have i killed my frame?
formerlyknownasbonj
Posts: 483
I noticed some play in my frame, and to cut a long story short, tightened the bolt that it was coming from and stripped the threads out of the lug on the seat tube.
It's this bit where the swing arm linkage bolts onto the seat tube, just behind the top shock bolt:
there's been play in it before, and I tightened that one up (it was quite loose then) and it cured it. Not sure why it came loose though...
anyhow it wasn't loose this time, so I took it off to check the bushing and get a photo of it, in case it might be that being worn that was causing it and to get a pic of it, and then put it back - and as i was tightening it, pretty tight but not uber-torque or anything, it 'went loose', and wouldn't get tighter, and then unscrewing it wouldn't bring it out - that's when i knew the thread was buggered...
I'd contact the manufacturer but the manufacturer of the frame is canyon which is in germany and they don't speak very good english or respond to emails so it's a bit of an arse... I thought it might be possible to get a frame builder in this country to make a new bit the same as the bit that contains the threads, cut some threads into it and weld it on - but am I right in thinking you can't after-the-fact weld aluminium?
so is this the death of my frame?
It's this bit where the swing arm linkage bolts onto the seat tube, just behind the top shock bolt:
there's been play in it before, and I tightened that one up (it was quite loose then) and it cured it. Not sure why it came loose though...
anyhow it wasn't loose this time, so I took it off to check the bushing and get a photo of it, in case it might be that being worn that was causing it and to get a pic of it, and then put it back - and as i was tightening it, pretty tight but not uber-torque or anything, it 'went loose', and wouldn't get tighter, and then unscrewing it wouldn't bring it out - that's when i knew the thread was buggered...
I'd contact the manufacturer but the manufacturer of the frame is canyon which is in germany and they don't speak very good english or respond to emails so it's a bit of an arse... I thought it might be possible to get a frame builder in this country to make a new bit the same as the bit that contains the threads, cut some threads into it and weld it on - but am I right in thinking you can't after-the-fact weld aluminium?
so is this the death of my frame?
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Comments
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May not need anything as drastic as that. We had a thread repair kit at a place I used to work. We had loads of bolts that went into plastic, as you can imagine they stripped fairly easily. Basically you cut a new thread with a greater diameter (and here's the clever bit) the set came with things that looked like a little spring that you screwed into the newly cut thread. The inside of the spring then became the new thread with the same diameter of the stripped one.
I did a quick search from Google and found this as an example.
http://www.newmantools.com/recoil1.htm
or maybe more usefully
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/sis/_W0QQ_kwZthr ... dQ20repairIt's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
yep, you will probably be able to rethread it, speak to a custom builder, if you can't get it fixed then buy another one of the same frame and swap the parts over.
Yukon LadDrop, Berm, Jump, Sky, Sky, Sky, Sweet Beautiful Earth OUCH, OUCH,OUCH, ****! GORSE BUSH!!!
Giant Yukon FX2
Kona Stab Deluxe 20080 -
A decent engineer or garage will pop a new one of those threads in for you. It should be much stronger than it was too.0
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Yes, a HeliCoil or Re-Coil thread insert should do the trick. If they're good enough for repairing cylinder head studs...!!0
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2nd for the heli-coils. bloody good bit of kit.0
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I'd get it helicoiled or even a keensert. Its a pretty crap setup that the have used, as the bolt is in shear, so it is eventually going to do what has happent. The rocker bearing should really been mounted on a spigot, then the bolt is only there to stop the rocker sliding off.Intense Socom
Inbred0 -
What are the limitations of those thread kits, can they be used to thread more heavy duty areas of frames, like a bb shell for example?
Always wondered this, as I have fits whenever I remove my bb in my bikes, taking care not to kill the heart of the bike, its like freakin brain surgery, with the patient awake!Kona Tanuki Deluxe0 -
The largest helicoil i've seen is an M16. With a BB shell, you can get it machined out and a new insert bonded/shrunk in then tapped, from memory I think BETD do it. To be honest though, you've got to be pretty special to damage a BB shell to the point that it needs an insert bonded in.
When you take the bb in and out, make sure everything is clean, grease the threads and if you can, torque it down to the manufacturers torque setting.Intense Socom
Inbred0 -
argos cycles will re thread a bottom bracket shell too but as sirhc says, its pretty difficult to damage a bb.0
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Just to add another type of thread repair, take a look at http://www.timesert.com/html/mtrcsert.html
I have used these for many years and they are really strong and very easy to insert as long as you follow the instructions. They are supplied through http://www.wurth.co.uk/ to many car and motorcycle dealerships and I would imagine than you could purchase them on line. They do size specific kits along with workshop kits with a variety of sizes.
I have used them to repair cylinder head and exhaust stud threads and have never had one fail. It is a fact of life that when you have steel bolts going into aluminium that you will eventualy strip a thread due to the electrolosis that occurs with the addition of water, especially salty water for those that go out on the roads in winter or live near the coast.
They are available in imperial and metric sizes up to M24 but there is not a suitable one for a BB.
HTH0 -
Go with the helicoil. Other insert types generally require more material to be removed due to needing a larger hole size. For a helicoil you need to get the boss drilled and tapped to take the insert, then the insert is wound in, the tang is broken off and job done.
Most local jobbing engineers should be able to do it provided that they can hold the frame without damaging it.
The are a permanent repair and won't come out.
MarvWhat tree ? ...........
Trek 8000 ZR XC hardtail.0