Repair aluminium frame

[V12man]

My understanding is that alu is heat treated after welding to de stress the material. I think it's practically impossible to repair? Any metallurgists/welders/engineers/frame builders have the facts?

Ping hubber Ampandy - he can assist you.

[Gerhard Gous]

hi, you can alu weld it but it will just crack again. been there done it.

[Davehroux]

Hey I'm no welding expert but apparently aluminium can be welded by a specialist. Damaged/cracked aluminium cylinder heads have been welded for ages in the motor industry. As soon as I can remove the rear a-frame from my Raleigh RDS 7.0 I'll take it somewhere to see if it can be successfullywelded and I'll give you all some feedback.

[Paul Ruinaard]

I saw this and was going to say i am not sure about the effort required to weld that.

 

I just had a mate do similar on a Gary Fisher and needless to say it broke again soon thereafter. 

 

So be aware that you could be in for a number of attempts to fix it if. Maybe go with a new frame.

 

 

[DJR]

Hey I'm no welding expert but apparently aluminium can be welded by a specialist. Damaged/cracked aluminium cylinder heads have been welded for ages in the motor industry. As soon as I can remove the rear a-frame from my Raleigh RDS 7.0 I'll take it somewhere to see if it can be successfullywelded and I'll give you all some feedback.

Bicycle frames are heat treated AFTER welding. This hardens the aluminium and make the frame stiffer. If you weld it afterwards, your heat treating is messed up around the weld and it will break again somewhere close by, even if the new weld holds.

 

Some believe it can be done, personally I would not trust my life to a repaired aluminium frame when bombing downhill.

 

Cylinder heads are different.