Having taken metallurgy classes in college, I agree with Woody. It IS all
that complicated. There is a big difference between saying "cool the molten
metal slowly" and actually achieving a specific strength for a specific
alloy. For example, quenching with water by immersion will result in a
different strength than immersing it in oil at 450deg F.
Go spend the $140 on a good one.
Jon
'53 3100
----- Original Message -----
From: Woody <woodrow@isomedia.com>
To: oletrucks <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] sway bar
> I don't want to start another war on the list, so please reply off list if
> you wish to say bad things to me, but this is a safety issue and I feel
very
> strongly about it. I am a machinist/toolmaker/tool designer with 17 years
> experience and have also been a heavy equipment mechanic. Heat treating
IS
> "all that complicated". Every steel alloy has different methods of heat
> treating, and there are also many different methods for each alloy,
> depending on the desired result and usage. The basics as described in
this
> post are true, however, quenching the wrong steel at the wrong temperature
> can result in a very hard, brittle part that will snap off at the least
> improper stress. I leave it up to your imagination the result if this was
> to happen to a critical front suspension part during a high stress
manuver
> in traffic. Many aftermarket companies sell sway bars for oletrucks at a
> reasonable price. Please consider purchasing one of these as I would
prefer
> not to read any obituaries on this list.
>
> Woody
> 53 GMC
> Original Message -----
> From: Alan Lubow <alosteo@uswest.net>
> To: Holly and Chris Mills <scmills@tntech.edu>
> Cc: <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:41 PM
> Subject: [oletrucks] sway bar
>
>
> > Chris:
> >
> > Heat treating isn't all that complicated. I remember it was part of the
> > standard curriculum in my 7th grade metal shop class. We made, and then
> > heat treated screw drivers and cold chisels. It involved heating the
> metal
> > red hot, and then as it cooled down, we used a wire brush to stroke the
> > metal (brushing off carbon) and watch for color changes. At the
> appropriate
> > instant (when the working end was a nice blue/purple, as I recall) we
> doused
> > the metal into cold water. The color would stay and the teacher could
> check
> > to see that it had been done correctly. If so, we'd then polish off the
> > color and carbon with emery paper -- heat treated steel! If you really
> > wanted to make your own sway bar for your truck I'll bet a local
> industrial
> > arts teacher or community college could help. The steel stock would be
> > pretty cheap, but you'd need to be able to bend it to the correct size
and
> > shape before heat treating it as well. I'm going to try to find a used
> one!
> >
> > Alan
> > oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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