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

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.

Originally Posted by rspears

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

Is that the new one with the super smooth finish that almost looks like chrome???? The guys I use in Iowa did me a set of headers with a black coating that almost looks like "black chrome". Very neat stuff!

Well Dave I agree with Don's thought pattern on the chrome axles but then to read what Richard said and taking into account that you are going for really high horsepower and there is a very high chance of wheels up launches I would differently look into the High Performance Coating,eg that special coating some are doing on their exhaust etc. My inlet manifold was coated HPC chrome /high polished aluminium and looks fantastic,if I must say so myself.