97ramsst

iTrader: (162)

OK...this is will be a stupid question for most of you but will a set of BMR LCAs and BMR PHR flex under normal to mild driving conditions? The reason I ask is I have a set of LCAs and a PHR sent of to be chromed (there is still time to stop it), and as you may or may not know chrome will crack and peel if its flexed. A small amount deflextion is fine but something like a sway bar will crack. The car these are going on is hardly ever driven at all anymore but at the same time I dont want to do anything to it that will make it where it can't be driven (fairly hard) if I want to...but it will never see any drag racing or hard launches either.

If the chroming wont work I will just get the powder coated, but being I have had so much chrome work done on the engine bay I would really like to do the suspension as well.

99ssleeper

iTrader: (98)

the normal forces on the components are compression and tension, not bending. the lcas and phr may experience some twist when the vehicle goes over a large bump and one wheel raises higher than the other but thats about all.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

I would not expect flexure, but I would be concerned about
hydrogen embrittlement from chrome plating process, on pieces
that may see a lot of stress. I guess it's possible to minimize
that by plating current / voltage control. If you ask they might
bother to try.

BMR Suspension

iTrader: (6)

I can help you out with this one. Believe it or not, I am an AESF "Certified Electro-Finisher". Before BMR, I spent 5 years running a chrome plating shop where we polished and nickel chrome plated parts for Harley Davidson. Harley only works with a few plating companies, and we used to chrome plate 40,000 parts per week for them. We also did most of the chrome plating for Autometer and PowerMaster.

Nickel chrome plating does not always crack or peel when it bends. If the adhesion is good, the plating will still stick. A normal test for evaluating a nickel plating bath is to nickel plate a flat panel and then bend it 180 degrees. No cracking means it is a good bath. If the plating cracks, it means that there are too many organic compounds in the nickel bath and a carbon treatment would be needed.

Also, my drag car has plated tubular control arms and wheelie bars. I used electroless nickel for my stuff, but nickel chrome would have performed well also. My car launches hard (1000 horsepower, 2.5g launch, 1.17-1.19 60 foot times) and I have never had a cracking or peeling problem. I probably have 150-200 launches on those parts since I plated them.

Remember, the cleaning process is just as important as the plating process. If the cleaning process does not activate the surface, the plating adhesion will be crappy and the plating will corrode and peel after a year or two.

Try to find a small shop that does mostly motorcycle parts. Don't be afraid to fork over big bucks. And check out the shop. A clean shop is usually a sign of clean plating tanks. And ask them how often they do a Hull cell analysis. A good shop performs one daily.