hit a Witches Eye out in the dunes, Ouch! bent a stock tie rod and now I am looking at new ones, so what is the difference between:

4140 CHROMOLY
4130 CHROMOLY
and 6061 Aluminum

as for replacements for my stock bent tie rods

 

4140 has about .40% carbon. It is stronger than 4130 but less ductile (more brittle). 4130 has about .30% carbon.

6061 is heat treated alumunim. 6061 is way lighter but less than half as strong.

4140 is best for a tie rod application.

But, if you just use the proper front wheel off set on your wheels, you won't have any tie rod issue, and your bike will steer much better in the dunes. A wider front doesn't help stability that much.

 

how much better are these Chromoly tie rods compared to the stock tie rods?