Thread: Cracked dropout
View Single Post
Old 04-01-15 | 11:22 PM
  #12  
CliffordK's Avatar
CliffordK
Senior Member
10 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 30 Days
 
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 27,576
Likes: 5,487
From: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Originally Posted by oblique
Bought the bike NOS four years ago...its late 80s 4130 of Taiwanese production.
Originally Posted by FBinNY
FWIW - I have done this kind of repair, but it's not that we disagree. It's a question of economics. The frame itself doesn't warrant doing the right repair, which I also alluded to in my first post here. So the OP has a few choices.

1- do nothing and trash the frame, which might make sense
2- spend the dough with a frame builder for a proper repair, if he feels the frame warrants that kind of investment.
3- do a "down and dirty" repair, which isn't the "right" answer, but can buy him more time with this frame. There is some room to work with, and might be some options for a stronger, though not strong as new, repair using some added steel along with the braze.

Sometimes a lousy, but cost effective solution is the best of the options available. Unfortunately, it's too often rejected outright, and something that could have been salvaged gets trashed instead.
If it is actually 4130 Chromoly, it can be tig welded, and possibly has been welded (mig/tig).

It looks like that is a cast Campy-Style horizontal dropout (complete with the set-screw). At least generally not found on department store bikes.

What type of bike was it on? Do you have photos of the whole bike?

Is the bike brazed and lugged or welded? Some dropouts are also welded in place.

Anyway, if the frame is as cheap as you indicate, then it won't be worth paying "shop rates" to repair, and end up with a repaired/repainted (or touched up) frame. Strip it and move on.

If you can do the repair yourself, or have friends or family that could do it, that would be another question.

I'd lean towards doing a quick and dirty tig welding unless the bike seemed to have significant value. Or, perhaps donate it to somebody wanting to do something like installing track dropouts on a classic road frame.
CliffordK is offline  
Reply