.aus** · 5th April 2010, 04:19 PM

rivets?

**cewilson** · 5th April 2010, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

rivets?

It'd be a bloody big rivet after I cut the spot weld out - unless I rivet in another area to the original?

**Blknight.aus** · 5th April 2010, 04:57 PM

do a sandwich plate and cut/shut the panel like they do on aircraft.

**groucho** · 5th April 2010, 05:21 PM

If drilling out spot welds and using a spot weld drill bit you should leave
one panel without a hole. If you drilled right through the 2 panels you have shot it up the rear end to spot them back neatly.Either drill the holes next to them and fill the holes. Alu welding you need to have the panels 100% clean.
Mig is iffy in light guage. Tig is better for neatness. Not a lot of options.......

**awabbit6** · 5th April 2010, 05:22 PM

It is very difficult to plug weld aluminium as the top panel with the hole to be filled will melt away before the back panel has reached temperature.

Try to avoid drilling out the welds. It is better if you can retain the material on the the good part that you are separating. Use a cold chisel to separate the seam and cut around the welds then sand back the weld with a 4" sanding disc.
When the new piece is put in position it can then be either spot welded in place with a spot welder or a TIG can be used to weld through the two panels.

**DeeJay** · 5th April 2010, 09:56 PM

I fixed up some doors recently. Never done it before but it turned out well enough.

Here is the link.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...st-repair.html

**adonuff** · 6th April 2010, 12:32 PM

Hi
I know of someone who builds fuel tanks for old vintage motor cycles sometimes using alumiium the tanks are made from seveal bits and welded togeather with a TIG.

When finished you cannot even see where the welds are.

I think a tig would be the way to go as long as the operator knows what he's doing.

I don't have a pic of one of the ally ones but you will get the idea if you look at the attatched pic of a steel one, this is made from a lot of bits and none of the welds on the tank itself are visable.

Andrew

**incisor** · 6th April 2010, 01:22 PM

most landy spot welds require only a 3/16" drill at most and there are plenty of high grip 3/16" rivet options on the market if you don't want to weld em...

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