Welding Unibody Seams?

[Wade Mahaffey]

A problem with continuious weld is that the metal will shrink when cooling and thus be under tension untill it is relieved. Sheet metal does not like or perform well under extensive tension, and it has no strength under compression (it just bends). Without structure (frame work) it will crack at the weld edge and fail. Sheet metal is designed to go along for the ride, just as fiberglass panels do. Unibody construction is for light weight and not severe duty. If your not running in Stock eliminator I would run cage components thru the firewall and attach suspension points and foward frame point to the main cage. It should'nt be long before NHRA and IHRA allow (thru the firewall cage structure) in Stock eliminator anyway. You can design/fabricate the cage in preperation for thru the fire wall addition at a later date. If you just want to add a little insurance to a spot weld seam. I would tack weld a small spot (on the edge of the overlap panel in between each factory spot weld) to provide a zig-zag appearance without stressing the entire panel. I would not use the silicon-bronze filler rod for this, S-B rod is for light duty applications only.

Wade Mahaffey