08/13/2026
If a shop claims they can truss an axle in less than 72 hours, they're not doing it right, and here's why:
The first step is near-complete axle disassembly and removal from the vehicle. This takes anywhere from 4-6 hours.
Once the axle is out, it needs to be stripped of paint anywhere the truss sits. Thorough cleaning and prep can take another handful of hours.
It's then preheated, welded, and wrapped in fiberglass blankets in sections, as it's composed of multiple cast segments and steel tubes, and needs to cool as slowly as possible to prevent the welds from cracking. The axle is heated to around 400 degrees before welding, and we normally let them cool anywhere from 18-24 hours.
Once cooled, the welds need to be cleaned, and any slag or sharp edges need to be removed. This takes another 1-2 hours.
After the final touches are made, the axle is painted. We like to let the paint cure for at least 24 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity outside.
At the end, the axle is reinstalled and reassembled, which takes another 5-7 hours.
Trussing an axle takes multiple days, and if a shop tells you otherwise, it probably means they're welding on it while it's in the vehicle, and fully assembled. By doing this, the welding circuit and heat can damage your gears, bushings, seals, and bearings. To add to that, welding on a cold axle means you'll likely end up with cracked welds and your truss not doing its job to begin with.
