There
are many materials used to construct modern sports cars. Manufacturers have a
big responsibility to decide what materials to use based on their
characteristics. Choosing the metals to use while constructing a car is a big
responsibility because it determines the strength, safety, and performance of
the car.
Steel is the most commonly used metal to
construct the metallic parts of the car. There are many variations on the
properties of various types of steel and the elements that are added to them.
Some of the properties of steel that manufacturers look for come right from the
molecular level. Steel is a general name for iron that is impregnated with
varying quantities of carbon and other materials such as magnesium, chromium,
copper and nickel. Manufacturers of race cars settle on four main grades of
steel to make cars.
The first grade is known as 4130 chrome-moly steel.
It is a high-tensile, high-strength steel that manufacturers prefer to use to
make chassis for their cars. The steel is mostly used to make cages and some
components of the suspension. Some manufacturers use only this grade of steel
to make entire chassis. Manufacturers prefer this type of steel to make the
cage and chassis because it is very strong. It therefore gives drivers the best
chance of getting out of an accident without serious injuries. The strength of
the metal also means that less of it can be used to make the car. This means
that a lighter, stronger car can be made.
The other grade of steel is known as 4340
chrome-moly steel. It is an ultra-high strength grade of steel and is reserved
for use in components that are needed to be extremely strong. These components
in race cars include trailing arms, suspension components and A-arms. This
grade of steel is used sparingly on some other parts in expensive cars. This
grade of steel is very costly, because a special heat treatment process is used
to harden the metal.
Other "softer" grades of steel include
1010, 1020, and 1030 steels. They have good qualities for general use since
they are easy to weld and they are more affordable than other grades of steel.
1010 and 1020 grade steel have relatively low amounts of carbon. This means
that they are more ductile than other forms of steel and are easily formed.
This is also their weakness, since they are more easily damaged during crashes.
They are therefore used for parts that are considered to be unimportant for the
safety of drivers.
The metals used in the manufacture of cars
undergo several processes to get them ready for their final usage. Some of the
processes include: normalizing, annealing, heat treatment, stress relieving and
pickling. There also are many others. When steel is not enough to suit the
purpose, it is mixed with other metals to form alloys.