Do the bends in my rollcage tubing make it weaker?
Not necessarily, just because there are bent sections in a chassis structure does not make them weaker- given that the structural design is up to par. When material is bent it actually increases the tensile strength of the material in the bend area substantially, as long as the material has been cold formed. Cold forming is the process of bending or shaping material without heat. Cold forming is one of the only ways to strengthen some types of material. The tensile strength of some material can increase more than 50 percent when cold formed. Cold forming introduces a certain amount of work hardening. Work hardening occurs when material is being stressed but not strained. When applied correctly, work hardening can significantly add to the tensile strength of the material.
