Ideas on strengthening weak tube.

[feerocknok]

What are the thoughts on filling tubing with something like concrete?

I know, I know, it sounds weird and white trash, but I can HREW or CREW tubing, say .120 wall, cheap or free, and working at a concrete place, I can get concrete for free.
Seems like it'd make the tubing stronger, just don't know how much.

The thought of sand came to mind, but I don't think it'd be easy/possible to pack enough to help with anything.

I dunno if this is advanced fab. Like always, feel free to move it if it's not.

 

[jjvande]

one thought......



















heavy

 

[tealcherokee]

What are the thoughts on filling tubing with something like concrete?

I know, I know, it sounds weird and white trash, but I can HREW or CREW tubing, say .120 wall, cheap or free, and working at a concrete place, I can get concrete for free.
Seems like it'd make the tubing stronger, just don't know how much.

The thought of sand came to mind, but I don't think it'd be easy/possible to pack enough to help with anything.

I dunno if this is advanced fab. Like always, feel free to move it if it's not.

ummmm....are you serious?

if so....NO

sleeve it

2.00" OD .120" wall, with some 1.75" OD .120" wall inside it, just gotta grind a little for the EW seam

 

[jjvande]

is HREW or CREW really that weak? it does have a lower yield strength than DOM and doesnt have as good tolerances, but I would think that .120 wall 2" diameter would be plenty strong...?

 

[ponyracer1]

Depends is it bending forces or crushing?? If it's crushing then your screwed because that stuff will dimple and crush in pretty easy, go check, hit it with a bfh and watch what happens. If it's bending force, you can weld a piece of 1/4 strap on the opposite side of the force standing on end. Think 2X4 laid flat vs standing on edge.

 

[kubtastic]

I am just imagining how strong 1.5"ish tubes of solid concrete are on their own, and drawing my own conclusions about what it can contribute.

 

[SCW]

If you want to do sand (regardless of if it's a good idea or not) here is a trick.

Fill the tube with sand as full as youi can get it with tamping/tapping. Weld a plate on the end that you filled from, drill a hole in the plate and weld a large nut over the whole (this can be done before you weld it on, with the nut on the inside).

Weld another nut to a long peice of all-thread, and thread the all-thread into the sand as far as you can with tapping, etc. When the all-thread just won't go anymore, saw it off flush with the outside of the cap.

This works great for places where you want a nice solid stand, such as a vice stand in a workshop. No comment on roackrails.

 

[feerocknok]

Was wondering for control arms actually.

It'd be a situation where the weight wouldn't matter, and I don't see the concrete crushing, as it has nowhere to expand to.

HREW and CREW'd be too weak for the situation by their lonesome, unless they were Real hefty.

 

[Captain Ron]

Weak Tube >= Led Zeppelin.

They make boats out of ferro cement too.

All you need is your back yard and a junkyard.

Besides. Sheeeeeetmetal is where it's at anyways.

--ron

 

[Blue XJ]

I always thought concrete was only strong when it was compressed. If you took a tube on concrete that is 2" diameter and 3 feet long, I would think you could break that into a ton of pieces pretty easily.

 

[jp#1]

you would also need to make sure that you get all the air out of the tube or the air pockets would be where the concrete would crumble at. Just spend the $ and go with dom

 

[tealcherokee]

you would also need to make sure that you get all the air out of the tube or the air pockets would be where the concrete would crumble at. Just spend the $ and go with dom

or just not and use the HREW and itll be fine

 

[TrailHunter]

I don't know squat about concrete and the different varieties. I just don't see it really helping. I envision it cracking the concrete and tearing the tube in an impact with .120 wall tube. It's not like you need a lot of tube to make links. Get some good DOM that's at least .250 wall.

If you're not concrened about weight, but want cheap, get some solid stock and have the ends tapped.

 

[Rev Den]

or just not and use the HREW and itll be fine

Ummm yea.

Unless I am missing something in a MAJOR why, HREW is plenty strong enough.

Rev

 

[jeep_87_cherokee]

well if you still plan on using the .120" wall tubing and still wanted to put concrete in it, i would use the concrete with the fiberglass strands in it and run a single piece of re-bar down the center of the tub. oh yea and get all the air pockets out. well i guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[OT]

Fill the tubes with flour, yeast and water.
Then, as you weld it all together, the dough will rise and create extreme pressure on the inside of the tubing, thus making it more resilient to outside forces.
As an added bonus, if you ever get stranded while wheeling, you can cut open the tube and have sustenance until your rescue.:thumbup:

 

[tealcherokee]

Fill the tubes with flour, yeast and water.
Then, as you weld it all together, the dough will rise and create extreme pressure on the inside of the tubing, thus making it more resilient to outside forces.
As an added bonus, if you ever get stranded while wheeling, you can cut open the tube and have sustenance until your rescue.:thumbup:

OAT MEAL...... hardens up like a mother...

 

[feerocknok]

OAT MEAL...... hardens up like a mother...

Lol. I'll prob just fork out a couple extra bucks for DOM, or take my chances with HREW. I mostly just want to try something new, but don't want to be dumb about it.

 

[tealcherokee]

Lol. I'll prob just fork out a couple extra bucks for DOM, or take my chances with HREW. I mostly just want to try something new, but don't want to be dumb about it.

somewhere on pirate there is an article with everything you want to know about steel