Chrome-moly vs mild steel for cage

[parsonsj]

If you are not building to any particular set of competition rules, you will probably be safe with 1 1/2"X.065 wall (4130) tubing gusseted directly to the body structure. In that case, the weight savings are significant.

I agree that that would probably be safe, and that it would save a lot of weight.



But I wouldn't do that, and here's why: most sanctioning bodies require 1.63 or 1.75 tubing of various wall thicknesses. If you show up at the tech station with 1.5 tube, you'll be immediately disqualified -- it'll be obvious. I would recommend one use 1.75 x .083 tube. It can be bent with most benders, and can at least pass the tube diameter requirements of most (though not all) sanctioning bodies. And it's lighter than 1.75 x .120 wall DOM, which seems to be the basic standard of heavier cars.

Anyway, just one opinion on an open forum.