Aluminum body panels...looking for REAL info

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 29, 2003

• #1

I need to figure out what folks are using for thier aluminum body panels and an idea of the range of gauge.....

I'm wondering if there's one specific material type that's tried and true?

was looking at 5052......

this is going across the lower portion of the door openings on formed steel tubular ribs....the aluminum will be rolled with a slight 'cup' to give it strength for side-impact resistance.....

 

Flowers

NAXJA Forum User

Location

In "The Ham" I am

• Jul 30, 2003

• #2

Let's get this back on track.

Why 5052? Is it easily accessible?

I'd go for a 6000 series Al if you can get it cheap enough, although it's probably overkill.

Something in the 2000 series would be tight also, and cheaper.

Flowers

 

L

Lincoln

NAXJA Member #321

NAXJA Member

Location

ID

• Jul 30, 2003

• #3

Back here they use 5052-H34 to build jet boats. I thought the 6000 stuff was too brittle, but I'm not an aluminum expert.

I do know that I've pegged rocks a few inches under the water (my boat need about 6" to run in) at 20 mph and it just left a few scratches. No cracks or big dents in the boat, but my passenger, that's a different story.

Hmm, maybe that's why he won't go fishing anymore.

Later,
Lincoln

 

M

Mcstiff

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Boulder, Co/ Lansdale, Pa

• Jul 30, 2003

• #4

So your making AL rockers or boatsideing it?

 

Weasel

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NAXJA Member

Location

Billings MT/Rapid City SD

• Jul 30, 2003

• #5

What's with all the drama....someone get sand in their panties???

Carroll Smith:
2xxx - require heat treatment and aging to reach optimum propeties. Mechanical properties can rival or exceed low alloy steel in heat treated condition.

5xxx - Very good welding characteristics and are reasonable formable. tensile values while moderate are the highest of the non heat treatable alloys.

6xxx - Stregth level less then 2xxx or 7xxx series these alloys are very formable and have excellent weldablilty. All require heat treating and aging to reach optimum strength.

7xxx - Formablilty is very poor and are only weldable by spot welding. Very high stregth but little ductility.

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #6

sounds like 5XXX series is the best choice.....

 

Flowers

NAXJA Forum User

Location

In "The Ham" I am

• Jul 30, 2003

• #7

hmmmm. I've never heard of 6000 having less strength than 2000. Actually, I thought (that's what I get) they added 6 and 7 to the 2 to make it stronger.

Just use sheet metal!

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #8

Like I said flowerchild, I was looking for real info....

there you go again with "i heard"

 

Flowers

NAXJA Forum User

Location

In "The Ham" I am

• Jul 30, 2003

• #9

If it's on the internet.........then it's gotta be true.

 

D

DTHBOX

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Phoenix, AZ

• Jul 30, 2003

• #10

2000 series and 7000 series aluminum are unweldable. 5000 's are soft. I have no experiance with aluminum body armor ,however as 6061 T6 aluminum is the stongest.

 

K

KarmirXJ

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Granada Hills, California

• Jul 30, 2003

• #11

sorry to jump of track, but Im trying to do the same thing with mine, and i was thinking of using Steel, whats wrong with using steel instead of AL?

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #12

weight.

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #13

this is what I'm talking about....

all my tech books say that 6000 series is LESS strong than 2000 or 7000 series....2024 is supposedly the most widely used aircraft alloy. WE'RE TALKIN SHEETS HERE......not tube.

5000 series has a higher magnesium content, which results in its moderate to high strength rating depending on its manufactured hardness, for example, 5052-h32 (quarter hard) and 5052-h34 (half hard)

based on quick research, 5052 seems to be the best choice, gotta get some price quotes to see if h-34 is more expensive....

I think I'll go with .062 which I think will be adequate for a skin. If I cold-form it on the plate roll like I plan to, the "cup" in the length of material should resist impact much better.

 

Flowers

NAXJA Forum User

Location

In "The Ham" I am

• Jul 30, 2003

• #14

Your talking about 2- 3sq. ft. pieces of body panel. How much weight are you going to save using Al over sheet metal? 4-6 oz.

You need to stop reading POR.

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #15

a comparison between 6101-t6 and 5052-h36

tensile strength.........................6101(32.0) 5052(40.0)
yield strength....................................(28.0)..........(35.0)
elongation percent(.062)...................(15)..............(7)
brinell hardness.................................(73)..............(71)

source: Central Steel and Wire Company tech manual 1990

I have yet to make a cost comparison of these two alloys which would be interesting.....

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #16

well flowers, you need to do more research before you charge me with reading too much POR....

.062 5052 weighs .88 lbs. per sq foot
.062 CRS weight 2.5lbs per sq foot

I have 19 sq feet of metal total

that's 47 pounds worth of steel
and 16 lbs worth of aluminum

it all adds up

 

Flowers

NAXJA Forum User

Location

In "The Ham" I am

• Jul 30, 2003

• #17

Get some quotes on a 2 and 6 series also, just 4 fun.

Flowers

 

Flowers

NAXJA Forum User

Location

In "The Ham" I am

• Jul 30, 2003

• #18

Damn! I had no idea. Maybe I should stop reading POR and just call you 4X a day with questions. Thanks for taking up your personal time and doing the research for me B.

19 sq ft.? I thought you were just covering the lower half of the door openings.

 

B

Beezil

Member #Nay

NAXJA Member

Location

Indiana-Missouri

• Jul 30, 2003

• #19

i am....but some of the aluminum will be used for ground effects and a huge ass air spoiler for the back......

 

Eagle

Lifetime NAXJA Member

NAXJA Member

Location

Terra Firma

• Jul 30, 2003

• #20

Beezil said:

a comparison between 6101-t6 and 5052-h36

tensile strength.........................6101(32.0) 5052(40.0)
yield strength....................................(28.0)..........(35.0)
elongation percent(.062)...................(15)..............(7)
brinell hardness.................................(73)..............(71)

source: Central Steel and Wire Company tech manual 1990

I have yet to make a cost comparison of these two alloys which would be interesting.....

Click to expand...

Lemme see if I understand this: You're worrying about tensile and yield strength for a door skin that will never be exposed to tension until you slide sideways into a rock, in which case you're going to exceed the tensile strength rating of any known alloy of aluminum, steel, or other exotic metal. Does that about sum it up?

Just head over to Lowe's and buy a sheet of whatever they have in the rack.