Chromoly or Mild Steel Cage

Bracket Talk

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August 04, 2020, 10:08 AM

B KING

Chromoly or Mild Steel Cage

I'm cutting out our 8 point 1 3/4" roll bar out of the 80 Camaro. I need to put in a 8.50 cert. cage. I thought I wanted a chromoly cage for a weight savings, but now thinking about mild steel. The only real reason to use chromoly in this application is a weight savings; write or wrong thinking?

August 04, 2020, 10:18 AM

HS professor

quote:
write or wrong thinking?

WRONG

In todays day and age a nice tig welded moly bar/cage will add significant value to your race car and is obviously safer/stronger not to mention much nicer looking as 1-3/4" tube looks huge compared to 1-5/8".

The roll bar/cage is the bones to your vehicle, dont cut corners .

JMO

August 04, 2020, 10:48 AM

1320racer

August 04, 2020, 11:04 AM

CURTIS REED

Moly for resale also.

____________________________
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August 04, 2020, 11:41 AM

B KING

Thanks for the constructive criticism so far. I've owned the car almost 35 years & will be probably be buried in it or passed it on. Race vehicles are a money pit, value/resale not a factor for me (but duly noted). As for the 1 5/8" tubing over 1 3/4" yes nicer looking, but I get that with either chromoly or mild steel.

So, now I have to decided how much safer the car will be with chromoly over mild steel. I'm still leaning towards chromoly.

Thanks for the inputs so far.

August 04, 2020, 12:01 PM

HS professor

quote:
I've owned the car almost 35 years & will be probably be buried in it or passed it on.

Easy decision then

Chromoly it is

August 04, 2020, 12:02 PM

SC4400

Strength wise, mild steel done correctly is perfectly safe.

As attached to this car as you obviously are, just having the best hardware for a few pennies surely has a value to you? Less weight is horsepower you only have to buy once. CM cage cars are just cooler too!

RIP

August 04, 2020, 12:15 PM

B KING

quote:
Originally posted by HS professor:
quote:
I've owned the car almost 35 years & will be probably be buried in it or passed it on.

Easy decision then

Chromoly it is

LOL, I wish it was that easy!

I have saved 50 K for my final racing years. Unfortunately most will be spent on a 34' bathroom package trailer. The remainder will be spent on car upgrades.

After that happens, I still need to reconfigure the cars engine/drive train for a Procharger.

I pay cash for everything, but a mortgage/one vehicle payment & put down good amounts of $$$ on them.

August 04, 2020, 12:17 PM

B KING

quote:
Originally posted by SC4400:
Strength wise, mild steel done correctly is perfectly safe.

As attached to this car as you obviously are, just having the best hardware for a few pennies surely has a value to you? Less weight is horsepower you only have to buy once. CM cage cars are just cooler too!

RIP

My previous post explains things a little better & thanks for you opinion!

August 04, 2020, 02:33 PM

CURTIS REED

quote:
Originally posted by B KING:
I've owned the car almost 35 years & will be probably be buried in it or passed it on.

Then when you are gone and someone sells it, having a moly cage will get them more money. That's how I think about the resale part.

____________________________
2017 and 2018 Osage Casinos Tulsa Raceway Park No-Box Champion

2018 Div4 Goodguys Hammer award winner

August 04, 2020, 04:27 PM

B KING

I made a call to a long time friend & owner of Goff Motorsports Fabrication. He knows me, our car & how we race. He asked a few questions about the direction I wanted to go with the car. His perspective was build the cage as 7.50 cert. with mild steel. That caught me totally off guard. Anyway, the guy doing the work for me was mentored by Goff. Now, I need to discuss it with him. The work is going to start in the Fall/Winter, guess I have a little time.

August 04, 2020, 04:43 PM

Curly1

I guess mild steel could work for your needs but with higher resale value and lighter car I would go with the Chromemoly. Lighter weight is better performance.

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-a type of Cognitive bias where people with little expertise or ability assume they have superior expertise or ability. This overestimation occurs as a result of the fact that they do not have enough knowledge to know they don't have enough knowledge.

Before you argue with someone ask yourself, "Is this person mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of a different perspective?" If not there is no point to argue.

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August 04, 2020, 07:32 PM

Bruce Williams

Regardless of mild or CM.
Have it tig welded.
I know tig is required for CM but not for mild steel.
So easy to lay a nice round cold turd weld with a mig gun. Looks great but wont hold under impact.
Not saying mig welding can't be strong because it can.
I'm saying a mig welder in the wrong hands can look good but be bad.

August 04, 2020, 07:33 PM

wideopen231

IMO molly is no brainier. Yes the material cost more. The work to install is same. Half the weight,stronger and if your kids have to sale car after you die then they have better chance of getting some of their inheritance back.LOL

August 04, 2020, 07:34 PM

wideopen231

As one well known chassis builder told me.Steel if tractors and molly is for race cars.

August 05, 2020, 04:16 AM

1320racer

quote:
Originally posted by B KING:
I made a call to a long time friend & owner of Goff Motorsports Fabrication. He knows me, our car & how we race. He asked a few questions about the direction I wanted to go with the car. His perspective was build the cage as 7.50 cert. with mild steel.

yea that's the guy you want to listen too.

August 05, 2020, 07:25 AM

Mike Nitzsche

Most people want moly when they call me. For the ones on the fence, I grab a chunk of mild and moly the same sizes and let them compare. If that doesn't work, then I throw a piece of each in the bender and show them spring back(think of tubing during impact)……..never had to go ****her than that.

August 05, 2020, 09:14 AM

BP758

C H R O M E M O L Y

August 05, 2020, 01:03 PM

bry-war

quote:
..never had to go ****her than that.

Wish some of my f.a.r.t.s were censored!!!!