Using titanium hardware, primarily axles & engine bolts

Yeti365
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2/24/2019 6:48pm Edited Date/Time 2/26/2019 8:47pm
There are countless discussions on if it's it's worth it or not. I'm not here for that.

In terms of using ti axles in aluminum swingarms with a steel nut, ti bolts going into engine areas, shock and subframe mounting points, engine mounts, swingarm pivot.

What issues with flex or corrosion/seizure arise and how to prevent them? Coating, special lube, etc.?

Something I'm really starting to get curious in but the bike gets stripped to the frame every 25-30 hours, not every ride.

Lay me towards your experienced insight. I'm ready.
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Marty1028
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2/24/2019 7:12pm
idk man. Ti is doing a damn good job at holding my countless broken bones together so it must be good for your dirtbike too.
8
Yeti365
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2/24/2019 7:24pm
Marty1028 wrote:
idk man. Ti is doing a damn good job at holding my countless broken bones together so it must be good for your dirtbike too.
I don't doubt it.

I guess I'm asking this from more of a POV on preventative maintenance perspective.
Crush
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2/24/2019 7:30pm
I had a bolt kit on my 350. It's crazy how light they are. Did it make me any faster. Of course not. Did it give me a moto-boner and anyone else who saw it. Of course it did!
Yeti365
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2/24/2019 7:53pm
Crush wrote:
I had a bolt kit on my 350. It's crazy how light they are. Did it make me any faster. Of course not. Did it give...
I had a bolt kit on my 350. It's crazy how light they are. Did it make me any faster. Of course not. Did it give me a moto-boner and anyone else who saw it. Of course it did!
I've just been curious on the heavier bolts more so then everything. Like the axles, pivot, shock bolts, steering stem, triple clamp bolts, etc.

Just curious if anyone has had issues with a dissimilar metal condition/corrosion or seizures and best way to prevent it, or just treat it like any other bolt.

I don't think you could convince me to do all the fasteners on a bike in Ti.
1

The Shop

brody
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2/24/2019 7:57pm
Would not use ti for linkage axles or swing arm or shock mounts, too risky seen some cheep ti brake.
Plastics, motor kit, motor mounts for for it.
r18b
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NL
2/24/2019 10:19pm
Have almost every nut or bolt on the bike except the shock or axles and swingarm.

Second i see prices from 89 euro to 450 dollar for the same axle. It always says gr5 ti but so far i can't find anything on the web how it's holding up after a season. Third what i could find is that steel is with stress or something its harder then ti. Or i did read it wrong.

So why are you not gonna try be the ginny pig for the ones what are thinking about those axles etc but are to scared to try it like me Unsure

But to be honest i'm staying away from the axles etc etc not gonna put my life in danger for a couple of grams win
1
2/25/2019 12:20am
There was a good article on the side bar a couple of weeks ago. Went into good detail by manufacturer. They've done their homework. Maybe Met Tec from memory.
http://store.mettec.com/
2/25/2019 12:33am
Treat it like any other bolt and you will be fine if you buy from a reputable company like mettec.
scrallex
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Austin, TX US
2/25/2019 7:28am
If you're buying TI parts it is a good investment to steer clear of the cheapest option. Mid-grade TI is miles ahead of steel and aluminum when it comes to weight, strength, and durability. Cheap stuff is always a crapshoot regarding the quality of material and what it's alloyed with as it becomes harder to verify. For most people, TI hardware will last your entire ownership of the bike barring any unusual interface issues (like a wheel bearing seizing - that will wear a groove in any axle bolt regardless of material).

Fun fact, Titanium is actually heavier than AL from a density standpoint. However, it's strength characteristics allow for it to be implemented in a way that makes it lighter than any other metal. You can run thinner walls on TI and still come out with a higher safety factor and less weight.
731chopper
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2/25/2019 7:50am Edited Date/Time 2/25/2019 7:55am
Crush wrote:
I had a bolt kit on my 350. It's crazy how light they are. Did it make me any faster. Of course not. Did it give...
I had a bolt kit on my 350. It's crazy how light they are. Did it make me any faster. Of course not. Did it give me a moto-boner and anyone else who saw it. Of course it did!
Yeti365 wrote:
I've just been curious on the heavier bolts more so then everything. Like the axles, pivot, shock bolts, steering stem, triple clamp bolts, etc. Just curious...
I've just been curious on the heavier bolts more so then everything. Like the axles, pivot, shock bolts, steering stem, triple clamp bolts, etc.

Just curious if anyone has had issues with a dissimilar metal condition/corrosion or seizures and best way to prevent it, or just treat it like any other bolt.

I don't think you could convince me to do all the fasteners on a bike in Ti.
I use an anti-seize on ti bolts. When doing titanium into aluminum such as engine bolts you need a copper based anti-seize. Some people I know just do assembly lube but if you’re not taking the bolts out frequently, I believe anti-seize is the way to go.

As far as axles, pivots, linkage bolts, etc., I only have those things on a bike I never ride so I can’t tell you how they feel. A former pro mechanic told me he had riders who had snapped ti axles and would refuse to run them.
1
Luxon MX
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2/25/2019 11:27am
All points below refer to grade 5 titanium (e.g. 6Al-4V). Most all reputable manufacturers will be using this alloy for structural titanium. All points also assume the stock steel part is replaced by the same geometry, but in titanium. Obviously if someone makes a titanium part that's thinner than the steel part it's replacing, then that's a whole different scenario.

Strength:
In most all cases, titanium will be as strong or stronger than the steel it's replacing. There are certainly steel alloys and heat treatments that are stronger than grade 5, but it's unlikely they're being used on a stock bike anywhere.

Fatigue Life:
This is a minor concern. Depending on the design stresses, titanium will fail from fatigue earlier than steel will. But for most riders it won't be a concern. Unless you're riding A LOT and keep the titanium parts for a long time, you probably won't have any fatigue issues.

Hardness:
Again, in most cases, titanium will be similar in hardness to the stock steel it's replacing, so wear isn't a huge concern.

Corrosion:
Titanium is very inert and will not corrode unless in an extreme environment not found on a dirt bike. It will, however, accelerate galvanic corrosion of the material around it (aluminum, steel, etc.). This can be negated with adequate lube/anti-seize and/or coatings such as TiN and DLC.

Assembly/Seizing/Torque:
This is a big issue for titanium. You can't treat it like steel, you have to be much more careful. It likes to gall, particularly with itself (e.g. nut and bolt are titanium). The solution is to use a lot of anti-seize as others have mentioned. But when using anti-seize, the tightening torque changes substantially. The anti-sieze acts as a lubricant and for the same torque as a dry steel bolt, you'll end up with much higher bolt tension. That's bad. You'll need to account for that, and in general, reduce your torque by ~20%.

We have a handy torque spreadsheet available here if you'd like to play with some numbers:
https://luxonmx.com/resources/luxon-bolt-torque-calculator.xlsx

Stiffness:
This one will likely cause some argument... Large chunks of titanium replacing steel in the primary load-paths will flex more and MAY be noticeable to the rider. The vast majority of people won't know the difference unless they're told it's different (and there lies the problem, the placebo effect is strong). So picky riders and those that notice subtle changes may pick up on more flex from swingarm pivot bolts and axles. No one is picking up on the difference between titanium triple clamp bolt stiffness vs. steel. Again, the placebo effect is STRONG.

Summary:
Titanium replacement parts will be just fine for the vast majority of people so long as you understand the increased maintenance requirements (torque and anti-seize).

And finally, to address this:
Fun fact, Titanium is actually heavier than AL from a density standpoint. However, it's strength characteristics allow for it to be implemented in a way that makes it lighter than any other metal. You can run thinner walls on TI and still come out with a higher safety factor and less weight.

That's not typically true, it's highly dependent on the manufacturing process, alloys selected, and design criteria. The stiffness to weight ratios are nearly identical for most structural metals - steel, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, etc. And strength to weight ratios can be pretty close as well when selecting appropriate alloys. What this means is that for the same weight, a lower density material will be thicker. While this has minimal effect on tension and compresive stiffness/strength, it has an enormous effect on bending stiffness/strength. The lower density material being thicker (for the same weight) will almost always be stronger and stiffer. Additionally, depending on the manufacturing method, you are stuck with material that isn't optimal. For example, a machine part can not have sharp inside corners because an end-mill has a finite radius. And it needs to be stiff enough to cut the material. This results in a radius on the inside corners of parts that doens't "need" to be there for strength/stiffness, but does for manufacturing. So that material is "wasted" weight and it follows that a less dense material will be better suit that situation. Now if we're talking about 3D printed titanium or something, then that is less of a concern, but the bending stiffness point still applies.

So, for example, a steel titanium triple clamp will be less stiff and weaker than a titanium one. This works on down the line - ti will be weaker and less stiff than aluminum. Aluminum will be less stiff and weaker than magnesium. Magnesium, even AZ31B, is a special case, as it's a lot weaker than aluminum so it's not a good choice here typically. Plus there's the corrosion and manufacturing issues to be concerned with. This is why you primarily only see triple clamps made of aluminum.

Titanium shines in places where you're space limited, and bolts/axles are a great example. You can't replace a solid titanium bolt with aluminum and have it be stronger, there wasn't room to add any material. Similar for an axle, since you can't go to a larger diameter, you can only add material in the middle where it's not very effective in bending. (there's a whole thread here somewhere about aluminum axles and why that's not a good idea).
5
2/25/2019 1:13pm
We use this shit in mining and it works the bomb. Especially underground where you have some of the most corrosive environments out of the sea. Excellent between different metals as it isn't a metal based lube so doesn't promote electrolysis. KIWI's get a fat when ever it's used and can be often seen heading for some personal male relieve.



LANOX Lanolin Lubricant is a heavy duty, anti-moisture, anti-corrosion lubricant made with a high grade oil and lanolin base, with specialised chemical compounds. LANOX Is created with Lanolin, a natural wax found in animal wool, especially the wool from sheep, commonly referred as ‘WOOL FAT’ or ‘WOOL GREASE’.

Lanolin has widespread uses, ranging from cosmetics, soaps and medical products to rust proofing and lubrication. Lanolin has been used in skin care and cosmetics as far back as 700BC, but in the late nineteenth century it was refined at a new level, giving us lanolin with an extremely high quality. Although we make INOX, a quality anti-corrosion lubricant, there are areas where a lanolin based anti-corrosion lubricant like LANOX is sometimes better suited for the application at hand.

LANOX MX4 has ideal applications in the Marine industry. It designed to stop electrolysis between different metals and prevent oxidation and rust from forming on the surface. The lanolin base helps to prolong the protection between applications, as it is a natural anti-corrosion compound that is not soluble in water and leaves a protective film behind.
1
martymac
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AU
2/25/2019 2:50pm
Have 2 bikes with complete kits, 4 plus years and everything is still golden. Just use a good quality assembly lube and you won’t have any dramas.
1
Yeti365
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Chula Vista, CA US
2/25/2019 2:58pm
Luxon MX wrote:
All points below refer to grade 5 titanium (e.g. 6Al-4V). Most all reputable manufacturers will be using this alloy for structural titanium. All points also assume...
All points below refer to grade 5 titanium (e.g. 6Al-4V). Most all reputable manufacturers will be using this alloy for structural titanium. All points also assume the stock steel part is replaced by the same geometry, but in titanium. Obviously if someone makes a titanium part that's thinner than the steel part it's replacing, then that's a whole different scenario.

Strength:
In most all cases, titanium will be as strong or stronger than the steel it's replacing. There are certainly steel alloys and heat treatments that are stronger than grade 5, but it's unlikely they're being used on a stock bike anywhere.

Fatigue Life:
This is a minor concern. Depending on the design stresses, titanium will fail from fatigue earlier than steel will. But for most riders it won't be a concern. Unless you're riding A LOT and keep the titanium parts for a long time, you probably won't have any fatigue issues.

Hardness:
Again, in most cases, titanium will be similar in hardness to the stock steel it's replacing, so wear isn't a huge concern.

Corrosion:
Titanium is very inert and will not corrode unless in an extreme environment not found on a dirt bike. It will, however, accelerate galvanic corrosion of the material around it (aluminum, steel, etc.). This can be negated with adequate lube/anti-seize and/or coatings such as TiN and DLC.

Assembly/Seizing/Torque:
This is a big issue for titanium. You can't treat it like steel, you have to be much more careful. It likes to gall, particularly with itself (e.g. nut and bolt are titanium). The solution is to use a lot of anti-seize as others have mentioned. But when using anti-seize, the tightening torque changes substantially. The anti-sieze acts as a lubricant and for the same torque as a dry steel bolt, you'll end up with much higher bolt tension. That's bad. You'll need to account for that, and in general, reduce your torque by ~20%.

We have a handy torque spreadsheet available here if you'd like to play with some numbers:
https://luxonmx.com/resources/luxon-bolt-torque-calculator.xlsx

Stiffness:
This one will likely cause some argument... Large chunks of titanium replacing steel in the primary load-paths will flex more and MAY be noticeable to the rider. The vast majority of people won't know the difference unless they're told it's different (and there lies the problem, the placebo effect is strong). So picky riders and those that notice subtle changes may pick up on more flex from swingarm pivot bolts and axles. No one is picking up on the difference between titanium triple clamp bolt stiffness vs. steel. Again, the placebo effect is STRONG.

Summary:
Titanium replacement parts will be just fine for the vast majority of people so long as you understand the increased maintenance requirements (torque and anti-seize).

And finally, to address this:
Fun fact, Titanium is actually heavier than AL from a density standpoint. However, it's strength characteristics allow for it to be implemented in a way that makes it lighter than any other metal. You can run thinner walls on TI and still come out with a higher safety factor and less weight.

That's not typically true, it's highly dependent on the manufacturing process, alloys selected, and design criteria. The stiffness to weight ratios are nearly identical for most structural metals - steel, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, etc. And strength to weight ratios can be pretty close as well when selecting appropriate alloys. What this means is that for the same weight, a lower density material will be thicker. While this has minimal effect on tension and compresive stiffness/strength, it has an enormous effect on bending stiffness/strength. The lower density material being thicker (for the same weight) will almost always be stronger and stiffer. Additionally, depending on the manufacturing method, you are stuck with material that isn't optimal. For example, a machine part can not have sharp inside corners because an end-mill has a finite radius. And it needs to be stiff enough to cut the material. This results in a radius on the inside corners of parts that doens't "need" to be there for strength/stiffness, but does for manufacturing. So that material is "wasted" weight and it follows that a less dense material will be better suit that situation. Now if we're talking about 3D printed titanium or something, then that is less of a concern, but the bending stiffness point still applies.

So, for example, a steel titanium triple clamp will be less stiff and weaker than a titanium one. This works on down the line - ti will be weaker and less stiff than aluminum. Aluminum will be less stiff and weaker than magnesium. Magnesium, even AZ31B, is a special case, as it's a lot weaker than aluminum so it's not a good choice here typically. Plus there's the corrosion and manufacturing issues to be concerned with. This is why you primarily only see triple clamps made of aluminum.

Titanium shines in places where you're space limited, and bolts/axles are a great example. You can't replace a solid titanium bolt with aluminum and have it be stronger, there wasn't room to add any material. Similar for an axle, since you can't go to a larger diameter, you can only add material in the middle where it's not very effective in bending. (there's a whole thread here somewhere about aluminum axles and why that's not a good idea).
Awesome.

Really my serious considerations were towards axles, steering stem, possible the swingarm pivot. Everything else I was curious about.
ledger
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TN US
2/25/2019 3:01pm
Beware of the addiction of titanium, lol. It has a very high cool/ quality factor.
Luxon MX
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2/25/2019 3:16pm
Yeti365 wrote:
Awesome.

Really my serious considerations were towards axles, steering stem, possible the swingarm pivot. Everything else I was curious about.
Steering stems are typically aluminum, and often the nuts are too, so nothing to save there. And if you're going to go with titanium, the big items from a weight saved per dollar standpoint are the axles and swingarm pivot. Shock spring too if you're considering that.
4csHATER
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The sticks, KY US
2/26/2019 1:49am
be careful if machining or using TI it can catch on fire.
Bruce372
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US
2/26/2019 7:01pm
Luxon MX wrote:
All points below refer to grade 5 titanium (e.g. 6Al-4V). Most all reputable manufacturers will be using this alloy for structural titanium. All points also assume...
All points below refer to grade 5 titanium (e.g. 6Al-4V). Most all reputable manufacturers will be using this alloy for structural titanium. All points also assume the stock steel part is replaced by the same geometry, but in titanium. Obviously if someone makes a titanium part that's thinner than the steel part it's replacing, then that's a whole different scenario.

Strength:
In most all cases, titanium will be as strong or stronger than the steel it's replacing. There are certainly steel alloys and heat treatments that are stronger than grade 5, but it's unlikely they're being used on a stock bike anywhere.

Fatigue Life:
This is a minor concern. Depending on the design stresses, titanium will fail from fatigue earlier than steel will. But for most riders it won't be a concern. Unless you're riding A LOT and keep the titanium parts for a long time, you probably won't have any fatigue issues.

Hardness:
Again, in most cases, titanium will be similar in hardness to the stock steel it's replacing, so wear isn't a huge concern.

Corrosion:
Titanium is very inert and will not corrode unless in an extreme environment not found on a dirt bike. It will, however, accelerate galvanic corrosion of the material around it (aluminum, steel, etc.). This can be negated with adequate lube/anti-seize and/or coatings such as TiN and DLC.

Assembly/Seizing/Torque:
This is a big issue for titanium. You can't treat it like steel, you have to be much more careful. It likes to gall, particularly with itself (e.g. nut and bolt are titanium). The solution is to use a lot of anti-seize as others have mentioned. But when using anti-seize, the tightening torque changes substantially. The anti-sieze acts as a lubricant and for the same torque as a dry steel bolt, you'll end up with much higher bolt tension. That's bad. You'll need to account for that, and in general, reduce your torque by ~20%.

We have a handy torque spreadsheet available here if you'd like to play with some numbers:
https://luxonmx.com/resources/luxon-bolt-torque-calculator.xlsx

Stiffness:
This one will likely cause some argument... Large chunks of titanium replacing steel in the primary load-paths will flex more and MAY be noticeable to the rider. The vast majority of people won't know the difference unless they're told it's different (and there lies the problem, the placebo effect is strong). So picky riders and those that notice subtle changes may pick up on more flex from swingarm pivot bolts and axles. No one is picking up on the difference between titanium triple clamp bolt stiffness vs. steel. Again, the placebo effect is STRONG.

Summary:
Titanium replacement parts will be just fine for the vast majority of people so long as you understand the increased maintenance requirements (torque and anti-seize).

And finally, to address this:
Fun fact, Titanium is actually heavier than AL from a density standpoint. However, it's strength characteristics allow for it to be implemented in a way that makes it lighter than any other metal. You can run thinner walls on TI and still come out with a higher safety factor and less weight.

That's not typically true, it's highly dependent on the manufacturing process, alloys selected, and design criteria. The stiffness to weight ratios are nearly identical for most structural metals - steel, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, etc. And strength to weight ratios can be pretty close as well when selecting appropriate alloys. What this means is that for the same weight, a lower density material will be thicker. While this has minimal effect on tension and compresive stiffness/strength, it has an enormous effect on bending stiffness/strength. The lower density material being thicker (for the same weight) will almost always be stronger and stiffer. Additionally, depending on the manufacturing method, you are stuck with material that isn't optimal. For example, a machine part can not have sharp inside corners because an end-mill has a finite radius. And it needs to be stiff enough to cut the material. This results in a radius on the inside corners of parts that doens't "need" to be there for strength/stiffness, but does for manufacturing. So that material is "wasted" weight and it follows that a less dense material will be better suit that situation. Now if we're talking about 3D printed titanium or something, then that is less of a concern, but the bending stiffness point still applies.

So, for example, a steel titanium triple clamp will be less stiff and weaker than a titanium one. This works on down the line - ti will be weaker and less stiff than aluminum. Aluminum will be less stiff and weaker than magnesium. Magnesium, even AZ31B, is a special case, as it's a lot weaker than aluminum so it's not a good choice here typically. Plus there's the corrosion and manufacturing issues to be concerned with. This is why you primarily only see triple clamps made of aluminum.

Titanium shines in places where you're space limited, and bolts/axles are a great example. You can't replace a solid titanium bolt with aluminum and have it be stronger, there wasn't room to add any material. Similar for an axle, since you can't go to a larger diameter, you can only add material in the middle where it's not very effective in bending. (there's a whole thread here somewhere about aluminum axles and why that's not a good idea).
With all that placebo effect, I thought this was another CBD weed thread!Woohoo
Yeti365
Posts
255
Joined
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Location
Chula Vista, CA US
2/26/2019 8:46pm
Yeti365 wrote:
Awesome.

Really my serious considerations were towards axles, steering stem, possible the swingarm pivot. Everything else I was curious about.
Luxon MX wrote:
Steering stems are typically aluminum, and often the nuts are too, so nothing to save there. And if you're going to go with titanium, the big...
Steering stems are typically aluminum, and often the nuts are too, so nothing to save there. And if you're going to go with titanium, the big items from a weight saved per dollar standpoint are the axles and swingarm pivot. Shock spring too if you're considering that.
That's pretty much what I was looking at. Those three, the sprocket, brake rotors and control mounts. More so due to budget, but it also seems the most effective.

It wouldn't be cheap I know, but figured it couldn't hurt to ask on a passing thought.

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