jerrymcdougal

I have a 1-2mm deep by 3/4" long dent on the top of a top tube on a CAAD8 frame, would filling it with Epoxy or something like JB Weld yield a safe frame?

If not, what are some ways it could be repaired on the cheap? And I mean repaired, not "Its trash, get a new one"

Thanks in Advance Everyone!

OneTinSloth

i can't tell if you're describing a dent, or a hole, or slit in the tube. post up a picture of it so we know what we're dealing with.

if it is a dent of the dimensions you listed, short of having the tube replaced (which you can't really do with aluminum because of it's brittle nature, and the heat treatment that cannondale uses), there's nothing you can really do to fully "repair" it. you can fill in the dent with something, but it's not going to repair it in the structural sense. it'll look nice, but as far as the tube and it's ability to deal with load, nothing can really be done.

that being said, it sounds like the dent you're describing isn't that bad, and i would just ride the damn thing and not worry about it. the top tube of a frame doesn't bear as much load as the down tube and seat tubes and most of the time, a small dent is inconsequential to the structural integrity of the frame. if there are creases around where the dent is, i would sand the paint off around the dented area and check for cracks and keep an eye on it.

DeadSailor

put up a picture

im assuming no warranty?

just weld it? im sure at worst you could weld in a plate to reinforce

jerrymcdougal

Thats kind of what Im looking for. I've gotten opinion from other people simply saying "its trash" but its really not that bad of a dent.

Oh, and yes its a dent about 1-2mm deep at the deepest and about 3/4" long 1/2" wide. Think of what smacking the top tube with a U-lock would do. Definately no cracks either.

I picked this frame up from a friend for nearly nothing because of the dent. He is a racer, and didn't want to take the chance. It didn't seem bad to me and It will be a HUGE upgrade from my Fuji Newest 4.0 frame.

Am I right in thinking that it would most likely get noticeably worse before exploding into a billion bits? If so , I will just ride it how it is.

Thanks a lot for the useful answers and not giving a "its junk" reply!

capwater

Filling in the dent as you describe will not yield a stronger frame. Unless you plan on repainting it might actually look worse. Cheaper idea would be to get some small sticker (mavic, profile design, your-name-here, etc) and just cover the dent to make it look nicer.

jerrymcdougal

Thats a good idea! Or maybe have some small vinyl graphics cut for it or something. I'll look into that.

Thanks!

Phantoj

It would be foolish to fill in the dent. You want it to be visible so you can monitor that location - make sure no cracks are forming.

jerrymcdougal

Ok, I'll just keep on eye on it and leave it as is.

Thanks guys!