Anyone purchased a chromed forged front axel from So-cal or Speedway. I was wondering how good the chrome looked. Not worried about top notch show car chrome finish but looking for solid coverage and presentable look. Thanks
Mine isn't chrome and was actually one that one of their shops drug around to shows for a while that I got a been drug to shows and it shows it discount on a few years ago. They are seriously beefy though. I'd have to say that it was the box that really looked shop worn. It does show it's miles.
I have a drilled and chromed So-Cal. The chrome is very nice. There are machining lines in the holes and the chrome seems a bit thin inside the holes. Extra polishing and a special plating set up would be required to get in those areas. Not cost effective but still a very nice piece.
I have one and as Tomcat11 said this was the only negative which I did not mind, I had to lightly dress the kingpin lock bolt holes to remove some flashing inside them which is probably normal....very happy with the quality and chroming
Buy your forged chrome axle from Roadster Supply in CA. I gotten several from them and the quality has been excellent. Same axle as So-Cal sells.
Bought one of their non chromed axles a couple years ago. The king pin bores were so tight that the pins wouldnt begin to go in. Had them reamed to size.Didnt take much,but it had to be done.I wonder if they plug the holes when they chrome plate them.Might be a question to ask them.
Mine is SoCal and the finish is very nice. Here is a close up. (this is the special Alliance Edition, not sure if it is currently offered)
Only on cast axles, has not been reported on forged. Good question, though...the thing to do WAS (in the '70s) heat the chromed axle after chroming, anyone know the heat Fahrenheidt recommended? 500*?
Forgotten, but needs to set at a certain temp, then s-l-o-w-l-y cool down, as far as I know, any steel when plated is subjest to this.
Hydrogen embrittlement is usually only a problem on parts with a hardness of Rockwell C 30 or more BUT any chrome plated parts can have hydrogen embrittlement. The parts below Rockwell C 30 are just not as susceptible to stress cracking as those above Rockwell C 30. A good rule of thumb is to bake the parts at between 375F and 425F within 1-2 hours after the plating process. The higher the Rockwell hardness the longer they should be baked. ASTM B850-98 (REAPPROVED 2009) Partial list of hydrogen embrittlement-relief treatment bake times/temperatures for some common high-strength steels Rockwell Hardness HRc 49 – 51 Minimum 22 hours 47 – 49 Minimum 20 hours 45 – 47 Minimum 18 hours 43 – 45 Minimum 16 hours 39 – 43 Minimum 14 hours 36 – 39 Minimum 12 hours 33 – 36 Minimum 10 hours 31 – 33 Minimum 8 hours
Only applies to high carbon heat treated steel. Reference - grade 5 bolts no problem, grade 8 bolts are at the edge of embrittlement problems and require heat treatment. Axles, spindles, frames, and most other steel parts are in no danger. Chrome away.
From what I understand it's the Carbon content that effects HE ...... anything higher than 0.3% Carbon. 1020 mild steel is not usually effected, the steel numbering system indicated the steel type and carbon content ...... 1020 (MS) is 10 = plain carbon steel, 20 = 0.2% Carbon. 1040 means the same steel but with 0.4% C. 4130 means it's a Chrome/Molybdenum steel type with 0.3% Carbon. Most automotive springs are made with ~1055 steel and definitely suffer from HE. A friend built his T in the 70's with a chromed Jaguar IRS and he took that straight from the platers to the heat treaters. And it's not just Chrome but any electroplated finish, my brother Zinc plated a pair of high tensile socket head cap screws years ago for this towbar and not long after a very cold night he found the bar on the ground with two snapped off screw heads. He was very lucky because he'd just returned from a trip with the trailer.
Old HAMB Metallurgist here. HE is almost entirely a hardness related problem. as stated Rockwell C of 30 or higher. Means heat treated type parts. Carbon content is minor function, it does make it higher hardness. Typically HE is mitigated by the after plating bake. Into oven within 1 hour, 400F for 4 hours is kind of general rule. BTW, acid processing like a derusting process in an acid solution can also cause HE. It's not just plating.
I am guessing it is not a traditional forged axle but one of those new fangled axles made out of super lite space age material to keep unsprung weight down , or an optical illusion. Steve