Anyone used Durafix Easyweld to repair an aluminium frame?

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Anyone used Durafix Easyweld to repair an aluminium frame?

49 posts & 25 voices | Started 2 years ago by psychle | Latest reply from psychle

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psychle - Member

15% off new! You are mad!

That'd be 'of' new guv'ner, not 'off'

Would my calculation be correct, you paid about £400 for the frame?

I paid £230 posted for the frame, then bought a PUSH'd Roco WC shock (off the classifieds) to suit for £105 posted = £335 all in (around 15% of new price on CRC, with a DHX 5.0). I need to get the mounting hardware for the shock and that's it...

Ideally I'd like a nice tidy repair; in a perfect world one that isn't obvious and leaves me with a nice 'as new' looking frame (after powder coating). Maybe I'm after the moon on a stick

Posted 2 years ago #
bristolbiker - Member

He mentioned a 27.2 post - he could use 25.0, that'd give a *bit* more insert material to play with

That's true, but for the 'neat' fix, you are clamping the seatpost into the insert and then relying on the adhesive bond between the insert and the seat tube to take the riders weight on the saddle, plus any fore/aft or lateral loads..... if the OP is prepared to do this as a back-street repair then the best of luck (a pro job is goign to cost as much as he's paid already), but I don't think I'd want to ragging down a mountain only to suddenly find the insert floating about inside seat tube and the existing crack has propagated all the way through!!!!!!

Posted 2 years ago #
IA - Member

Phone up Extra and ask how much a new front end would cost you. I asked when I was wondering about insuring my front end to post back for a warranty issue, IIRC they said about £500. If it's only that much, you've still got a very cheap socom.

WTF was someone doing putting the seat up on a socom anyhow?

Posted 2 years ago #
parkesie - Member

Go nuts get it welded. All this bonding shims covering it in glue sound time consuming messy and well err shit.

Posted 2 years ago #
mattsccm - Member

Did something similar. Find a post thats .1 mm oversize. Clean the frame out exceptionally well , ditto the post. Freeze it. Warm frame and if you have got them clean enough the post will slide in. Leave to expand to fit. Cut off to give new frame. Slot as needed. use thin post to fit saddle to. Hopefully you found one that matched the ID of the one you shrunk into the frame. The numbers do match in some cases. No heat stress or force involved. It does work. I spliced a very cracked seat tube like this. Expansion bolt resin filled the crack then it was spray. Invisible joint and perfect function. Years of fun.

Posted 2 years ago #
tinsy - Member

Jond is right, Inserting a rod of any material down that will make no difference to the strength of it whatsoever, the insert still wont be attached to the frame with anything stronger than the bond you get, and it wont be enough.

The rod inserted inside a frame tube works fine but its usually pinned in a few places either side of the break, so you have the insert wleded in, the frame crack welded to the insert and itself and the pins welded in, stronger than it was before it broke.

ADH's sugestion is the best your likely to get, but maybe you could just leave the mast in place so it looks right, it wont make it any stronger to remove it.

I have no direct experience of the product you have in mind, but quite a few car companies bond alluminium chassis together Lotus/Aston, the thing they have that you dont is a substantial area of contact to glue.

Posted 2 years ago #
psychle - Member

Mattsccm, sounds like a plan... that's the sort of 'cheap yet functional' method I was hoping to employ (though using this Durafix product for the crack filling duties...)

cheers again for all the advice, keep it coming (if there's anything to add )

Posted 2 years ago #
TroutWrestler - Member

It looks like there are many methods that 'might' work. Unfortunately you want one that 'will' work, and no-one will be able to guarantee that any particular method will be successful.

Good luck.

Posted 2 years ago #
epicyclo - Member

I'd try weld first, and if that din't work go for an insert.

Bonding with epoxy is perfectly strong. Get a clean joint with an insert and make sure no peeling force.

Posted 2 years ago #
tinsy - Member

Any update on if any of this has worked?

Posted 2 years ago #
thesurfbus - Member

I have tried a product very similar to Durafix to attempt to repair a crack in an aluminium bumper for a classic car. Even with lots of practice first the results were pretty poor. It was like kind of like soldering, but the area I was trying to fix was flat, I couldn't see your pictures but if the crack was where two tubes joined, then the Durafix might fill a bit better, but I wouldn't be convinced that it would be strong enough.

My friend fixed a carbon road frame that had a damaged seat tube, by bonding in an aluminium insert.

Posted 2 years ago #
ampthill - Member

Great thread

I think the temperatures involved with durafix would be enough to effect the heat treatment

Have you got a quote for a proper repair, weld and heat treat if necessary. That will give you a basis for comparison

Posted 2 years ago #
SBrock - Member

I took a demo Tracer out one day, lowered the seat post and managed to bend the clamp just tightening it! WTF if I can bend a seat post clamp.............

I know Intense bikes ride well but I have seen to many cracked frames to give them a go!

Posted 2 years ago #
psychle - Member

Any update on if any of this has worked?

Whoops... sorry, just saw your post

Haven't actually moved on to repairing the frame, have in fact decided that I don't actually need it in all honesty, so it's now up for sale again (actually in the classifieds now if anyone's interested )...

Posted 2 years ago #

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