Raidus Arms

Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: newcastle

Hi All
Will I lose any strength in the front arms if I were to

A-Use heat to crank arms to required angle OR

B-Use a 100 ton press ?

Steve

Joined: 26 Oct 2002 Location: Geelong

I heated mine in a forge then bent. Laughing

No loss of strenght.

Michael.

Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Location: NZ

Neville actually had his tested...

http://home.off-road.com/~highrange/Modifications/Range_Rover_Suspension_Lift/range_rover_suspension_lift.html

...If I could supply a materials testing report, complete with the signature of a suitably qualified person, which stated that the structural strength of the swing arms had not been severely affected, they would allow them to pass.

I phoned Heated Treatments Limited and spoke to their Quality Engineer. He was more than happy to carry out some comparison hardness testing between the heated and unheated areas on the swing arms. This was duly completed, and revealed that the original steel hardness was approximately 17 Rockwell C, and the heat affected steel was approximately 15 Rockwell C. (For any other you who have an understanding of steel hardness, the swing arms are manufactured from very soft steel. They have probably been designed this way so that they act as a crumple zone in the event of an accident)

The Quality Engineer was more than happy with the results and supplied me with a certificate to that effect. This in turn satisfied the Certifying Engineers.

Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: newcastle

It seems that in won't affect them enough to make a differance.
Will be easier to heat though.

Thanx again
Steve.

Joined: 26 Oct 2002 Location: Geelong

even when the radias arms are red hot they still are hard to bend.

Michael.

Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Location: Shropshire England

Hi, I'm new here - but I saw this post and thought I'd join in.

I bend front radius arms with a gas axe and a 90 ton press and had no trouble.

I've seen arms jammed in something solid, heated and bent with a long pipe ! and the guys done extreme trials without breakage.

They'll also weld together to lengthen them, but although I've never seen them break I wouldn't use those on the road.

Good forum, there's a lot of good stuff on here.

Dave