Is it possible to expand the ends of handlebars that got bent/dented from hard crash?
 

Just wondering. The end of one side of the handlebars is pretty dented in from the previous owner crashing pretty hard on them. is it possible to straighten them out somewhat?

Pictures? Aluminum or steel? Aluminum - most likely not as it will tend to crack. Steel - sure - you will need a wedge insert to expand the metal. I have rebent steel handle bars by clamping in a padded vice. I took it slow and watched for cracks.

It all depends on how bent is bent.

Tom

It is aluminum. I don't have pics yet but I can grab some when I get home. The handlebars are usable as is, the OCD in me will be driven nuts by the fact that they are bent though. LOL The bend is more rounded, not squished, not like steel which would have just bent. Apparently there was a bar end on the end of the bar and when the bike went down, it landed hard on the bar end which rounded the end of the handlebar about 1/2 inch in and then the bar end fell off. I acquired the parts after the fact so i'm just trying to see what I can salvage before I give up. I didn't pay anything for the frame or related parts so if I break/crack the handlebars in trying to straighten it, I won't be out any money. Heck, I might be able to use my die grinder with a cut off wheel and just trim it back (equally on both sides though).

If the damaged area is short, probably your bet bet is to take a 32tpi hackaw and simply trim the bar back. then you can dress the end with a medium half mill file. If you're a lousy sawyer, put a hose clamp onto the bar as a guide.

When you're all done, drop a nickel into each grip before installing them. That'll keep the grips from punching through and protect the end of the bar.

If you could even rebend the aluminum, I would not ever trust to put bar ends on it again. Straightening for looks could be OK, but the structure would be comprimised. Aluminum can be a harsh mistress.

As FBinNY suggested, trim the end especially if you want to retain strength.

I looked at the bar when I got home. The damaged area is more of 1/8 to 1/4 inch total bend so I'm just going to cut it cleanly off. Good idea on the hose clamp!!