FJ Cruisers of Northern California
steel verses alluminum bumpers ?
anybody have thoughts on steel verses alluminum bumpers?besides the weight difference,i'm thinking alluminum should have some shock absorbing function while streel will just transfer it to the frame directly,ie,bent frame? so which would you rather have,bent bumper or bent frame? or am i missing something?(as usual) anyway,food for thought
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bz on
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If my Road Armor was made out of Aluminum the deer I hit at 75 mph would've killed the FJ instead of the other way around
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Permalink Reply by BritMok on
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Actually, with the same dimensions, aluminum is stiffer than steel. This means that small bumps and vibrations will transmit through Al more readily. However, Al is much more prone to catastrophic failure (cracks, rips and tears) than steel of the same dimensions. Al is much more tolerant of corrosive environment than ferrous metals, but good paint or powder coating levels that playing field somewhat. Steel is easier for the average handyman to weld.
Cosmetically, steel is more ductile than Al, meaning it can be formed to curves more easily. This is why old Land Rovers are so boxy.
Bolting any Al part directly to a ferrous metal can set up a galvanic cell when it gets wet (aka battery). Such a setup can greatly increase corrosion on both sides of the joint. This is what happened to old Land Rovers where the Al body was bolted to the steel frame.
Finally, Al is much less dense than steel, so any part made from Al will weigh significantly less than the same size/shape part in steel.
Hope this helps.
Mark.
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Permalink Reply by terry52 on
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it helps alot,just goes to show "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"
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