Chrome I beams-anyone everhad problems?

I would love to know if anyone on here has had any problems with chromed and drilled I beams???
I am building a sixtys style A tudor,so as much chrome as possible will be the order of the day!
My question is-have any of you guys ever heard of one breaking???
I will be ordering a super bell chromed and drilled 4" dropped axle tomorrow,so any help would be great.
Thanks-El-richo.

 

I've heard of them breaking, but never seen one broken.

I'm going with a chrome drilled axle on my A.

 

As I understand it, chrome axles are not accepted by Vicroads. Neither is a drilled beam axle.

 

I understand vicroads stance on the issue-but I am building this car to acheive a look,and will remain true to this style,regardless of "rules".

 

I have one here , snapped between the perch bolt boss and the king pin boss , and have seen first hand , two others, ...all these were American original dropped axles

 

What about the alloy ones???
Are they any better??

 

I've just seen pics of a superbell, not drilled and not chromed, bent at the perch bolt boss. The rod it was on slid on some wet grass and the wheel kissed a Model A bumper at about 6-7 mph. No damage to the wheel, tire or as far as I know the Model A bumper, but the superbell is toast. I sure as hell would not want to straighten it and re-use. I would'nt touch superbell with a barge pole.
IMO you're better off with a CE or dropped original.

 

Don't drill the holes too large or too close to the spring perch boss. It won't break. You already said you're going to run it anyway.... You aren't going to do wheelies with it are you?

 

Also regarding rules , maybe an X Ray report and metalurgy report on the hydrogen embrittlement from chroming may help

I used to have a bin at my shop with broken stubs , steering arms , tie rods , tie rod ends , pitman arms , Jag rear cast drive shafts , etc .....lots of failures , and most due to hydrogen embrittlement from chroming

 

I realise I said I was going to run it-but after reading some of these posts I am having second thoughts!!!
What about the forged alloy Super Bell axles???????

 

SO-CAL have a drilled and chromed axle also..........just sayin

 

Elricho , I have no experience with the aluminium alloy axles .....yes they are being made ...and yes they are being used , if I were you , I would have a talk to your TAC guys , and see what they say ..........its a different ball game down here , if you want to build a safe car and rightly so .................I have seen some shockers

 

Uh oh

anyway I'm thinking if you bought something manufactured it would be engineered and have product liability insurance. maybe an aftermarket part like they said would be okay.
I know I can get away with construction designs that are not in agreement with code.
If I have an engineer certify the design to meet or exceed the technical requirements the particular code is enforcing the building code authority usually allows it.

 

Is it true the methods used by the chrome shop may have a bearing on the extent of the severity of Hydrogen embrittlement.?
I seem to have some fuzzy memory that the piece needs a correct method of curing ( temp wise). Could this be right?
Nickel plate instead ? ( I dunno- price? danger?- besides, it's old time shine )
I've long ago figured that I'd steer clear of the bling and use shrewd paint tricks to visually lighten the axle. Painted holes are prolly a wee bit too far out though..

 

I agree with ALL of the previous posts, Super Bells are cast SG/nodular iron which doesn't like electroplating. Metalurgists will tell you that Hydrogen Embrittlement occurs more significantly when the carbon content is above 0.02%, mild steel is 0.02% (1020), chrome moly is 0.03% (4130), spring steel is >0.05% (1055). Iron grades are significantly higher again usually. CE stubs and axles are 1020/1030 forgings from the John Deere factory I believe, the new So Cal axles are from China. I have no problem with drilling the axle if it's engineered correctly and embrittlement can baked at 200°C for about 2 hours but it must be done immediately after the part is pulled from the chrome tank. Good luck. GB.

 

Thats some bloody good info. I remember seeing a lot of Jag rear ends fail, I think it was the 87(?) Nats there were two cars in the 'fix it' shed with broken chrome Jag rear ends.
I wouldn't trust chrome on such a structurally important part, even if it comes from the factory chrome.
Remember our rules are stricter than the US, what passes there wouldn't even be considered here. Better to get something you know will pass than spend money on something that fails with the engineer or road worthy.
Doc.

 

Hold everything, I must have celebrated too much today (Australia Day), my carbon content %'s were 10 times out. They all should be 10 times more, ie: 1020 is 0.2%C, 4130 is 0.3% and so on.
Back to the party. GB.

 

31coupe is right on. Also, hyd emb shouldnt be a problem on steel that is below rockwell c36. You could have magnetic particle inspection (magnaflux) done on the peice before plating. I have mf a few forgings any have found flaws. Many of these flaws can be eliminated by surface refinishing. If you use a forged axle and do your homework,you should be in good shape.

 

Maybe I'm sticking my head in the sand, but if this was a problem, wouldn't we have heard volumes about it? Wish I had a dime for every chrome axle being used.

 

I've got a chromed superbell on my coupe. No problems with breaking but the chrome peeled off after about a year. I've heard of others with the same problem. I would never buy one chromed from them again. Mike

 

I have a chromed and drilled 47 Lincoln dropped axle under the roadster. So far no problems

 

The second axle I had under my 32 roadster was a Superbell aluminum axle,,light weight and shiny,,and I drove it for 2 years before I ever realized how much flex there is between the spring perch and the spindle when a few friends and I were shootin' the breeze and a buddy kicked the tire to knock the damp grass off his shoe,,WOW,DID YOU SEE THAT?,he ask.

I continued to drive the car for a few more years but that flexing was always in the back of my mind,,I personally will never use another one,,,

Forged axles are the only way to fly,,I have used several Chassis Engineering axles and had one chromed with no problems.

As far as breaking a axle,,,The first axle under my roadster was a Superbell 4"dropped tube axle and driving in the rain going to the Goodguys in Ohio last contro and hit a guard rail,,made a pretzel outta the drives side of the axle. HRP

 

I've got an old dropped, drilled, chromed original 32 axle under my roadster. No miles yet, but I plan on driving the piss out of it so we'll find out if it's brittle.

 

I've had one chromed Super Bell beam lose it's camber (tires started to lean in a noticable amount) and the chrome started to peel. They replaced it immediately. I have sold 100s of Super Bell chrome and plain beams with no other problems. I have sold a large number of CE forged beams both chrome and plain with no problems. Currently I have a couple of cars with the stainless axle that was sold by the Deuce Factory and the new So-Cal forged axle under my deuce pu.

 

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the following business in any form or fashion.

If you want looks and safety, maybe this might be an option.

http://www.sprayonchrome.com/index2.html

I requested the free DVD, and it is a very interesting product. At least according to their claims, it is better than the other products on the market.

http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/bus...tion/spectra-chrome-in-clearwater-fl-90027013

The company also has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau...

 

I have had a chrome (not drilled) Magnum I-beam under my coupe for about 6,000 trouble free miles. I should mention here that I am running a 50s/60s style 4-bar setup (think track roadsters or maybe TV Tommy Ivo) which may aid in the life of the axle?

-Dave

 

Well, mine wasn't chrome, but it was a Superbell. This is how it came out after a 45 mph head-on collision (70-80 mph combined force of impact).









And here is where it lives now.


As you can see it bent, but did not break. I was quite impressed. I've since ordered 2 new Superbell axles for my Model A projects - one plain 4" drop and one plain 4" drop and drilled.

 

YEOWCH Bull!!! I hope no one was hurt!

 

Never had a problem with the chrome (but not drilled) Magnum axle under my roadster in over 50K miles on every type of road. I've seen some like Bull's that take a hard collision hit (and that was a very hard hit) and bend but not break. I think they are structurally sound unless you get a bad casting which is possible but very rare. I also have some of the original Ford Mordrop axles which scare me a little too. The CE forged axle is probably the most bullet proof of all in my opinion but the Slover's do make a quality product with their Super Bell axles and there are thousands of them on the road.