I will be putting together an intercooler pipe set for my new build soon, and I’ve been shopping around for Aluminum bends. Most seem to be about .063 thick, but I have come across one vendor that sells all sizes in 0.118 wall thickness.

These pipes may end up being the first alum things I weld so the extra thickness is attractive. Other than weight, are there other downsides on using these thicker pipes ?

 

The thicker pipes are significantly more expensive and won't come pre-polished. 16 gauge will handle hundreds of psi so the only reason to use thicker tubing is that the thicker tube is easier to weld.