Tube joint help and suggestions???

[atomicjoe23]

Looking for some input from those you with more experience than me concerning tube joints. . .

First, does it make a difference how long the ears are on a fishmouthed tube joint?

I could see it going either way with complete half-circle fishmouth having more welded surface area resulting in a stronger joint or more of a semi-circle fishmouth being stronger because the tubing wall doesn't thin out as much. . .

. . .also seems like the smaller ears are a lot easier to weld than the longer ears which wrap farther around the base tube.

Second, concerning poly bushing sleeves for things like trailing arms, etc.

The standard mounting width that these things come in is 2.63" to match the width of the larger heim joints. . .do most of you guys use this width or do you go wider?

I ask because when you are trying to weld a 2" OD tube onto a 2.63" wide bushing sleeve you are getting pretty darn close to the edge of the bushing sleeve. . .especially if the cut is at an angle.

Does this matter? It's really easy to blow the edge of the bushing sleeve out with a MIG welder when trying to do a continuous weld (i.e. not a "triggger weld") and even TIG welding the joints tends to roll/radius the edge of the bushing sleeve.

Thanks for the help!

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[ErikShallbetter]

When I still have to notch by hand I always take a "shallower" notch out of the tube rather than a full "fishmouth" It makes the hole saw last longer, as well as leaving the full wall thickness at the end of the tube.

Laser notching has me spoiled though..

I would not change the width of the bushing. I would start and end my weld at the edge (outter most part) of the bushing if that makes since. If you burn off the edge a little just grind it back down. That will keep the heat at it's lowers and you will need to weld in a minimum of two passes anyway.

[atomicjoe23]

Thanks Erik. . .

you will need to weld in a minimum of two passes anyway.

Why is that. . .I don't remember seeing any bushing mounts with two passes on them anywhere on the thread, but I wasn't specifically looking for that in the past either. . .

I thought that if I had full penetration/fusion with a nice even heat line that I would be good (at least on the " wall stuff. . .I could see needing a second pass on the 0.250" wall stuff if your fillet wasn't wide enough on the first pass).