What metal is a `74-`76 bumper made of?

[Guest Anonymous]

The magnet didn't stick......therefore non-ferrous metal. Y'all wuz correct.....Aluminium through and through. Then what's the shiny coating? Polished ALuminum? I'll guess that a cleaner like SemiChrome would clean it without etching the top layer. Sorry guys, I thought it was metal (aka Steel). I learned something.

[Mike_R]

The magnet didn't stick......therefore non-ferrous metal. Y'all wuz correct.....Aluminium through and through. Then what's the shiny coating? Polished ALuminum? I'll guess that a cleaner like SemiChrome would clean it without etching the top layer. Sorry guys, I thought it was metal (aka Steel). I learned something.

Ha I guess all us mensa folks should of thought of that solution!!!

[Muskrat]

InkBlot86: Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodising

Also, it's usually a good idea NOT to give advice if you don't have first hand expirience with what's being asked. Heaven forbid someone should follow your advice and ruin their bumper by using a chemical that isn't compatible with the anodized coating. If you've used that chemical to polish your bumper and it worked, great, but I got the feeling you're just guessing.

[zac]

While Inkblot is wrong on all counts (sorry dude), he does get partial credit on the whole aluminum covered steel part. You can have an alum COATING over steel- think aluminitized exhaust tubing-, it just won't be ANODIZED alum on steel. That is quite impossible, me thinks.

And just about any large city should have a plating/anodizing/powdercoating shop. Not that they are the same processes, but many places seem to offer more than one service. Or at least the powdercoating shop can probably head you in the right direction for anodizing.

HTH, Zac

[Guest Anonymous]

The final final is that there is a type of STAINLESS steel that doesn't respond with a magnet test. Mensa folks about.... is it possibly stainless under a coating of aluminum?

And as we all know, while 'anodizing' is an electrical process that yields a specified finish on the workpiece, electroplating or electrodeposition is a better term for the 'coating' of one metal with another as a finish or protective layer. QED

So its out there.......anybody think its stainless steel?

[Mike_R]

The final final is that there is a type of STAINLESS steel that doesn't respond with a magnet test. Mensa folks about.... is it possibly stainless under a coating of aluminum?

And as we all know, while 'anodizing' is an electrical process that yields a specified finish on the workpiece, electroplating or electrodeposition is a better term for the 'coating' of one metal with another as a finish or protective layer. QED

So its out there.......anybody think its stainless steel?

I also doubt that anyone would cover stainless steel! what would be the point and it is way to expensive. And coating or anodizing is totally different from "cladding" there is no aluminum clad steel, regardles of "aluminization"? Anodization is a dying process. I think our big bumpers are polished and then coated with a sprayed on coating to keep the shine.

[InkaSteve]

The final final is that there is a type of STAINLESS steel that doesn't respond with a magnet test. Mensa folks about.... is it possibly stainless under a coating of aluminum?

And as we all know, while 'anodizing' is an electrical process that yields a specified finish on the workpiece, electroplating or electrodeposition is a better term for the 'coating' of one metal with another as a finish or protective layer. QED

So its out there.......anybody think its stainless steel?

I also doubt that anyone would cover stainless steel! what would be the point and it is way to expensive. And coating or anodizing is totally different from "cladding" there is no aluminum clad steel, regardles of "aluminization"? Anodization is a dying process. I think our big bumpers are polished and then coated with a sprayed on coating to keep the shine.

This has gotta be the longest thread with very little practical substance, but interesting none the less. Might as well add to the "misinformation"...

There is aluminum, or "al-you-min-eeyum" as some say, that is "Clad" in stainless steel.....but it is only good for cooking..

My vote on the bumpers....All aluminum, polished, then anodized to preserve the finish.

If you cover them in some of that silicone tire foam, it soaks in and they tend to brighten up a little. Still hazey, but a little shinier.

[Guest Anonymous]

It would be great if someone actually knew. I guess I'll withdraw the 'stainless steel' suggestion. When you think about it probably the same aluminum alloy that thay make the "mag" wheels out of. Aluminum is a really soft/light metal. The wheel alloy is really hard. And the clincher is that the weight of one of our 'alloy' wheels is about the same as the bumper metal. I just can't understand why when the bumper is scratched, the scratch looks rusty? If it was solid AL it would stay light silver color. But....as not to offend, this case is rested. Thanks for putting up with my doubts!

[esty]

It would be great if someone actually knew.

i actually know...

they are solid aluminum....

[rogerspeed]

Inkblot, clever, your posts could be construde as a sort of Rorschach Test. The bumpers as mentioned by others are aluminum. A '67 Alfa Romeo has stainless steel bumpers, when examined closely, notice the thickness of the material is comparable to conventional chrome plated steel. The '02 crash bumpers are thick, but being all aluminum, very lightweight, if they were stainless steel of the same thickness, a mucher denser material. they'd be inordinateley heavy. Strongly expressed inferential opinion without tangiable, demonstrable evidence isn't true no matter how earnestly one expresses it. Sometimes methodology leads to answers. I've made my share o bloopers, better luck next time.

[esty]

Inkblot, clever, your posts could be contrude as a sort of Rorschach Test. The bumpers as mentioned by others are aluminum. A '67 Alfa Romeo has stainless steel bumpers, when examined closely, notice the thickness of the material is comparable to conventional chrome plated steel. The '02 crash bumpers are thick, but being all aluminum, very lightweight, if they were stainless steel of the same thickness, a mucher denser material. they'd be inordinateley heavy. Strongly expressed inferential opinion without tangiable, demonstrable evidence isn't true no matter how earnestly one expresses it. Sometimes methodology leads to answers. I've made my share o bloopers, better luck next time.

right on hommie....

what he said.....

[Mike_R]

Inkblot, clever, your posts could be contrude as a sort of Rorschach Test. The bumpers as mentioned by others are aluminum. A '67 Alfa Romeo has stainless steel bumpers, when examined closely, notice the thickness of the material is comparable to conventional chrome plated steel. The '02 crash bumpers are thick, but being all aluminum, very lightweight, if they were stainless steel of the same thickness, a mucher denser material. they'd be inordinateley heavy. Strongly expressed inferential opinion without tangiable, demonstrable evidence isn't true no matter how earnestly one expresses it. Sometimes methodology leads to answers. I've made my share o bloopers, better luck next time.

right on hommie....

what he said.....

Exactly, except with spell check!!

[Guest Anonymous]

Rorshaque (spell checque) this.....Wikipedia sez that they put pure aluminum as cladding on an aluminum alloy substrate. And I have a question pending at 'aircraftspruce.com' they have quite a list of alloys and say that 2024 is for truck wheels. Report follows when (if) they reply.

[napa02]

Rorshaque (spell checque) this.....Wikipedia sez that they put pure aluminum as cladding on an aluminum alloy substrate. And I have a question pending at 'aircraftspruce.com' they have quite a list of alloys and say that 2024 is for truck wheels. Report follows when (if) they reply.

WTF? alloy substate blah blah blah aircraftspruce blah blah drivel drivel blah blah, The bumpers are not stainless, not metal ( a type of steel from what I'm told) not plastic, carbon fiber, cardboard etc. THEY ARE ALUMINUM!!!!! say it with me once more A.L.U.M.I.N.U.M!

[RandyMolson]

LOL. Who the heck are you inkblot? Tell us a little about yourself...like your real FAQ username.