I sprayed my spider gears, with a window pump sprayer, filled with water, constantly, while welding with a MAG, to prevent, softening of the metal (annealing)(welds just fine wet, just use one step higher heat). If the gears soften, it´s right at edge of the weld, which isn´t a bad thing (might bend before it breaks). I used a high carbon gas, which hardened things back up at the weld bead, itself.
I welded mine with an eye, to possibly removing the spiders some day.
I´ve got a like 3500 lb. truck with 300 odd horses. A locked rear end, might be more forgiving, on something lighter and fewer horses.
But personnaly, I wouldn´t do it, to often after a rain (when it hasn´t rained for awhile) the street sweats oil, or somebody spills some diesel or you hit an unexspected icy patch. Fairly sharp left and right curve on a foggy morning. Sooner or later it´s gonna bite you in the butt.
Finding a way to keep the heat down and not soften the gears to much was a tip from a tech. rep. at Diamond gear. He advised agianst welding spiders, said it weakened the gears.
My truck has a tendancy to push, with the rear locked, even with the open front diff, you turn the wheel and it goes straight, for a bit, before it starts turning, on dry pavement, gets worse when things are loose. It increased my turning radius noticeably. I ran at the same track for years, after locking the rear, I had to start turning earlier, to make the same old corners. Takes some getting used to, doesn´t handle the way you expect. While your dragging a tire around a corner, downforce traction is reduced. Something I´d want to practice with, and not go out and drive, in the same old way, I´ve always driven. I´d be real careful on high speed curves or rapid direction changes.
