Broken kingpin

[Bob Culver]

Hi Parazine
Dusturbed to read of the silver steel expereince. Presumably as supplied and not after an attempt to harden. Ground ht steel as I used is available about 60 tsi cf 40.
Hi Colin
The chrome is very thin. Used as received. I may have polished slightly with very fine paper. When exceed 1/2 inch reaming of the eye may be necessary, but some oversize often needed anyway. I gather it can be puchased as hydraulic ram rod. I much later learned that chrome plating  increases risk of fatigue failure.Although baking can improve. The hydraulic rod is possibly treated.

[Colin Reed]

HI BOB 
What you used was not HARD chrome.
When hard chroming is done you have to grind to the diameter and finish that is required can not be used as is from plater 
Having reclaimed a lot of shafts for Earth moving Machines and crankshafts ,
Hard Chrome Bar comes in three grades 1045 base material which is hard chrome plated
                                                          1050                    induction hardened and plated
                                                           4140 high tensile then plated
1045 being the most popular

Reclaiming Crankshaft journals we used to grind 10th under then after hard chroming grind to a standard size

Colin
NZ

[Bob Culver]

Hi Colin

As I understand decorative chrome is incredibly thin. (Where it peels it is the nickel undercoat)
Applied even .001 thick becomes hard chrome, although hardness depends on current etc. But in most applications much thicker is applied and hence needs grinding to correct dimensions. The kingpins were plated very thin.
A long story but eons ago I had Seven flywheel splines built up just to enough to fit by chroming. Also misguidely had softened Javelin gearbox thrust washers plated with no machining. De Havilland did in Wgtn and Colonial Ammuniton in Auck.