I have a small jd riding mower with the 38in deck. The spring that keeps belt tension on the deck is getting thin in one spot where it hooks around from years of use. Would it be ok to put a spot of weld on the spring to build it back up. Considering I’m not welding on the actual portion that stretches would it be ok?
Can i weld on this spring?
- Thread starter joegreen
- Start date
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
If you Google "can I weld a spring" virtually every answer is no. From don't even weld near a spring to sure you can weld a spring but it would need heat treating.
Have you tried to find a close replacement or OEM replacement? A mower belt tensioner wouldn't need an exact replacement.
Have you tried to find a close replacement or OEM replacement? A mower belt tensioner wouldn't need an exact replacement.
It should be fine, it would be a low risk failure even if it did
I'd fabricate some sort of wear mitigating sleeve. Welding will make the spring much softer in the area in question.
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2022
- Messages
- 172
No, you cannot weld that spring
Just buy a new spring what are they just a few bucks?
Just buy a new spring what are they just a few bucks?
I think if you could keep the heat from migrating further toward the spring you might get away with it.
@tig1 would be the expert here!
Worth a try if you have the welder.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2022
- Messages
- 394
It's off a John Deere, that is probably a $100 part!
Yes, you can weld it, make sure to cool it slowly. Most likely you will change the properties of the alloy by the weld.
Just as an FYI, a replacement belt tensioner spring on my Toro riding mower sells for about $11.00 at Jack's Small Engines (https://jackssmallengines.com)
I've bought some JD springs & they were around $20.
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2022
- Messages
- 172
What’s the part number and we can look it up? How much does the spring cost? When you weld the spring ? It will be brittle and it will fall apart.
You could make a saddle out of plastic or soft metal to spread the contact over a wider area. You might could cover the hook it attaches to also so there isn't metal to metal contact.
You are mistaken that you aren't welding on "the part that stretches."
Every part of a spring stretches. It's just that the coiled part stretches more because it's not as stiff. How do you think the spring force gets transmitted to the loop end? Since nothing is infinitely stiff, stress means strain and strain means "stretching."
Moreover, the heat of welding will propagate down the spring and ruin the temper of it. One of two things will result. Either the end of the spring will break off immediately when it is loaded, or the end of the spring will stretch permanently (yield) and cease to give the proper relationship of spring tension to position.
In either case, you will have a spring failure.
Just replace the thing. And perhaps in the process you can address the design flaw that led to this wear. If not, who cares? Obviously you've gotten a lot of life from the part. Replace it and get on with life.
Weld it, only two things will happen:
You prove all the naysayers right and you spend $20 on a new spring and redo your work.
Or
You prove the proponents right and your penny-wise gamble saves you $20
The sky won’t fall, nobody dies, the mower won’t turn into a pile of scrap. It’s not the best fix but if you like to tinker it’s not a big deal.
Heating spring steel without quenching will make it softer, not brittle. I’ve cut/heat/bent coil springs for projects and they worked fine. The hard part will be putting a decent blob of weld on that spot without burning through the spring.
Another frugal option: if both ends are identical, install the spring flipped so the unworn side is on the mount that wears on the spring.
You prove all the naysayers right and you spend $20 on a new spring and redo your work.
Or
You prove the proponents right and your penny-wise gamble saves you $20
The sky won’t fall, nobody dies, the mower won’t turn into a pile of scrap. It’s not the best fix but if you like to tinker it’s not a big deal.
Heating spring steel without quenching will make it softer, not brittle. I’ve cut/heat/bent coil springs for projects and they worked fine. The hard part will be putting a decent blob of weld on that spot without burning through the spring.
Another frugal option: if both ends are identical, install the spring flipped so the unworn side is on the mount that wears on the spring.
