Thread: To chrome or not to chrome?????

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The process of chroming parts causes hydrogen embrittlement...I believe most would accept that as a fact.. I'm working (slowly) on a fixture for a new front straight axle for the '57 I picked up awhile back. I plan on building the axle with some chrome moly tubing, same method we used for our sprint car axles years back.

My question is this, just how serious a problem can hydrogen embrittlement be on an axle fabbed out of moly tubing that goes to the chrome shop? I want the car to be era correct, and all my favorites from the 60's ran a chrome front axle on their gassers but at the same time my partner on this project is planning some serious horsepressure for the car and I guess launching the front end a time or two won't be out of the question.... Should on be conservative on the side of safety and get the axle powder coated to resemble chrome, or send it to the chrome shop and stay on the "fashion" side???

paint it black spend money on a bbc

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

paint it black spend money on a bbc

Get it powder coated almost chrome. Staying in one piece is cooler than chrome.

Dave S - The 'right' shop wont have a problem - but a chrome axle make about as much sense on that Chebbie as it does under my '31 (oh crap - I DO HAVE CHROME!!!)

I agree with Pat - if ya gotta have a Chebbie, save the extra bucks - it might as well be a BBC and you'll need the spare cash(but there is room for a Ford V10)

Originally Posted by IC2

Dave S - The 'right' shop wont have a problem - but a chrome axle make about as much sense on that Chebbie as it does under my '31 (oh crap - I DO HAVE CHROME!!!)

I agree with Pat - if ya gotta have a Chebbie, save the extra bucks - it might as well be a BBC and you'll need the spare cash(but there is room for a Ford V10)

Yeah, I'm a Ford guy through and through....but I gotta make an exception for this one, kind of like owning a piece of history or something corny like that I guess.......

You can bake the hydrogen out of the part following plating. I forget the specs right now, but it's something like 400 degrees for several hours, depending on the steel. This should be done within just a few hours of plating the part. Any good plating shop will have the details.
http://vacaero.com/News-Info-From-In...ittlement.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement
http://mechanicalplating.com/hydrogen.htm

Originally Posted by techinspector1

You can bake the hydrogen out of the part following plating. I forget the specs right now, but it's something like 400 degrees for several hours, depending on the steel. This should be done within just a few hours of plating the part. Any good plating shop will have the details.
http://vacaero.com/News-Info-From-In...ittlement.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement
http://mechanicalplating.com/hydrogen.htm

Thanks Richard, some great information there!!! Bookmarked them all for reference! Had no idea a bake oven could overcome the embrittlement problem! Must have studied it in school, but I guess I forgot a lot of that stuff that I don't use frequently. Think maybe some of my contacts at SDSU would have some input on it.... Maybe it can be safe and shiny????

I would bet that the majority of cars running around with chrome suspension and steering components have not seen the extra baking step. I have never had a chrome shop offer to do that for me, and I bet the off the shelf chromed axles, etc that are sold by speed shops are not baked either.

My point is, how many failures have you ever seen? I think this is one of those things that "could" happen, but in reality rarely does. I say chrome it.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I would bet that the majority of cars running around with chrome suspension and steering components have not seen the extra baking step. I have never had a chrome shop offer to do that for me, and I bet the off the shelf chromed axles, etc that are sold by speed shops are not baked either.

My point is, how many failures have you ever seen? I think this is one of those things that "could" happen, but in reality rarely does. I say chrome it.

Don

Friend of mine many years back had a CAE axle break right between the spring perch mount and the spindle.... He came out ok, but the car was junk. Only one I've ever actually SEEN break---but one's enough!!! Going to get with one of my old Profs. at SDSU, he's been instructing mechanical engineering for decades, plus drives a wicked blown Deuce roadster!!!! Maybe the chroming and baking could become someone's project??? He could get a good grade, and I could go fast and be safe and shiny!!!!

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

My point is, how many failures have you ever seen? I think this is one of those things that "could" happen, but in reality rarely does.

The father of the young lady I dated in High School had a USAC sprint. He recruited a Super Modified driver who was a real hot shoe and a nice guy to boot. The car was down for an overhaul, so the driver, Stan Bowman, hooked a ride with another car owner for the race a Terre Haute, Indiana, a dirt track. The front axle was chrome. Coming down the front straight, the axle broke, flipping the car down the straight. In those days, if any of you remember, there was very little roll bar on the cars. Stan was mortally injured when they got to him in the first turn. So yes, this does happen and there are those of us who remember it.

Last year, I happened upon a fellow on the HAMB who not only knew Stan as a driver, but knew where he is buried!!
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...r&GRid=6141158

send it out and get the hi luster alum .jet coat or some one that coats hi heat coatings some of it get close

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

send it out and get the hi luster alum .jet coat or some one that coats hi heat coatings some of it get close

that would probably be the quickest and easiest plan!!!! Could get it done by the same guys down in Iowa that do headers and exhaust, huh? They really come out nice!

From what I understand Nascar does not allow chrome plated parts (including wheels) because the metal under the chrome could crack and you will not see it. The Toyota's with the chrome looking wheels are actually painted and if they have a crack it will crack the paint.

I chrome plated a brake rod for one of my motorcycles one time. Snapped on me at the bend in a emergency braking situation. Did not fair too well on that one. I will never have anything like that chromed again.

Just a thought.

If you're looking at coatings check out JetHot's Sterling Ceramic.