....If your welding on a truck frame it seems as if it should be thick enough to weld more than 1 inch w/o heating up so much that you have to stop welding. What type of machine are you using, what size rod, etc. If it's Mig it shouldn't heat up that much, if Arc then may be a smaller rod with a lower heat setting? If your putting the gusset plate in a 1/4" you should be able to have a really nice looking weld. Plenty of parent metal sticking out to make a nice bead..... Bill