• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Bending solid stock

i'm sure it can be done. a big vise, a bigger hammer, and a lot of heat would be my guess. try it out and let us know!
 
shape a piece of wood to the bend you want clamp to a table, clamp the end of the bar to the table heat and bend pressing the bar to the wood. Don't put water on the pipe when you are done it will weekin it.
 
kylewc said:
shape a piece of wood to the bend you want clamp to a table, clamp the end of the bar to the table heat and bend pressing the bar to the wood. Don't put water on the pipe when you are done it will weekin it.
Click to expand...

1) He's bending bar stock, not pipe
2) Bending until you get the angle you want won't do the job - steel does spring back a bit. You'll end up having to "overbend" by a few degrees to account for the elasticity of steel (plastic deformation is a bit screwy...)
3) Heating the bar and letting it cool will make the bar softer, but increase ductility and malleability. Heating the bar and cooling it suddenly will make the bar harder, but more brittle. How much so depends on rate of cooling and cooling medium (oil will make the bar harder, but the increase in brittleness will be rather less than when using water.) If I had to heat this bar, I'd probably put a fan on it to cool it - I'm sure it's not A2 or something similar.

Honestly, I think the best way to bend this bar will be using simple pressure - it's just going to require a lot, since it's a 1" section. You may want a press and bending dies...
 
One rough way to match the temper you have is to use a piece of mild steel rod ground to a blunt point and try to dimple your trac bar (hammer and punch method), then move on to a cold chisel (or center punch) and finally a drill (be careful they shatter). Not exact but an indicator.

My best guess would be a, forged, quenched and then relaxed temper, which is going to be hard to match without an oven. About the same as an hatchet, a little more malleable than a cold chisel. Cold chisels are heated then quenched in oil.

There are color temperature charts on the internet, so you can try nad control you material temperature with t he torch. Hard to do on a long rod. You end up with a series of tempers, depending on the temperature and the hardening method.

The best might be like 5-90 recommended let it room cool but quickly, the finished product may bend a little easier than the original, may stress crack over the years Best do regular inspections) but likely won't break anytime soon.
 
Last edited:
8Mud said:
One rough way to match the temper you have is to use a piece of mild steel rod ground to a blunt point and try to dimple your trac bar (hammer and punch method), then move on to a cold chisel (or center punch) and finally a drill (be careful they shatter). Not exact but an indicator.

My best guess would be a, forged, quenched and then relaxed temper, which is going to be hard to match without an oven. About the same as an hatchet, a little more malleable than a cold chisel. Cold chisels are heated then quenched in oil.

There are color temperature charts on the internet, so you can try nad control you material temperature with t he torch. Hard to do on a long rod. You end up with a series of tempers, depending on the temperature and the hardening method.

The best might be like 5-90 recommended let it room cool but quickly, the finished product may bend a little easier than the original, may stress crack over the years Best do regular inspections) but likely won't break anytime soon.
Click to expand...

I'll stand by my original recommendation (which may not have come out the way I intended...) - bend it cold. Bend it slowly, and try to have dies to make sure it's formed properly and you don't change the section during the bend. Section changes also mean weak spots - especially when it's a sudden change in section, or there's a "crease" or a "gouge" at the apex of the bend (which is a stress concentrator, and like putting down a line that says "tear here.")
 
Here is the end result. Sorry, no before pic. The RK trackbar has two bends close to the each end of the bar. After cutting the end off me and a buddy used his torch w/ rosebud tip to heat the bar and i bent it by inserting it into my receiver hitch and put some downward force. We finished up with a hammer and anvil. It isn't perfect as you can see some of the hammer marks. It may look rough, but it rolls well on a flat surface. blaise
100_04011-1.jpg
 
Throw it away,you TOTALLY FUBAR'ed that.Just get some freash material and start over!
 
That is a pretty ugly lookin track bar. One way I have bent pipes with heat is to heat up the side you want to shrink (inside radius) and then immediatly cool just that area. You will be able to watch the metal twist as it shrinks. Not sure how exactly it effects the metal's structure and strength as I have not used it for any structural parts yet.

~Alex
 
I bent my V8 ZJ bar a little using heat and quenching in oil. It was a dirt cheap junkyard part that is a temporary solution until I build better steering. One of those long-term temporary solutions ;). Haven't had any problems with mine yet. If you're just making it straight though, a new piece of solid stock isn't that expensive either.
 
RCP Phx said:
Throw it away,you TOTALLY FUBAR'ed that.Just get some freash material and start over!
Click to expand...

I'm gonna run it. Pretty sure if even if was damaged by the heat it should hold up. Its only solid 1 1/8" diameter (not tubing). One heat cycle doesn't turn steel into tin. Go bash someone else's post. blaise
:looser:
 
Just a thought but almost all steel yards will sell cut length solid stock, I just got a price from my vendor they want $28.00. If you have to run it go ahead but I would look into makeing a Virgin Trakbar. good luck
 
pataterchip said:
Just a thought but almost all steel yards will sell cut length solid stock, I just got a price from my vendor they want $28.00. If you have to run it go ahead but I would look into makeing a Virgin Trakbar. good luck
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, but locally they don't sell smaller than 20 footers besides plate that you can buy 1/2 and 1/4 sheets. blaise
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
1 Ton steering clearance issues
Replies
9
Views
858
XJChang
X
V
Suspension advice
Replies
18
Views
2K
Evan03
E
B
Fuel Sending Unit: Years Compatible w/ 1991?
Replies
14
Views
871
Rob Mayercik
R
T
XJ shackle with custom springs question.
Replies
11
Views
210
XJlimitedx99
X
E
Steering Redo.... Questions before I dive in.
2
Replies
28
Views
1K
RCP Phx
R
Back
Top