Cryogenic treatment of frame, brakes, and other parts?

[CA7Dreamin']

http://www.300below.com/

I read about cryogenic treatment of brakes, gears, etc (http://www.300below.com/cryo-rotor-brake-rotors/ and http://www.300below.com/motorsports/) and wondered if anyone (or the factory) has ever cryo'ed a Caterham frame to see if/how it would affect its stiffness and/or metal fatigue/life. Anyone know?

(No, I don't belong to any other Caterham/7 forums/clubs, so if you're interested, you can post this at those places for me.)

Thanks

[Doug Liedblad]

I'm not aware of anyone using this on a Caterham or other Seven.

Generally the things this treatment could help with are not a factor for our cars.

Doug

[CA7Dreamin']

I'm not aware of anyone using this on a Caterham or other Seven.

Generally the things this treatment could help with are not a factor for our cars.

Doug

Thanks for the reply. I thought it may increase the stiffness of a 7's frame w/o any added weight (always a good combination). Just thought I'd pass my idea along.

[Elv15]

Can they treat something as large as a car frame?

[GWise]

Can they treat something as large as a car frame?

Anything is possible with $$$

Thanks for the reply. I thought it may increase the stiffness of a 7's frame w/o any added weight (always a good combination). Just thought I'd pass my idea along.

I didn't bother answering earlier because I thought doug's answer was sufficient, but now I figure I'll try to contribute.

Keep in mind, wear resistance is not the same as hardness or stiffness. There are so many variables at work here. If this is a caterham Arch chassis, it was brazed at the factory. I'm not familiar with what cyrogenic treatments will do to the brazed joints, other than some, perhaps neglible, stress relief. Since chassis tubes aren't a high wear item, they likely will be a low carbon steel. Cyro treatments are typically used in steels with a higher carbon content primarily to increase wear resistance (which is why they would be high carbon steels in the first place). (his can be explained if by googling Retained austenite or precipitate eta carbides...or just reading this website http://www.nitrofreeze.com/eta_carbide.html

Bottom line is I think you'll be paying lots of money to marginally improve material properties that are not needed in this application.