Precautions for welding ABS equiped car?

[Yellow 13]

As the title implies, what precautions should I take before I install a cage in my ABS equiped Supra?

I remember my instructor at Wyotech mentioning something about welding on a car with ABS and having to be careful with grounding the car but I never asked him what measures had to be taken.

 

[ians13]

As the title implies, what precautions should I take before I install a cage in my ABS equiped Supra?

I remember my instructor at Wyotech mentioning something about welding on a car with ABS and having to be careful with grounding the car but I never asked him what measures had to be taken.

Disconnect the negative battery cable. you should be fine

 

[KINGPIN33]

Where's a good place to clamp down the ground cable from the welder? Would a painted surface be okay?

 

[Yellow 13]

Where's a good place to clamp down the ground cable from the welder? Would a painted surface be okay?

Ive seen people use the car or just attach it to the cart the welders on. I dunno if either of these are correct, I've never welded on a car yet.

 

[Ckanderson]

bare metal surface.

 

[KINGPIN33]

Where can I find that on the car? Everything is painted... I'm trying to weld some metal inside the car.

 

[Ckanderson]

shock tower bolts?

 

[KINGPIN33]

shock tower bolts?

Hmmm... I was thinking of that, but I don't think it's in direct contact with the body part I'm trying to weld... There is paint between the shock tower and that bolt if you know what i mean...
Worst case, I gonna grind down the paint and attach it there and then reseal the bare metal..but that's so much trouble

 

[Yellow 13]

Why not attach it to something other than the car?

My friend attaches his to a vice on his work bench.

...and just to clarify I dont have to remove the ABS unit from the car, just unhook the battery?

 

[Ckanderson]

Why not attach it to something other than the car?

My friend attaches his to a vice on his work bench.

...and just to clarify I dont have to remove the ABS unit from the car, just unhook the battery?

What are you talking about? how would attaching a ground to a vice on yor workbench help ground out your car?

No need to remove the ABS unit.

why not attach the welders ground wire to the main battery ground?

 

[Jeff Lange]

Why not attach it to something other than the car?

That's quite possibly the funniest thing I've heard all day.

 

[T34418L3ONE]

dude if your welding in a cage just grind some paint off part of the body and paint back over it when your done. If your welding in a cage you would want the best possible weld, which requires a good ground.

 

[MassSupra89]

Why not attach it to something other than the car?

My friend attaches his to a vice on his work bench.

That would work... if whatever you were welding was grounded through the metal workbench and metal vice.

But I'm guessing the frame of your car isnt sitting on your workbench... electricity cannot jump from what you're welding to the vice halfway across the room. It needs a direct path.

 

[KINGPIN33]

Yup, for the car aint sitting on a workbench :biglaugh: .. Time to grind off some paint... I would attach it to the engine bay ground, but the palce I need to weld is way in the back of the car.

Edit: Oh he mentioned a "Welders ground cable".. I gotta look into that.

 

[cjsupra90]

why not attach the welders ground wire to the main battery ground?

This is exactly what I do......

Unhook ground from battery and and hook the welders ground clamp to the ground cable that you just unhooked from the battery

 

[shaeff]

Why not attach it to something other than the car?

That's quite possibly the funniest thing I've heard all day.

x2

-shaeff

 

[IJ.]

Funny side notes

A friend's Dad owned a Muffler shop and they didn't hire from the upper end of the IQ scale so here are a couple of DOH moments related..

1) Happy Not So Smart Employee #1 finished a system and has the car up on the hoist checking leaks, finds one and grabs the Mig clamping the Ground to a Lug Nut....

Time to drive the car off and it's struggling to roll off the hoist so he gives it some gas hears a "CRACK" and it rolls off he parks it and starts another job.

Owner collects it returns 3 minutes later complaining of a noise they raise it again do all the visual checks find nothing then test drive it and hear a HORRIBLE noise/harshness.

Turns out the Wheel bearing had welded itself after being used as a ground and then had left large pits in the shell..

2) HNSSE #2 is a new guy with some skills and is set to work on the HiPo custom systems and builds a beautiful twin system on a V8, again time comes to drop it on the ground and it won't move no matter what they try.

All the usual checks don't reveal anything and gunning it won't work like 1) so up in the Air it goes the Boss comes out to inspect the work and see's a beautiful system with x2 the stock hangers so it won't rattle or sag.

2 of the very best new Hangers are fully triangulated and securly welded...... to the TailShaft

 

[starscream5000]

LOL

 

[slidebabyslide]

2 of the very best new Hangers are fully triangulated and securly welded...... to the TailShaft

Wow,jesus.

 

[adampecush]

Why not attach it to something other than the car?

My friend attaches his to a vice on his work bench.

...and just to clarify I dont have to remove the ABS unit from the car, just unhook the battery?

I foresee you being shocked in the near future...