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Post by fooman on Nov 6, 2014 16:52:42 GMT
I've been working on this for a while but thought I would share the progress.
On a ride home my chainring started to rub on the chainstay, so I gingerly rode it back home to take a look.
What I found was a crack along the main tube.
Continues round the BB shell.
And it seemed to be going so well up to that point!
I know Specialized give a lifetime warranty but only to the original purchaser. I bought the frame a couple of years back & built the bike up from parts. It's had a rough life under my ownership, so I wouldn't feel bad about replacing it, but I'm not ready to give up on it just yet...
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Post by hodgy on Nov 6, 2014 17:00:36 GMT
If it's a crack ... I wouldn't be riding it again...but that's just me
How much do you like living on the edge ?
Que : Aerosmith
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Post by andywatson on Nov 6, 2014 17:02:40 GMT
It's rubber ducked.
You are braver than me if you ride that now.
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Post by step on Nov 6, 2014 17:18:05 GMT
Its brown bread, time to get hunting for a new one im afraid.
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Post by notsarkyadam on Nov 6, 2014 18:02:58 GMT
Bin it mate... Or swap it for a PS3 on pink bike, and kill a chav!..
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2014 18:26:32 GMT
may be able to talk ya local bike shop in to getting it swopped out always worth a try ??
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Post by fooman on Nov 6, 2014 18:40:34 GMT
Yep every one tells me it's scrap - a fools errand so definitely a job for me! Anyway I stripped the bike down for a closer look.
Bike in a box.
A closer look at the damage, with paint removed.
Quite a crack. Time to put on the thinking cap.
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Post by notsarkyadam on Nov 6, 2014 19:07:42 GMT
There's no way, i'd have any confidence in riding it... buy a Steel Frame.. could be a nice Cotic frame up for grabs soon!!
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Post by lowcogger on Nov 6, 2014 20:13:09 GMT
that`s fubar fooman  |
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Post by spacemonkey on Nov 6, 2014 20:21:15 GMT
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Post by fooman on Nov 6, 2014 21:55:22 GMT
LOL where were you during the war? Mend & make do! I'd love to splash some cash but I was really happy with the bike. Besides, I just completed this sweet build for the Mrs, a Specialized Epic, RockShox SID, twin pot brakes, XT crank, clutch mech, dropper, tubeless etc 12.1 kg, so my bike budget is cleaned out.
Ok so just welding it isn't going to work there's just not enough material. So it's going to need some bracing. I made up these plates that will totally cover the cracks - the plan is weld the cracks, then add and weld the plates. No interference with moving parts.
Next stop an alloy welding specialist.
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Post by dirkpitt74 on Nov 6, 2014 23:00:23 GMT
Interesting project. Good luck!
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Post by fooman on Nov 7, 2014 9:47:52 GMT
Frame back from the welders (P and A Engineering Bradford also known as PandA Engineering!) not pretty but frankly it's under the bike where it can't be seen. No grinding and smoothing as this will weaken the repair. An old steel BB was inserted to try & retain the thread shape during welding.
Bike frame was put back together with new bearings & bushes a job that was a little overdue.
I had a hard time getting the steel BB out and the external cups back in straight, the threads on one side were damaged and suffered from the welding too. Eventually I got them threaded but I can't help feeling I should have spent more time threading the steel cups in and out with some cutting compound to clean them up. Still the side clamping of the crank should help keep it all together.
This was the night before the Swaledale Nutcracker XC race (most difficult, rockiest, in the calendar) so no time for a proper shakedown ride first.
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Post by duke on Nov 7, 2014 10:38:43 GMT
Looks to have done the job  Bet the welding set you back a bit! |
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Post by fooman on Nov 7, 2014 17:13:52 GMT
Not too much though there were some other costs;
Welding £40
New bearings / bushes £60
Steel BB £5
I also briefly rebuilt the bike as a hardtail with the cheapest frame I could get so I could keep riding, was a bit fugly and you know what they say - hardtails suck 
Reframing cost £80 inc seatpost / hanger, sold again £60 soon after rebuilding with the FS.
Total outlay so far then £125. Seemed to cope with the Nutcracker XC race so I treated it to new forks and bars, looking like this now;
Not quite the end of the saga though!
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Post by hodgy on Nov 7, 2014 17:35:42 GMT
What a tease...c'mon spit it out man ..I'll be in my grave before this has ended !
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Post by fooman on Nov 7, 2014 22:38:50 GMT
Lol I need to stretch it out to increase my dismal post count! Might be heading for an anti-climax...
Time for another quick test ride.
At my age I don't do jumping anymore.
Hardly moving.
Lean in keep the speed.
BB survived that one.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2014 23:22:44 GMT
Fair play hope it holds up for you  |
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Post by notsarkyadam on Nov 8, 2014 5:22:21 GMT
10 out of 10 for effort... But frames are very cheap.. Must play on your mind!
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Post by hodgy on Nov 8, 2014 8:15:51 GMT
10 out of 10 for effort... But frames are very cheap.. Must play on your mind! Agreed .... I'll bet it didn't until you mentioned it .. Is there more ? |
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Post by spacemonkey on Nov 8, 2014 19:16:24 GMT
I can see it all ending in tears lol.
But seriously well done in bringing it back from the dead. I would of just binned it. Hope it stays together for you.
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Post by fooman on Nov 8, 2014 20:57:56 GMT
Yes given that I paid about £280? for the frame a couple of years ago, it’s been on my mind that it could easily be uneconomical to fix. I’m hoping to keep it going long enough to complete a 29er build next year, rather than pumping any significant money into this 26er, though with the new forks I’m loving it. Half the cost so far has been new bearings & bushes which I had bought before it cracked, which helped justify the effort in trying to fix.
So the bike hasn’t killed me but after 200 odd miles of hard riding, the external cups had come loose. There just wasn’t enough thread left in the BB, which is a shame as I probably did more damage when rushing the job.
I had it in mind to fall back on a threadless square taper cartridge, made specifically to be used on BBs with damaged threads;
I didn't realise 73mm wide MTB ones were so rare (68mm road are common) however SJS Cycles came up with the goods for £20. It just clamps either side of the BB;
Of course this meant getting a square taper crank, and decent ones are getting rare. I managed to source a Shimano Hollowtec from fleabay for £25. Total weight including BB cartridge is only about 100g more than the previous set up.
And that's how the bike is currently set up and still running well, with a total spend of £170 odd plus a few hours of my time (inc £60 of new bushes, and I could sell the old crank). I do have a Specialised XC FS frame sat in the garage, but it's a lower model frame (heavier and no Brain shock, but only cost £140) so I'll only use if my current frame finally gives up so I'm not without a bike for too long. |
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Bet the welding set you back a bit!
