Bending cast aluminium?

[lozz900]

Hey guys,
My bottom triple clamp on my GSX14 has a wee twist in the alluminum casting between the fork clamp and the stem, When i set the triple clamp up in the vice with the forks in it equates to about 6mm over the length of the fork..
Can i heat it up and gently tweek it back? If yes what sort of temp should i be heating it to..?
Because its such a little bend should i just do it cold ?
Wadda you reckon?

Thanks in advance

[bsasuper]

Cast alluminium has a different grain structure than drawn or rolled ali, it will most likely crack, but use some heat if you want to try.If you have an oxy acetylene set, use just the acetylene to heat the piece, when the piece turns black from all the soot thats about the right temp, otherwise propane will do but dont get it to hot, if you get it to hot you will make it weaker.

[LBD]

Cast alluminium has a different grain structure than drawn or rolled ali, it will most likely crack, but use some heat if you want to try.If you have an oxy acetylene set, use just the acetylene to heat the piece, when the piece turns black from all the soot thats about the right temp, otherwise propane will do but dont get it to hot, if you get it to hot you will make it weaker.

Almost but not quite....Black the peice with an acetylene flame then heat with a gentle oxy acetylene flame careful not to focus the heat in one small spot. Stop heating before the carbon burns off....

[CookMySock]

My bottom triple clamp on my GSX14 has a wee twist in the alluminum casting between the fork clamp and the stemIt's fucked.


Can i heat it up and gently tweek it back?No, don't do it. Anything cast that has been nudged is a throwaway item.

Steve

[YellowDog]

It's fucked.

No, don't do it. Anything cast that has been nudged is a throwaway item.

Steve
Sorry, but I'm with Steve on this one. Have had bad past experiences with heating aluminium. Best avoided.

[Pussy]

Sorry, but I'm with Steve on this one. Have had bad past experiences with heating aluminium. Best avoided.

+1 <he's right>

[LBD]

I have much experience with working aluminum, but reconsidering my advice, the tripple clamp is not to be messed with...I agree with the advice not to do it.

[vagrant]

Are you doing your measurement with top and bottom clamps plus the axle installed?
I have recently put the forks back into my RC30, they were badly misaligned until I fitted the axle, loosened everything off, and re-torqued it all.
Now it has pulled itself straight again.

[Ocean1]

Sorry, but I'm with Steve on this one.

Yup, could be rescued, but if you're asking how then you need to not attempt it. Scrap it.

PS: you *have* checked the fork stanchions are straight, yes?

[Pedrostt500]

Replace the tripple clamp, it takes alot of stress, and is under quiet large forces under normal riding, repair is not a reasonable option.

[howdamnhard]

You'll either end up with a crack (when you don't heat it up enough) or a pool of molten metal ( when you heat it up to much). Considering what the triple clamp does and presuming its been bent in a prang, the safe option is a new one.

[Warr]

Replace it. Dont mess with a stressed part like this.
Consider the forces placed in it and I wouldn't want anything sus holding my fork leg on.

[Shaun]

Send it F1 Engineering in Hamilton, IF STEVE says NO, it is a NO!

[gatch]

I wouldn't mess with cast ally..

[Shadows]

Hey guys,
My bottom triple clamp on my GSX14 has a wee twist in the alluminum casting between the fork clamp and the stem, When i set the triple clamp up in the vice with the forks in it equates to about 6mm over the length of the fork..
Can i heat it up and gently tweek it back? If yes what sort of temp should i be heating it to..?
Because its such a little bend should i just do it cold ?
Wadda you reckon?

Thanks in advance

Fuck I'm not sure if I'll ever feel safe buying a used bike again!

[CookMySock]

Fuck I'm not sure if I'll ever feel safe buying a used bike again!Yeah that sort of thing lingers in your mind dunnit. I do like Shauns' suggestion though.. but I would still wonder..

Steve

[marty]

Send it F1 Engineering in Hamilton, IF STEVE says NO, it is a NO!


That is a pretty sensible option - but if the cost of new is 1/2 again as much as repair, then I'd just go new.

As a test, ask how many people have successfully bent a brake lever straight again....

[CookMySock]

As a test, ask how many people have successfully bent a brake lever straight again....cough, well I did, once.. it wasn't very bent.. Just a wee tweak. Having a previously-bent brake lever fold off isn't going to be very funny, and yes chances are the consequences of that could be very large, but a triple-tree - thats a whole new category.

Steve

[lozz900]

Fuck I'm not sure if I'll ever feel safe buying a used bike again!
Thanks guys
Ive been engineering for over 20 years im well aware of the dangers here but were talking the tinyist bend here.. I only know its twisted buy measuring it, I cant even see the bend in it..I do know that cast alloys can be bent its just a matter of using the correct procedure and leaving nothing to chance...
Thanks for your inputs ..

[lozz900]

heaps of times .. piece of piss.. The correct tools and procedure is the key