How to Repair the Cracked Aluminum Frame on My Dump Truck

Dump trucks are large vehicles that take a beating during the work day. As piles of garbage are being loaded and emptied, heavy trash may bang against and crack the exterior aluminum frame of the truck. If the aluminum frame cracks, repair it as soon as possible. Aluminum panels with large cracks should be replaced, but if the crack is small, weld it to repair the dump trucks aluminum frame.

Instructions

1

Fill a small spray bottle with acetone. Spray the acetone on the exterior and interior sides of the cracked aluminum. Scrub the crack with a stainless-steel brush. Rinse the aluminum with clean water. Let the aluminum dry before welding.

2

Equip an argon gas TIG welder with a tungsten rod per the manufacturers instructions.

3

Set the amp output of the welder to the appropriate power per the manufacturers instructions. Raise the output 1 amp per .001-inch of aluminum thickness.

4

Put on a welding mask and a pair of welding gloves. For safety, wear a long-sleeve, heavy cotton shirt. Do not lower the shield on the welding mask.

5

Heat the cracked aluminum with a propane torch until the torch registers between 350 and 500 degrees on a digital infrared thermometer. Aim the thermometer at the aluminum and pull the trigger to record the temperature. It is displayed on the digital screen.

6

Lower the shield on the welding mask.

7

Hold a 4043 aluminum welding rod in one hand. Position the welding rod on top of the crack.

8

Hold the TIG welding torch in the other hand. Aim the TIG welder at the tip of the welding rod.

9

Step on the TIG welders pedal to begin welding the crack. The flame melts the aluminum welding rod and seals the crack, bonding the aluminum. Weld the entire crack until the aluminum is bonded together. Depending on the size of the crack, you may need to use multiple 4043 welding rods.