Can a mountain bike frame be welded?

My son has a pretty nice mountain bike. I wish I had brand info etc but I don't know anything about it. Last night he found a bad crack on the top tube about an inch or two from the triple. It is an aluminum frame. Can this be welded or is he SOL? The crack is over half way around the tube.

 

if he just rides the bike casually (frm point a to point b)-id say just have it mig welded..

but if he rides it hard-trails and all-just buy a new bike or frame-safety first:up:

 

Yes.
A number of manufacturers offer generous warrantys on frames; iirc, specialized has a lifetime frame warranty which was a strong factor in my purchase. Check with the manufacturer first.

 

Steel frame, absolutely. Aluminum frame like his? I'll defer to Britt but if done right I'd say yeah (but keep a close eye on it).

 

You might wanna check it out, but some frames had lifetime warranties.

The guy who owned the local bike shop when I was an older teen raced Cannondales and they were notorious for cracking at the seat stays. They wouldn't warranty a frame that was used for racing, but they would've warrantied a casual rider's frame.

 

I thought Crackandbale frames came pre cracked to save you time and effort?

 

Take that shit back to Thornberrys!! ; )

 

Thornberry's!?! You have to be an ex-Louisville guy....man, I used to live at that place back in the 60's and early 70's. Got my first Schwinn Varsity there. My mom and I were just talking the other day how there aren't places like that anymore. If my bike had a problem I would take it to them and they fixed it on the spot and sent me on my way.

Good memories

 

Check over on MTBR.com. They have a frame builder's forum. People ask all the time about cracked frame repair. It usually comes down to where the crack is, the type of tubing it is (grade of alum, how thin), whether or not it'll need to be heat treated post weld, value of the frame before the crack, and other factors.

Places like Nashbar and Performance sell house brand aluminum frames on closeout for $99 at times. Sette and Access are two of the budget brands that can be had pretty cheap. Nice frames too. Sometimes replacement makes more sense.

I'd check with the manufacturer about warranty first, then ask on MTBR.

 

Depends on the application but from what I've seen occassionally - yes, but not just welded but refabricated. I've also seen some DIY massive sleeves added over dodgy sections of top tubes that were effective, but weighed a ton.

These guys do repairs in Australia, there's prob an equivalent in the states - check the photo album for some reference or the mtbr forums for suggestions

http://www.gripsport.com.au/service/frame-repair

 

This is a great time of year to land a 2012 frame on closeout.

 

I found out a little more info. The frame is a 2010 Titus. He bought this bike from my brother in perfect shape and he has trashed it because he jumps it off everything. My brother has a 2006 Titus that he has raced for years with no issues. My kid could break a bowling ball with a fingernail file.

My brother is going to call Titus (which I understand is another company now) to see if he can get anything accomplished warranty wise.

I know nothing about these things, but according to my brother a simple frame swap isn't so simple due to all of the extra parts that are on this bike.

 

Some warranty info..

http://www.titusti.com/support/warranty/

 

Titus is a solid company so I think they'll shoot you straight. The only hassles I've gotten on this were from Schwinn on an "unbreakable" frame that they deemed was cracked by an "unintended use". Who'd have thought hitting a tree in the forest was unintended for a mtb!?

 

Companies like Specialized have a lifetime warranty on their frames for original purchaser. meaning if your brother bought the bike and then sold it to your son and your son tried to warranty the frame he would be refused. Makes it a reason to buy frames new from your LBS (and not some eBay scammer). When your brother talks to the manufacturer tell him to not mention he sold the bike to your son.

 

Sounds like if you had access to a high frequency tig machine and a guy that knows what he is doing that it would be a walk in the park.

 

I've had to use Trek's frame warranty before... it was pretty painless. Replaced the complete rear triangle on my Fuel 80.

 

If the frame has broken at this joint once already......welding it back would just be a waste of time IMO….

 

Cut old tube out and have a TIG welder put another in for you. Simple.

 

Titus was purchased out of bankruptcy about 18-24 months ago IIRC....you're most likely screwed.

Also "lifetime" warranties can mean a lot of different things. The lifetime of an aluminium frame is finite.

Ask Titus what they can offer as a crash replacement deal and see if it worth buying a new frame with that deal.