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Tractor Pulling Discussion Forum

Aluminum vs. Steel

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Lamont

10-20-2005 09:01:02




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The weight brackets and wheelie bars that I currently use are made of steel. If I change them over to aluminum, what factors should I consider to keep the strength of the steel. I'm not too worried about the weight brackets. My wheelie bars are probably the weakest points. Any help is appreciated.




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jd b puller

10-20-2005 18:26:18




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 Re: Aluminum vs. Steel in reply to Lamont, 10-20-2005 09:01:02  
Hey Lamont. Just remember this. Aluminum is 1/3 the weight AND strength of steel.

Redeye was dead on, if you replace the steel with Aluminum, you need to increase the section. How much do your current wheelie bars weigh? What do you want them to weigh? HINT: You aren't going to reduce the weight by 1/3 without changing the section and thicknesses.

On a typical beam, trying to bend it, the section is equal to

Section = width*height*height*height/12

Just make sure that your ALuminum one has roughly 3 times the section as the steel one.

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superih

10-21-2005 05:50:50




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 Re: Aluminum vs. Steel in reply to jd b puller, 10-20-2005 18:26:18  
I am not saying you are wrong, but, when I made my weight brackets I used tool plate aluminum (I believe 7076). When I looked it up in the properties hand book it had a higher tensile strength than mild steel.

Sound right?



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jd b puller

10-21-2005 16:01:04




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 Re: Aluminum vs. Steel in reply to superih, 10-21-2005 05:50:50  
superih - Tensile, yes, Modulas of Elasticity (E), No.

E is what you use for trying to bend or buckle something, tensile is trying to pull it apart.

E for steel is about 29 x 10^6 psi
E for Al is about 10 x 10^6 psi



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Lamont

10-20-2005 18:36:36




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 Re: Aluminum vs. Steel in reply to jd b puller, 10-20-2005 18:26:18  
Thanks. That's what I needed.



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REDEYE

10-20-2005 15:56:50




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 Re: Aluminum vs. Steel in reply to Lamont, 10-20-2005 09:01:02  
For your wheelie bars to support the same load, you will want to use a material that has a higher moment of inertia, wrt the bending axis, than the current steel material that you are using. Use tubing, or best would be I-beam.



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Lamont

10-20-2005 18:39:08




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 Re: Aluminum vs. Steel in reply to REDEYE, 10-20-2005 15:56:50  
Thanks.



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