Originally Posted by
Sayre Kulp
On my ride today I noticed that there is a crack in my frame. It's on the seat tube where the top tube joins it, but it is NOT the weld that is cracked. Is there anything that can be done, or is this frame history?
From a practical standpoint; Put a piece of tape on the SP to mark the insertion depth. Then pull out the SP and lay it along side the ST with the tape at the top of the ST. I am willing to bet a good beer that the end of the SP will line up with the crack in the ST. There have been several recent threads along these same lines.
If folks are going to build frames with super long extended ST's, imho, the frame needs to come with super long SP's and detailed instruction that the rider keep it in the hole far enough to reach as least 6-12 inches dwon past the top tube intersections. Otherwise just setting up the customer to have this sort of break. It could result in a nasty injury.
I used to repair a fair number of hi-tensil steel BMX frames for the same cause and effect. I don't do AL or CF or Ti or bamboozle so bowing out on this one. Of course I typically would cut the ST off an inch or two above the top tube, redo the clamp and make/provide a super long SP as part of the repair... under the guise that a repair should preclude a repeat of the original break.
If this AL frame is going to get fixed and fixed right, I would agree with the recommends here that the owner get it to Frank. If he takes it on, I would certainly like to see a set of step by step pictures of the repair...his welding is pure magic imho.
/K