Wingnut
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 12:48 PM |
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Bending cast iron bar - how??
I have an anti roll bar which i believe is cast.. It may have come off a sierra/granada.
I'd like to re-shape it slightly, can i do thi with a blow torch or will I need something more powerfull??
Thanks in advance!
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02GF74
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 12:52 PM |
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whilst I am not a metallurgist, I'd be very sruprised if it was made from cast iron. Cast iron is dead hard and does not like to bend, and if
you try to bend it, it will snap so not much use as anti-roll bar.
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skydivepaul
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 12:53 PM |
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geoff capes's neck
didnt think you can bend cast iron?
anti roll bar should be made of steel of some kind, heat it up with welding torch and give it a try
[Edited on 22/1/08 by skydivepaul]
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Aico
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 12:53 PM |
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I'd use something more powerfull. I'm building muscles so I'd use my hands to bend it.
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BenB
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 12:56 PM |
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Most ARBs are high carbon spring steel. If you heat it you'll likely effect it's springiness!!! You might either end up with a nicely
tempered easily-bendy (non springy) anti-roll bar or a rock solid ARB that snaps on the first hard corner....
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Davey D
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 01:37 PM |
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I bought a set of uprated ARB's for my 200sx. they were Whiteline ones. you could see the bends were heated in the manufacturing process by how
the surface of the steel had gone. only problem with doing it yourself is knowing how hot they got the steel, and how they cooled it so that the bar
keeps its springiness, and doesnt become hardened from the process
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JAG
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 01:37 PM |
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^^^^ what BenB said. Don't use heat.
Justin
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mad-butcher
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 06:58 PM |
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I would have thought the give away was in the name CAST Iron.
Tony
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NS Dev
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| posted on 22/1/08 at 09:07 PM |
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gosh lots of info above, a lot of it right but of no help to you.
It will be steel, not cast iron. It my be a "spring" steel, but could be a million and one grades to be honest, anything vagueley
hardenable, but then i have made several arb's from seamless mild steel tubing, and indeed rally design sell a sierra arb kit which uses mild
steel tube.
Any steel will do as long as you don't stretch it past its yield point.
In the real world that means that as long as the bar is wide and fairly beefy, it will be fine in a DECENT mild steel.
You can heat and rebend the ends of the bar, but to ensure that they don't take a set when you do it, its best to heat it to dull red, let it
cool so it is JUST back to black, then rebend it as it cools further which will re-work harden it.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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Wingnut
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| posted on 23/1/08 at 12:02 AM |
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OK thanks for all the replies.. In hindsight perhaps it's not cast... heres a picture of the end, looks like it might be stamped???
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Wingnut
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| posted on 23/1/08 at 12:05 AM |
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Picture...[img]http://locostbuilders.co.uk/upload/a680765-IMGP6681[0].JPG[/img]
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Alan B
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| posted on 23/1/08 at 12:15 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
......Cast iron is dead hard.....
Not true.
It can have a hard skin caused by chilling the surface when it's poured, but as rule cast iron is actually pretty soft...once through the skin
it files pretty easily.
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 23/1/08 at 11:05 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Wingnut
Picture...
The ends of the bar will most likely have been forged to form the flattened eyes for the bushes.
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