front radius rods

Can anyone tell me the reason why, if any if radius rods (ie) wishbones were made hollow, or if they have to be?

 

A tube (hollow) is stronger than a rod (solid) because of the double wall thickness of the material---like a roll bar is stronger than a solid bar -type cage---make sense?

 

yes makes sense, but does it also need to be hollow for flexing, if not in todays world could they be made solid tube, better & stronger material?

 

tubing is stronger. Period! My T frame is 2x3 tubing with .250 wall. It is only slightly stronger than .125 wall even though it is twice as heavy. The .250 wall will thread and hold better than the thin stuff.

 

Um, because they would weigh 400 fucking pounds??

And because a tube is stronger.

 

OK, OK.

Because its traditional

I am only joking of course but had to say it before someone else did!

 

Tube is hollow...solid round stock is called rod...around here anyway.
Tube is harder to bend and also has this hole thingie right up the middle that you can tap (if you get the correct size/wall thickness DOM!) to accept screw in tierods or Heim joints. You can also get weld in bungs to adapt different size joints to different size tubes for fitment issues etc.

Your trying to use ROD so you can buy it threaded and use screw on female rodends aren't you???

 

A 1" bar is stronger than a 1" tube. However bending resistance is calculated by the area of the material and its distance from the centerline (section modulus, but I won't bore you) so a tube is stronger than a rod of equal weight and the correct answer is weight. Compressive (column) strength is decreased as the length to radius increases so again a tube wins out.

 

Bottom line...You can use what ever you want.............except rebar!

 

I think one reason solid round has been used for radius rods is that it is easier to bend into a true hairpin shape. If you really want solid rd. hairpins use c/r round bar not h/r-- stronger and cleaner.