Black Color=harder?

[MANTHOS]

Hi guys

I had a pretty good fight with a 10.9 class-grade 8 5/16'' x 7'' bolt last night. I only managed a 5 degree bend. This bolt is colored black. I never had the chance to try a gold colored G8 bolt so I don't know how it feels but are black colored bolts harder than the gold ones? I saw at a rating board that a black G5 calibrtaes 20 pounds more than a regular silver G5. Is it the same with G8s?

[Buccos1]

Hi guys

I had a pretty good fight with a 10.9 class-grade 8 5/16'' x 7'' bolt last night. I only managed a 5 degree bend. This bolt is colored black. I never had the chance to try a gold colored G8 bolt so I don't know how it feels but are black colored bolts harder than the gold ones? I saw at a rating board that a black G5 calibrtaes 20 pounds more than a regular silver G5. Is it the same with G8s?

That's a tough piece of steel! I've bent almost exclusively black grade 5 and 8s lately, and they definitely are harder than the gold ones (and silver grade 5s). I've DUd 1/4 x 6" gold grade 8s in IMPs easy, but have a tough time with the same dimensions in black.

[EJ Livesey]

I have heard thjngs from: the black coating is a nitride type coating, all the way to a form of rust proofing. If it's a nitride coating it's used exclusively to strengthen steel. Lots of engine cranks are nitride coated to reduce wear and strengthen rotating parts. Honestly I have no idea. I've never tried a big black g8. The only one I had I gave away, and that's in another country right now. However I can attest to the edgins being a tiny bit harder that are black.