In a message dated 8/20/01 9:26:55 PM, hksawyer@CATT.COM writes:

<< What corrosion issues arise with using dissimilar metals in contact with
each other?
(right term?)

What metals or coatings are preferable to contact with aluminum without
creating some kind of enhanced corrosion problem?
 >>

hk,

For all you will ever want to know regarding the galvanic reaction between
dissimilar metals, look at this page:

           http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/corrosion/galvanic.htm

You did not say what the of what material the hardware is made.  Surely, the
greatest expediency would be achieved by using AL hardware with AL fasteners.

Some years ago I had a GMC pickup truck.  This was before Detroit heard of
corrosion control and since I live in an area where vehicles are given a
yearly pickling whether they need it or not, I decided to mount running
boards made of checkered plate AL.  I noticed that all the ones I saw in use
were streaked with rust coming from the mounting holes drilled in the truck
bodies.  The running boards were protecting the rocker panels, but rusting
the bodies to beat hell around the mounting holes.  So I trashed the hardware
and fasteners supplied by the running board manufacturer.  I designed
improved mounting brackets and fabricated them from whatever SS I had on
hand.  I used SS fasteners throughout and polyethylene washers between the AL
and the truck body at any of the fastener locations.  Five years later, when
I sold the GMC it was still rustfree.

Rich