4WD Stuff wrote:I stock all of Superiors stuff and I can't see why you would need to look any further unless you just want to make sure you are getting the best deal.
BATC make drop boxes. I got a set in and they were poorly designed. I sent them back to BATC.
I sell Wizards drop boxes also. They are basically the same as Superiors these days however Wizard were the first to make them and do have the patent for them. They have improved their original design.
Anyway I freight the stuff I have on my web site for free to most places.
Shane
Just to clarify on your post's shane,
"patent" drop boxes were in " public Domain" way before wizard ever made his first pair as the americans have been doing them for years, if wizard did have a patent on them other business would not be manufacturing them.
At winch challenges when more guys "were" using wizard it was common to see guys welding and repairing the steering arms and control arms/ panhards, 4130 in thin diameter that has had a threaded sleeve welded in it and let to cool without proper heat treatment is going to be brittle in the "HAZ" heat affected zone
The other main manufacturers that use 4130,4140 solid 33 and solid 35bar with no welds just machining in the tie rods and drag links have no Weak points and are evenly stressed , also the main players in the industry use mecavel and 20mnv6 hollow bar or similar named EG: seamless hollow bar, and not 4130/4140 for control arms/ panhards its because you dont need the heat treatment that 4130 and 4140 needs.
High tensile with no heat treatment leads to "Breakage"
Wizards suspension is made light but with the expense of strength and strength is what is needed in 4wd's
Manufacturers in the 4wd industry could'nt afford to have the correct heat treatment done on the arms for the cost they are sold on the australian market.
And to clarify this for readers 4130 and 4140 is not true "Chromoly" as it gets said a lot in other posts.
http://www.interlloy.com.au/data_sheets ... /4140.html
NOTE THE WELDING SECTION
4140 is a 1% chromium - molybdenum medium hardenability general purpose high tensile steel - generally supplied hardened and tempered in the tensile range of 850 - 1000 Mpa (condition T).
4140 is now available with improved machinability, which greatly increases feeds and/or speeds, while also extending tool life without adversley affecting mechanical properties.
Pre hardened and tempered 4140 can be further surface hardened by flame or induction hardening and by nitriding.
4140 is used extensively in most industry sectors for a wide range of applications such as:
Adapters, Arbors, Axle Shafts, Bolts, Crankshafts, Connection Rods, Chuck Bodies, Collets, Conveyor Pins & Rolls, Ejector Pins, Forks, Gears, Guide Rods, Hydraulic Shafts & Parts,Lathe Spindles, Logging Parts, Milling Spindles, Motor Shafts, Nuts, Pinch Bars, Pins Various, Pinions, Pump Shafts, Rams, Sockets, Spindles, Sprockets, Studs, Tool Holders, Torsion Bars, Worms etc..
Heat Treatment
Annealing
Heat to 800 oC - 850 oC, hold until temperature is uniform throughout the section and cool in furnace.
Flame or Induction Hardening
4140 hardened and tempered bar can be further surface hardened by either the flame or induction hardening methods resulting in a case hardness in excess of Rc 50.
Parts should be heated as quickly as possible to the austenitic temperature range (840 C - 870 C) and "required case depth followed by an immediate oil or water quench, depending upon hardness required, workpiece" size/shape and quenching arrangements.
"Following quenching to hand warm, most components should be tempered between 150 C - 200 C to remove" quenching stresses in the case. This will have little effect on case hardness and will reduce the risk of grinding cracks.
Hardening
Heat to 840 oC - 875 oC, hold until temperature is uniform throughout the section, soak for 10 - 15 minutes per 25 mm section, and quench in oil, water, or polymer as required.
*Temper immediately while still hand warm.
Nitriding
4140 hardened and tempered bar can also be successfully nitrided, giving a surface hardness of up to Rc 60. Nitriding is carried out at 490 oC - 530 oC, followed by slow cooling (no quench) reducing the problem of distortion. Parts can therefore be machined to near final size, leaving a grinding allowance only. The tensile strength of the core is usually not affected since the nitriding temperature range is generally below the original tempering temperature employed.
Normalizing
Heat to 870 oC - 900 oC, hold until temperature is uniform throughout the section, soak for 10 - 15 minutes and cool in still air.
Stress Relieving
Heat to 680 oC - 700 oC, hold until temperature is uniform throughout the section, soak for 1 hour per 25 mm section, and cool in still air.
Tempering
Re-heat to 550 oC - 700 oC as required, hold until temperature is uniform throughout the section, soak for 1 hour per 25 mm of section, and cool in still air.
Notes on Heat Treatment
Heating temperatures, rate of heating and soaking times will vary due to factors such as work piece size/shape also furnace type employed, quenching medium and work piece transfer facilities etc..
Please consult your heat treater for best results.
Machining
4140 in the hardened and tempered as supplied condition has good to very good machinability and operations such as sawing, turning, drilling, broaching, hobbing, milling and tapping can be carried out satisfactoraly using machine manufacturers recommendations for suitable tool type - feeds and speeds.
WELDING
Welding of 4140 in the hardened and tempered condition (as normally supplied), is not recommended and should be avoided if at all possible, as the mechanical properties will be altered within the weld heat affected zone. It is preferred that welding be carried out on 4140 while in the annealed condition, and that the work piece, immediately on cooling to hand warm, is then stress relieved at 595 oC - 620 oC prior to hardening and tempering.
If welding in the hardened and tempered condition is really necessary, then the work piece, immediately on cooling to hand warm, should be if possible stress relieved at 15 oC below the original tempering temperature (if known).
Welding Procedure
Welding of 4140 in whatever condition should always be carried out using low hydrogen electrodes - please consult your welding consumables supplier.
Suggested pre-heat temperature
Section oC
25 mm 370
40 mm 400
50 mm 425
75 mm 455
150 mm + 510
Post Welding
Maximum cooling rate 95 oC per hour down to 95 oC, follow by cooling in still air. N.B. No draught. It is recommended that the work piece if possible is wrapped in an heat resistant blanket or buried in sand etc..
Interlloy believes the information provided is accurate and reliable. However no warranty of accuracy, completeness or reliability is given, nor will any responsibility be taken for errors or omissions.