snip....but wonder if would change the characteristics of the metal.
YES!
Van's recommends not chroming the external steps in the -A models for the same reason. Several of the chromed ones have failed. Results in Hydrogen Embrittlement .
(from a hotrodding forum) "This is the same reason that chrome suspension parts will not pass tech inspection for NHRA held events."Baking afterwards is done but still results in a somewhat weekened metal (but how much I can't tell you).
My .02 Darwin.
An option to chrome is nickel, and electroless nickel does not induce hydrogen embrittlement. You can notice that most if not all race car ferrous pieces are treated this way. Beware that nickel can be applied 2 ways; with an electrolytic process (does induce hydrogen embrittlement) and electroless (which does not induce hydrogen embrittlement. I have all of my ferrous airframe pieces electroless nickel plated, and just because I'm old school and it doesn't hurt anything, have the pieces baked afterwards. To meet spec the bake needs to be done within 30 minutes of plating, at 400 deg F for about 4 hours. There is another spec for heat treating the nickel after plating which uses a higher heat and turns the color to straw color; functionally fine but aesthetically likely not.
Nickel plating looks nice but will not hold up to wear and tear. When dinged with hard objects like wrenches it will flake off leaving bare metal exposed.
Engine mounts are typically heat treated after welding. I'm pretty sure but not certain that Van's mounts are.But many components fabricated from 4130 (such as suspension parts) are heat treated after fabrication to increase the ultimate strength. However doubling the strength of a steel invariably means quadrupling its susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement.