Skid plate: steel vs aluminum

Weight rarely ever has value, that’s why I’m asking if anyone has ever made any from 6061 or 2024 even. I should clarify, I’m not interested in buying them, I’m going to make them. I have access to 3/16” T6-6061, I’ve worked with it and know it’s strengths. I’m wondering if I can even go to 1/8”, maybe even get some 2024. That stuff is very strong, and very light. I know why people use 1/4” mild steel. It’s cheap, easy to work with, and you can make easy profit. But it has serious drawbacks.

 

Well, basic steel has twice the tensile strength as any aluminum so I'm not sure exactly how its superior to steel in everywhere.

Aluminum is aluminum, you pay more to weigh less. 6061 is better than 5052 but still falls short of steel.

 

Sorry, different industries I guess.
We are normally told a pound has $50 - $400 typically, depending on the situation. Obviously a value that large isnt true here, but weight always has value. (sometimes its more weight = better, sometimes less)

And no, I have heard of no one building them out of 6061-T6 or 2024-T3. For 2024-T3, remember your bend radius will be getting huge, and no welding... But 2024-T3 is great stuff...

 

That is completely false, and is the problem with these threads on these forums. People commenting and posting false and misleading information. 6061-T6 has 75% of the tensile strength of mild steel (never heard of “basic”) 2024 is almost equal, and 7068 (the stuff iPhone 7’s are made of) is almost twice the tensile strength as 6061

 

It's not completely false, your statement that 6061 is superior however is. Every resource in the world shows steel is stronger. period, no debate.

This is a forum not an essay. I'm not going to break down every variable for you.

It's your money, waste it on whatever you want

 

What kind of steel? There is alot more to consider than just tensile strength, but here is the data I see for typical 1025 steel. A36 steel is similar, perhaps a bit higher
Ftu.

1025 steel, 6061-T6
Ftu 55 ksi 42 ksi
Fty 36 ksi 35 ksi

So yield strength is almost identical (engineering offset yield stress)
Typical mild steel will have a bit higher ultimate strength (ultimate engineering stress)
Steel will have much higher elongation at ultimate
Aluminum will have higher deflection at yield

 

Whatever, I guess I’m not going to get an answer here. You can go ahead and believe what you want, even if it’s false.

 

I bought Mobtown Aluminum front initially and wish I'd gotten steel for all the reasons listed above. Last week I installed Mobtown Alum transmission and transfer case skids and my aluminum front kid has seen enough action that it's tweaked a bit and made bolting them up a pain. I'd accept the weight and go steel if there is any rock crawling in your future.

 

You asked the question. It's your fantasy, if you want to build 6061 skids then go for it and we will all just shake our head at you.

 

You don’t even know what 6061 is, and you’re going to mock me for using it? Typical.

 

No one is mocking you, stop playing the victim. It's your money and your time, do what you want with it.

 

Typical clueless keyboard warrior

 

Wont get very far with posts like that. Best of luck

 

What it's like watching two Air Force guys argue

 

Do they even argue? Thought they were more into leaving passive aggressive notes on things like “please shut the door, we don’t pay to heat the world”

 

Meh he worked ammo, they dont teach ammo guys how to fight.

 

Holy shit facts and fucking figures. Dude, if anyone thinks aluminum is gonna play out better than steel in this application, fuckin do it then brah. Go right on ahead. Meanwhile, in the real world, steel is stronger. IBMFAF

 

Funny that I always try to past the best actual data I can find, nobody SEEMS ever to absorb it.

 

It’s just one piece of the puzzle. We all know steel is stronger than aluminum, is more dense and thus weighs more. We know aluminum is more expensive generally needs to be thicker to even compete and offers weight savings.

From a cost benefit perspective. Steel wins every time.

People should save weight on bumpers not skids. The one thing you regularly bash should be able to withstand the bashing.