Not good

[timbo]

A little bit cheap me thinks of Caterham to substitute stainless bolts in their component packs. Not really acceptable when u open packs and the washers are already rusting. This is my 6th Caterham and never had anything other than SS fixings. Will be asking this to be rectified toot sweet!

[Paul Deslandes]

Are you sure they were stainless, normally they're zinc plated. Generally stainless steel doesn't have the performance of high tensile steel and would only be used where corrosion was likely to be a real issue. I do agree though that the plated hardware shouldn't be showing any signs of corrosion 😳

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Stainless reacts against aluminium

[Paul Richards]

Quoting timbo: 

never had anything other than SS

I don't think so.

[Jonathan Kay]

1 What Paul says. The use of stainless steel bits for cosmetic advantage comes up here and in the motorbike world. Have there been any consequent examples of failure?

 

2 Wikipedia article on Galvanic corrosion, but unfortunately it omits carbon (as in fibre not steel) from the series. Guidance from the British Stainless Steel Association that includes carbon.There will be more corrosion between aluminium and most stainless steels than between aluminium and zinc. But how big a problem is this in practice on 7s? I would guess the major determining factor is how wet and salty and for how long. Anyone seen corrosion with carbon fibre yet?

 

3 Please tell us what Caterham say.

 

Jonathan

 

Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 14 Jul 2014 08:27:58