was any aluminum melted in the fire ? … if so they say don't use it as the frame got hot enough to become brittle...
Even if it got red hot, as long as it cooled naturally, it would only be annealed, right? That might make it easier to bend, but should make it less likely to break. I imagine frames are pretty much annealed to begin with, can't imagine a manufacturer hardening and tempering one. To harden steel you have to heat it until it's non-magnetic, then quench it quickly. It then has to be tempered by controlled re-heating or it will be very brittle. Seems to me that being in a fire wouldn't make it weaker, but I'm no expert. I would be more worried that it warped as it cooled.
Do you have pictures of the burned car? Or just the frame. Long straight metal likes to warp with heat. If it was not hot enough to warp it you might be able to use it. Any signs of twisting I would hesitate using it.
Is it safe to use a frame that's been subjected to welding? (Caveat -- some modern trucks are built using various highly tempered and/or low alloy steels, which may not be suitable for their design stress levels after intense heating.)
Do you have a picture of the burned vehicle or did you just buy the frame ? No one can tell you whether that frame is usable without inspecting it first hand because we don't know the extent it was exposed to heat. I would say that you need to look for any obvious signs of heat damage or heat concentration. Also, things like fuel lines and brake lines give you an indication whether the heat was sufficient to damage the frame. By that I mean if those lines don't show any damage, then thats an indication of low heat. Again, some pictures .....especially close ups might help.
It might be safe to use a frame that was in a fire. But probably not if the frame was damaged in the fire.
If the question is did the heat have any significant affect on the metallurgical properties of an old production car frame, the answer is no. If it has areas that actually melted, or became warped (both as determinable by inspection), it can be repaired if you judge it to be worth the effort, in consideration of its rarity and value. If there are any loose rivets, replace them.
If it was from under a car that burned up on the side of the road it's probably OK. as there is cool air drawn in under the car as the fire burns and that usually keeps the frames from much damage. On the other hand, if it was in a house or garage fire where debris and other flammables added to the heat and restricted air getting to the underside it's probably questionable. I'm no fire expert, but I have twice in my life started a campfire with a bow and spindle. I also once started a garage fire in 1961 with firecrackers that went off near a pile of old clothes. And then there was the time when I was TIG welding a shovelhead primary on a steel plate laid across the top of a 55 gallon drum garbage can. I wish I had that one on video.
If it cooled off slow, it should be OK, put on a flat driveway and check for twist, you can twist it back to flat with Porta Power and chains.
I don’t know the alloy but would assume that it was made from mild or low carbon steel if it was die formed. Usually die formed steel is in the annealed or normalized condition when made into die formed shapes. I have never heard of heat treated frames other then possibly tube frames made from chrome moly for race cars. I would be more concerned about warping then anything else caused by uneven heating. For low carbon or mild steel the temperature or cooling rate has little or no effect.
Yea but be nice if the guy at the swap meet is a virgin use a little anal eeze to soften the blow. If the frame got hot enough to warp or sag it is no longer of any value. if all it did was get hot enough to burn the paint off of it you may be OK. it all depends on how hot it got.
Was the frame under a car that caught on fire & then the fire department douched out the fire with cold water? If so the frame could have hardened in different sections & those areas could now be brittle. Just a thought. I had a friend that lost his 29 Phaeton in a garage fire. The body was so warped we had to take it to the dump. He scraped the frame as it had been chromed & the fire blistered & burnt a lot of the chrome, & the frame did not take long to begin to rust.
Without knowing the degree of damage it is near impossible to tell. a bit scorched from an engine fire probably won't mean much if it is straight. Scorched because it was laying in the weeds during a grass fire, probably not all that bad. Warped out of shaped because the tires burned when the rest of the car burned into a crispy pile of rusted metal I'd say no.
I don’t understand your point. If it’s safe to use why would you suggest selling it. If it is unsafe to use, why would you suggest to sell it. If unsafe, would you want it coming down the road towards you ?
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