Tubing Basics

[rookieshooter]

In this months Petesen's 4 wheel they have an informative section on tubing basics. Covers aluminum, HREW (hot rolled electric welded), Dom (drawn over mandrel),Chromoly (thinwall) and Chromoloy.

According to the article NASCAR does not allow Chromoloy, but mandates DOM mild steel to keep cost down and to have better crumple characteristics to absorb deadly forces.

One other thing when using HREW or DOM that you can see the weld. Never put the seam on the outside of the bend. On inside or the side of bend is fine.

There is even a section on pipe for cages, sliders, and bumpers. When I rolled my 73 Land Cruiser it had a pipe cage. But I'm sticking to DOM for reasons mentioned in that section. They did a little test on each kind of tube also as to damage done by a dropped weight. Lot more good info then I listed. Nice pics also

 

[rookieshooter]

When I say the weld you can see. It's the one from the factory that has the welded seam.

 

[410Fortune]

Thanks! Gonna pickt his sucker up.
The internet has been a HUGE source of info on building anything tube in the last couple years, it is fantastic!

now I jsut need another $3K or so for tools and we'll be good to go!!
chop saw, bender, die's, notcher....ho humm, someday.

Note to self pick up Peterson's, thanks Rookie!

 

[jasonb]

cool. I may have to pick it up.

The whole tube vs pipe thing for our community is one of those that will be debated no matter how much testing they do becuase the other side will do a test that shows better results for the other material. The fact is... a pipe cage or a tube cage is better than no cage!
I'll be using PVC however.

 

[rookieshooter]

cool. I may have to pick it up.

The whole tube vs pipe thing for our community is one of those that will be debated no matter how much testing they do becuase the other side will do a test that shows better results for the other material. The fact is... a pipe cage or a tube cage is better than no cage!
I'll be using PVC however.

Amen brother. Take it from someone whos been there and done that. The info is in there. And fact is one of the contributers has an all pipe cage. But it is used in a different enviroment then 200 mph stock cars. Enough said.

 

[410Fortune]

"200 mph stock cars"

and 60-100 mph desert trucks

 

[rookieshooter]

Ok, maybe not enough said. Not to open up a can of worms. But one of the main reasons I went with tubing vs. pipe is that I took great pains to lower COG so the heavier schedual 40 pipe would have been counter productive at least on my project. Not to mention I got a great price on the DOM. On my rectangular sliders I'm coming off with samll diameter pipe maybe 1/2" or so for an extension that sticks out further then the rectangular tube. The thing with pipe vs. tubing is the ductility of the two. Tubing will give and bend were as pipe can fracture or break. IMO the speeds we incounter in off-road trails and riding is no where near the speeds to break pipe. Now all out sanctioned racing in another thing. It seems just to be a judgment call on who evers project it is.

Pvc I just cought that. Be sure to use primer before u glue it LOL

 

[410Fortune]

I will be using DOM just because thats what the guy who is helping me will be bending stuff for me uses/has used

Also


You can reach some pretty hairy speeds rolling down a hill...

 

[rookieshooter]

I will be using DOM just because thats what the guy who is helping me will be bending stuff for me uses/has used

Also


You can reach some pretty hairy speeds rolling down a hill...

Agreed. If most people could afford the outragous price of tubing. I'm sure the majority would use. But If one could not. At least their is an alternative.

See Ya, I hear the Brew Master calling and I must go and replinish my vital body fluids. I'm bailing out of this topic.

 

[holshotracer]

i used some schedual 40 black pipe for a pre runner light bar and it held up to two guard rails. the was a piece of the rail stuck in the end of my pipe. i can only see useing it for bumpers and such but not for cages.