Chromoly Vs Mild Steel

In this short video tim mcamis explains some of the differences between 4130 chromoly and mild steel tubing for use in drag race chassis construction.

Chromoly vs mild steel.

It was designed for and is used extensively in the aircraft industry due to it s high tensile. Cage mild steel vs. Chromoly falls under the the aisi 41xx designations and it is important to be aware of the different properties and applications of chromoly steel when deciding which material you need. While you probably won t stress them out like we do i have seen them break while riding in the trailer.

A common misconception is that chrome moly is lighter than mild steel. Chromoloy tubing is made from a family of low alloy steels that contain chromium and molybdenum sae 4130 or 4140 along with the iron carbon and other elements. The most common source of argument surrounding the construction of a chromoly frame is the welding process. The dragsters usually have to be backhalved after so many laps.

Chrome moly is the abbreviation for chromium molybdenum and it is an alloy steel. One of the never ending topics of conversation is the use of 4130 steel over mild steel in professional drag racing builds. It is a steel that is stronger than carbon steel more commonly used in bike manufacturing so we can use thin wall tubing giving you a lightweight frame that will last through years of riding. Crome molly i have mild steel in my own car and all the dragsters are 4130 molly.

Given the same o d. And wall thickness a chrome moly tube weighs the same as a mild steel tube. Chromoly is a chrome alloy steel with a medium carbon content and 8 1 1 molybdenum for strength. The chromium adds strength hardenability and a level of corrosion resistance to mild carbon steel though chromoly is not as corrosion resistant as stainless steel.