Fab Track and Steering??

Just a simple question for you all, is their a major difference between DOM and regular stock. I'm wanting to make a track bar and steering setup with weld on thread ends. What is the positive side to DOM and how much strong is it???

I have not easy access to DOM right now. I'm in a hurry to construct. Thanks


KJR93XJ

DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) tubing is stronger than other tubing of the same diameter and wall thickness. Most (all?) other types are flat stock that's been rolled around a bar, then the longitudinal seam is welded. This makes the metalurgical structure different along the seam.

DOM is just that -- the process is more like extruding in aluminum, so the tube is seamless. No plane of weakness in any axis.

Axis of weekness!!

DOM tubing started out life as welded tube.. HREW... then it's hot worked over a mandrel... this working helps "blend" the weld into a more homogenous structure...

Just look at the end of a cut piece of DOM and tell me where the damn weld seam is? DOM is FAR superior to welded seam for critical components like steering and trackbars. That's what all the manufacturers use.

you are both correct...some DOM begins life as a welded tube. Most DOM these days however does not. although DOM is stronger than conventional pipe, the welded variety of pipe gets a bad rap. After the flat stock (rolls of steel) is welded together it is normalized (a process similar to annealing). As this whole process used to be the way I made my living, I spent many an hour studying the grain structure of the weld before and after it was normalized under a stereoscope. I would bet my family home against the fact that a 2" piece of 1/4 wall pipe would never fail if used in the same manner that everyone is using DOM (control arms, steering, etc.). That being said, I will be ordering 2"x.250 wall DOM when I build my new control arms soon (why not use the best the first time around). My point is: use the pipe in confidence if you use the correct size for the amount of stress it will experience. If you don't understand that, or can't calculate the stress, use bigass DOM and be happy.



P.S. Sorry if I blabbed to long, the fun meter was pegged tonight and I will be nursing a huge hangover in the morning

Seamless tubing is an entirely different product and process.
http://www.dialtube.com/dom.htm
http://www.summosteel.com/products/domflowchart.htm

My bad -- I was confusing DOM with seamless. Thanks for the education.