I'm bolting aluminium brackets onto a carbon part and someone warned me about corrosion where the two meet. Is that a real concern, and if so how do I deal with it?
It is a real concern, and it is worth getting right. Carbon fibre conducts electricity and sits very high on the galvanic scale, so when it is in direct contact with a less noble metal like aluminium and any moisture is present, it drives galvanic corrosion of the metal, and the aluminium can corrode surprisingly quickly. The answer is to keep the two apart electrically. A common approach is an isolating barrier between the carbon and the metal, such as a layer of glass fibre laid into the joint, an insulating film or gasket, and isolating bushes or washers at the bolts, along with a sealant to keep moisture out of the joint. It is the same detail used on marine and aerospace parts where carbon meets metal. If you let us know how the bracket mounts, we can suggest a suitable way to isolate it.
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