FRAME HAS A CRACK...advice wanted

[Knuckles]

Probably would not have caught this so soon, but I have the dog torn down a little for a trans rebuild...thanks Andrew!

The crack is located in the green circle area.

Al closer view

:zzdisappointed:
Here are some close up pictures

I've hit my share of pot holes in the 28,000 miles I have on the bike, but this seems a bit crazy. I did some searches and I know a few others have had complete frame breaks. My question for all of you is.....can this be welded? I've been told a good tig welder should be able to repair this without having to strip the bike down.
Opinions please....

This represents my fading memory of good times riding. I DON'T want to be down for a frame swap!

If it can be welded, are there any good tig welders/members within 300-400 miles of Denver?
I would be happy to ride someplace reasonably close to get it repaired.

 

[spadesluck]

That stinks for sure. I hope you can have it welded. However thats a stress point on the bike from where the swing arm is at, I would think. I would make really sure welding is a good fix. Cracked frames are usually a no-go?

 

[JR03CHOPPER]

Damn! I am sorry to see that. I wish you the best and good luck with the fix.

 

[flyinlow]

Tig weld and fish plate it and should be fine
done right it should be stronger than new and still look ok

 

[Diesel Dan]

Get ahold of a good welder with a service truck,have them come there and do it.....Prep the area to be welded, Tig Welded that is......throw welding blankets all around that area ( to prevent welding splatter from getting on bike) and get it fixed.......No need to tear the entire bike down:down:.........A good welder can repair that better than new.....

When Andy gets your tranny done,then frame will be fixed,and you can throw it all back together again!!!!!!!!!!:2thumbs:

 

[KaptinAmerika]

Hate to be the pessimist in the group buuuuuttttttt.......
Yes any decent tig welder can throw a weld on that but here is the thing
That is now a stress point. Other areas of the frame have been allowed to flex as well, flexing leads to weakening over time, and they won't get any stronger just because that area was welded.
That area needs to be repaired properly or it will break again and the second break will be bigger and more dramatic.
The proper fix would be to sleeve the tube with a rod, not easy to do but the strongest and most permanent fix for sure.
Small slot in the top and bottom of each tube so after the rod is inserted it can be pushed into the other tube and aligned.
V out the crack area so the weld penetrates the frame tubes and the rod.
Weld the slots into the V and then weld the V.
The rod act as a heat sink also to keep from overheating the frame tube, if welded correctly, which can also lead to early failure.
This fix will give you structural support in all directions and provide through support to prevent future flex cracking.

 

[Five Five]

Probably would not have caught this so soon, but I have the dog torn down a little for a trans rebuild...thanks Andrew!

The crack is located in the green circle area.

Al closer view

:zzdisappointed:
Here are some close up pictures

I've hit my share of pot holes in the 28,000 miles I have on the bike, but this seems a bit crazy. I did some searches and I know a few others have had complete frame breaks. My question for all of you is.....can this be welded? I've been told a good tig welder should be able to repair this without having to strip the bike down.
Opinions please....

This represents my fading memory of good times riding. I DON'T want to be down for a frame swap!

If it can be welded, are there any good tig welders/members within 300-400 miles of Denver?
I would be happy to ride someplace reasonably close to get it repaired.

Good eye Knuck...glad you caught it...i think it can be fixed for sure.

Hate to be the pessimist in the group buuuuuttttttt.......
Yes any decent tig welder can throw a weld on that but here is the thing
That is now a stress point. Other areas of the frame have been allowed to flex as well, flexing leads to weakening over time, and they won't get any stronger just because that area was welded.
That area needs to be repaired properly or it will break again and the second break will be bigger and more dramatic.
The proper fix would be to sleeve the tube with a rod, not easy to do but the strongest and most permanent fix for sure.
Small slot in the top and bottom of each tube so after the rod is inserted it can be pushed into the other tube and aligned.
V out the crack area so the weld penetrates the frame tubes and the rod.
Weld the slots into the V and then weld the V.
The rod act as a heat sink also to keep from overheating the frame tube, if welded correctly, which can also lead to early failure.
This fix will give you structural support in all directions and provide through support to prevent future flex cracking.

Sleeve is a solid idea Kap...are you recommending a solid bar inside the tube frame

 

[KaptinAmerika]

Yes

 

[Knuckles]

Hate to be the pessimist in the group buuuuuttttttt.......
Yes any decent tig welder can throw a weld on that but here is the thing
That is now a stress point. Other areas of the frame have been allowed to flex as well, flexing leads to weakening over time, and they won't get any stronger just because that area was welded.
That area needs to be repaired properly or it will break again and the second break will be bigger and more dramatic.
The proper fix would be to sleeve the tube with a rod, not easy to do but the strongest and most permanent fix for sure.
Small slot in the top and bottom of each tube so after the rod is inserted it can be pushed into the other tube and aligned.
V out the crack area so the weld penetrates the frame tubes and the rod.
Weld the slots into the V and then weld the V.
The rod act as a heat sink also to keep from overheating the frame tube, if welded correctly, which can also lead to early failure.
This fix will give you structural support in all directions and provide through support to prevent future flex cracking.

Holy shit this sounds technical... and I'm an analytical type (Accountant) lol
How do I go about finding someone capable of this type of fix?
Also, would I need to strip everything off the frame, oil lines, ext., for this? I was hopeful someone could weld it up without a complete tear down....

 

[KaptinAmerika]

For a compotent, knowledgable welder its another day at the office.
It can be done without stripping the bike but it won't be cheap as its far harder to get a good weld in those tight spaces.
Easiest way to find the right welder is fax a simple drawing to them of what you need.
It should be someone with this type of structural welding, as in no heavy structural steel or fence welders trying to use mig or arc welders.
Yes I know it can be done with arc or Mig but you want TIG in this situation so the heat can be closely guarded.
Overheating the metal of a structural component is one of the first and foremost failures in welds. Don't ask me how I know....
The one or two who say "Piece of cake" ask them for references.
Call the references and settle on a welder.
You may not find annyone in your area willing to do it without the bike stripped though so be prepared.
Yes it is technical.
Your talking about a high performance motor vehicle.
And I've seen some of your pics Knuckles so I know you don't baby this BD all the time....:lol:

 

[RCAdd1ct]

If you weld it on the spot, take all the electronics out.

More than likely they would be ok, but why take a chance?

 

[dingo]

If it is a Daytec frame, it may be worth reaching out to them first: Daytec

 

[Macdwn]

Kap has the right idea for the best fix. I know some of the best tig welders are pipe fitters. That would be the first to check out. Im sure there has got to be a decent 4x4 shop who builds or modifies roll cages in Denver. That would be the second place to look.

 

[francoblay1]

:bang: Going to touch wood.... I´d die if this happens to me!

Good luck and keep us posted on the fix.

 

[pknowles]

I wouldn't think a welding shop would want the liability of doing a frame repair. If it failed, the "PI"law dogs would have a field day. You might want to find a custom bike shop that does frame building or an independent welder that does tig welding. Just something to think about before you jump in.

 

[BWG56]

:bang: Going to touch wood....

Good luck and keep us posted on the fix.

Touching your wood is way more than I needed to know

 

[liferider]

If you weld it on the spot, take all the electronics out.

More than likely they would be ok, but why take a chance?

No, it will Be ok. just cover them with a fire blanker. Kind of like an operation, you only expose the working area. Tig welding is diffrent than ARC welding. Actually a lot cooler, with very little splatter. Slugging the tube is the correct way to fix this problem. If you do not know a welder. Look in the phone book and call a welding supply house. These people know there clients. They know who is portable and who to use. A good pipeline welder should have a high frequency portable unit to Tig weld this project. It's probably a 2 hr job at best. Your best bet is contact a machine shop who may have a welder on payroll. these are the guys that tinker with maticulous jobs more often! What ever you do, do NOT MIG weld this!!!!!!!!! way to much heat, way to much splatter, way to much product hitting the frame way to fast!!!!!!! Btw? Do you have a bike jack to raise the bike 18-20" up off the ground. The welder will need to get under the bike to weld the backside and bottom.

 

[BBChopper]

Capt'n is correct slugging the frame would be best but it would require a full tear down and a frame jig. All four points would have to be cut and the entire rear pulled apart. I would get it welded maybe a quartered piece of pipe patched over the weld on the inside for additional support.:zz2cents:

 

[Knuckles]

If it is a Daytec frame, it may be worth reaching out to them first: Daytec

I did contact Daytec and sent them the pictures.
He told me simple tig repair and touch it up with some paint. Definitely said not a tear down of the bike needed.

 

[Knuckles]

No, it will Be ok. just cover them with a fire blanker. Kind of like an operation, you only expose the working area. Tig welding is diffrent than ARC welding. Actually a lot cooler, with very little splatter. Slugging the tube is the correct way to fix this problem. If you do not know a welder. Look in the phone book and call a welding supply house. These people know there clients. They know who is portable and who to use. A good pipeline welder should have a high frequency portable unit to Tig weld this project. It's probably a 2 hr job at best. Your best bet is contact a machine shop who may have a welder on payroll. these are the guys that tinker with maticulous jobs more often! What ever you do, do NOT MIG weld this!!!!!!!!! way to much heat, way to much splatter, way to much product hitting the frame way to fast!!!!!!! Btw? Do you have a bike jack to raise the bike 18-20" up off the ground. The welder will need to get under the bike to weld the backside and bottom.

Yes, I have a decent bike jack. Put it up on the 2X6's because it was more sturdy. I'll have to do some searching on finding a good welder...either pipe fitter, machine shop, frame builder, etc.