Bending aluminum

[jstoezel]

Hello,

I am restoring a snowmobile and need to replace the tunnel on it. This is what a tunnel looks like on a snowmobile.



It's thinner aluminum, 16 gauge typically, bent at 90 degrees in a tight radius.
Searching online it seems manufacturers of snowmobiles will use 6061, the T6 version. Though that seems impossible to bend.
It seems like manufacturers may be bending the 6061 tunnels into shape then heat treating it into T6. This does not seem practical for a garage fabricator like me.

Using 5032 would be easier, though it is much softer than 6061.
What would be your thoughts? 6061 comes in a T0 version, would there be any benefits to using 6061-T0 over 5052?
Would 5032 just suffice for this application?

Thanks,
JS

[mccutter]

6063, if you can find it, is more "bendable". I would imagine the mfg has a giant press to stamp the tunnel from.

BTW, Welcome Aboard!

[LKeithR]

As has been mentioned, bending 6061 to that tight of a radius just won't work. As far as I know you're going to have difficulty finding sheet in a 6063 alloy, it's generally used for extrusions like pipe, angles, channels, etc. While 5052 is the go to alloy for bending I would look for some 5086, it's bendable and it will give you a little more strength. You might have to go with a slightly larger radius for the bends.

If you have to use 5052 or 5086 step up the thickness by one or two guages, you'll gain some strength without gaining significant weight. If your current material measures 1/16" it's probably 14 GA (.0641), stepping up to 12 GA (.0808) will make a difference...

[arizonian]

I am not the aluminum guy, but I did sleep at home last night.

One thing to consider when you do get some material is to vary the radius of the bend on trial bends. You may get cracking if you try to go too tight of a radius. If so, then make the radius larger and try again.

Leaf brake, press brake or finger brake? They all have some means to adjust the radius.