Is a cracked aluminium frame trash?
cavangoh
Posts: 2
I recently cracked my 7 year old polygon aluminium Hardtail, it was a great bike, but does it mean that it can't be ridden anymore?
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cavangoh
Posts: 2
cavangoh
Posts: 2
cavangoh
Posts: 2
Posts
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It is still very difficult and expensive. Get a quote and find out if it’s a cost effective fix. Probably not worth it with Alu.
It can but the heat affected zone is very brittle leaving the frame quite a bit weaker than before and it obviously wasn't strong enough before if it broke.
Any pics?
You guys obviously dont know any decent welders....
Best welder in the world can’t repair damaged aluminium that easily. It’s not like welding steel. Heat effects it’s properties and leave it brittlecas mentioned. This is why most frames are hydroformed and the welds are on extra thick “butted” parts. A crack on a thin sidewall is pretty much terminal. This is where carbon can be easier to repair than metal.
Aluminium frames are heat treated after manufacturing to relieve stresses and also temper the aluminium. Welding it after that heat treatment reintroduces stress due to heat distortion and also makes the parent metal around the weld more brittle.
so you need to decide how much the frame is worth and how much it would cost to weld whether to go ahead, and depending on where it has failed, whether additional bracing is required.