My car is a daily driver, but I plan to auto-x it. Is the chromoly worth the extra money? I know it is stronger than the mild steel, but it is worth the money? Thanks.

 

For a daily driver I would say no.

 

Even for a typical bracket car, no. The weight saving isn't enough to justify the extra cost.

 

Are the gains more in strenght or weight?

 

Weight. CM is just as strong as MS but you don't need as much.

A smaller/thinner tube of CM has the same strength as a larger/thicker tube of MS except because it's smaller, it weighs less.

Downside is CM needs to be TIG welded and any bracketry you want to attach to it must also be TIG welded.

 

Ohh... Thanks. I thought that the CM was stronger. That helps alot. I guess I won't be getting the CM. Thanks again.

 

You could think of it as stronger. If a lower a-arm is made of 1" tube, a 1" tube of CM will be stronger than a 1" tube of MS. It's just that CM is normally used to reduce weight because all the extra metal isn't required to get the same strength as MS.

 

i dont know the exact way of putting it but CM is a denser? material and does not flex, it cracks. MS will flex. it all depends on what you wanna do with your car and what parts you want to be CM depending on the stress areas of the car like parts you know are gonna want to flex if you use CM u risk the chance of OVER TIME stress cracks developing but MS would flex and be alright but then again could become distorted. so really the last part of info i just gave is useless haha sorry

 

Let me take a stab at it..

4130 is a "heat treatment" to the steel. Basically what it does is align the molcules of the steel into more or less a straight line. Therefore giving it much more strength than the as cast counter part mild steel.

The main problem with CM is that when it does break, it just snaps, where as mild steel will just bend, distort and tear before it finally seperates.

Now with that said, it takes a ****load to break CM. I don't think that anyone that is using CM on street car will ever reach that point, unless they were in a accident or something.


Some useful reading

http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/4130.htm

http://www.jjjtrain.com/vms/engineer...reat.html#Menu

 

NO....

 

Bringin this back from the dead, but, chromoly torque arm attached to the x-member... worth it? Or is MILD STEEL better for this peice.. I can imagine less flex from the TQ arm is better, and I can't imagine having enough power to make it crack or snap (i have a 305ci TPI with 270hp, 350tq.. never going to run slicks, mostly used on street with occasional autox and drag with good street tires).

 

you need a LOT of traction and power to flex a aftermarket torque arm. Mild steel is fine there.

 

wow awesome. saved me some cash there! thnx