"Brian" wrote in message
.ca...

My thought is to replace the ARB with a 4130 heat treated version , but I
want to drive the car first to see if the bar rate is close to right.
Then,
I'll make up one with the correct rate in the correct material.

I'm going to skip the lecture about how the bar has already exceeded its
yield strength and may fracture in use, as that has already been covered by
earlier posts. Therefore, I'm simply going to focus on the practical
applicability of your plan outlined in your last paragraph.

It will be impossible for you to gather any meaningful data based on the
drivability of your current (damaged) bar, because you will never know the
true spring rate of that bar. Since it will have been subject to plastic
deformation (twice: once when damaged, and once when "fixed") and possible
heat treatment/tempering in the course of your bending it back to shape,
you'll have no clue as to the properties of that (now non-linear) spring. It
certainly won't behave anything like an identical, undamaged bar.


"R. Zimmerman" wrote in message
news:EqX9f.378971$oW2.57594@pd7tw1no...
Imagine bending a paper clip back and forth only you are doing it with a
considerably less ductile steel.
Randy

And rarely ever does a fracturing paper clip put anyone's life or valuable
property at risk.

- Michael