Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Cold setting is probably ok. However, poor dropout alignment could cause stress... perhaps I should start checking my dropout alignments.
But, I'd probably
chalk this up as a fluke.
Does your
dropout have the adjustment screw? I've heard that is a point of weakness. Welding it, you will probably loose that screw. If it is a newer bike (as opposed to really old), it should have short dropouts, and probably doesn't need the adjustment screw anyway.
i'm realizing this may have been a fluke, although i had a bizarre case where i stood to pedal on a small hill in a rather high gear and pulled the rear wheel forward, out of the dropouts ... wondering if that stressed the area.
i do indeed have the screws, and that's exactly where it broke
Originally Posted by
JohnDThompson
No, the dropout broke at the adjuster bolt hole, so the entire bottom half of the dropout is missing.
TIG weld is probably the fastest and cheapest fix.
actually the half with the hanger is still attached to the derailleur...however, upon looking at it more closely today and trying to fit the two halves together, i see the screw is gone and so is a decent raisin-sized chunk of metal it was lodged in. Will that make this a much tougher fix, or write the old dropout off as a total loss?
i stopped in to my lbs and they said they send weld jobs to a guy in Manhattan - as it happens i work near him and popped in there first! they said TIG welding the dropout together would be cheaper ($125-150ish, although i didn't know it was missing a chunk at that point, if that matters..), but replacing the dropouts would be stronger ($200-250 if they can locate a replacement, or $300ish if they need to replace both and align everything.
to be honest even $125 is pushing it for me on this one...once it gets over $150 i reckon a new frame makes more sense.