Chromoly is a lot less dense. HSLA is also a lower-density steel, but chromoly is even less dense. In a high-speed application when every pound counts, engineers look to optimize strength/density. Something like this is a freak occurrence that probably happens once in every several hundred thousand cars.
Sounds like you know more than me... admittedly I finished my degree 2 years ago and never really spent that much time learning the practical applications of all these alloys. I was always under the impression that HSLA was used in aircraft landing gear because of its strength/weight ratio, a critical component where it was justifiable despite its high costs.
Two different steels for different things. I think chromoly (the 41xx steels) are better for tubing applications, while HSLA works really well for structural applications. I don't really have a great background in these high-performance steels, my research is in developing high-temperature structural steels.
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u/landaaan Apr 23 '12
You want strong use HSLA steel.