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Information Junky
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: an island, upper left coast, USA
Posts: 73,167
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just a stab at what you have, and what you want....
Steel - it's good stuff. Tough as hell, compared to other materials.
The thing is, the thickness defines how far the outer surface has to stretch, for any given deflection. So, say you replace it with aluminum... You make it roughly half again thicker, to get the same stiffness, and . .. the thing gets permanently bend on the first hard tap (because the outer Alum skin has to move so much further, for the same loading and deflection.) So, you make it wider... Are you ready for Aluminum to be 3x wider? (and weigh the same, btw) --I'll guess no.
Spring design, it can be a beotch.
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Everyone you meet knows something you don't. - - - and a whole bunch of crap that is wrong.
Disclaimer: the above was 2¢ worth.
More information is available as my professional opinion, which is provided for an exorbitant fee. 
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