Does aluminium react with galvinised steel??

[Dean1]

Ive done some research googling and it seems aluminium and gal steel doesnt react too badly.

Reason i ask is i have to bolt alumium to gal steel on my trailer and a member informed me i should put teflon, poly between them??


I have a gal jockey wheel, u bolts etc bolted to the alloy now and theres doesnt seem to be much trouble??

What are your'e thoughts.

Thanks for any input.

Deano..

[hivalley]

Hi Dean,

You are correct in saying that they do not react to badly, on the Galvanic Scale Aluminium and Galvanised Steel sit side by side so that is good and means little galvanic reaction between the materials. The further apart two metals sit in the scale the more galvanic corrosion will be. Aluminium is slightly less noble than galvanised steel so any corrosion will be on the alloy.

Also don’t forget to have a galvanic cell you need an electrolyte, so you will only have corrosion when water is present, if you wash down your rig with fresh water and store under cover I would not be worried if most of the time the connecting materials are dry.

There are plenty of nonconductive coatings, sealants and paint around if you are really concerned, if applying a nonconductive coating, coat the more noble metal.

Cheers.

[finding_time]

Hey Deano

Hivalley said it all mate! Your much better to use Gal bolt that stainless, on my trailer the gal boggy it u-bolted to the aluminium trailer with gal u-bolts and the gal and aluminium and gal steel sit side by side with no real noticable damage and that trailer has been duncked alot over the last 20 years!

Ian

[Captain Seaweed]

I have just ordered a aluminium trailer that has steel gal roller supports off Dunbier

Cheers
Marty