welding fork lowers

[ipod]

Gday,
Recently I discovered a crack in my rockshox domain forks. The crack is about 30mm long and spans around the allen key bolt at the bottom. (See picture) the crack has been leaking oil for a while so it has gone the full thickness of the fork lower.

Note* this isn’t my fork, but it illustrates the crack. I’ll try and get actual pictures up tonight

Now, is it possible to weld a crack like this successfully? As far as I know the metal is a magnesium alloy and can be welded, but anyone have personal experience with trying this?

New lowers have been quoted at $300, which for a fork that only cost me marginally more than that, is a bit rich and out of the question.

Any help appreciated

 

[spinner]

New lowers or replace the whole fork.

The mag alloy never welds very good (porous and weak) , plus you'll get penetration through to the face where the damper rod seats (could be a rubber seal in there too). The penetration will need to be removed which will also be a pain.

 

[simplesimon76]

^^^^Tis' true, my mate had his Rock Shock Totums do the exact same thing. he asked me to weld it, i just said no. why, because what this guy said, plus i'm too lazy.

 

[Pinner]

I doubt it.

But check with Grip, PM him or visit www.gripsport.com.au. He knows everything about welding bikes.

 

[Grip]

Whether something CAN be welded and whether or not it SHOULD be welded are two completely different things. And to repair that fork leg properly would easily cost far more than the $300 you've been quoted for a new one (by the time it was disassembled, cleaned out properly, prepped, checked for actual weldability, set up in a "chamber" (probably), welded, cleaned up, checked for porosity and cracks, painted and reassembled with new seals/oil etc).

Of course you could always get the "half-a-slab-and-she'll-be-right" welding job done on it. But most fork legs are made from nasty cast that just doesn't weld well at all and don't forget that porosity and cracking that spinner mentioned will end up being on the part of a bike that's keeping your face off the ground!

Your choice... but we would never do that repair (even if someone was prepared to pay for it to be done).

Be kind to your face. Bin 'em.

 

[supermajo1]

Clean them up nice and shiny and stick them on your wall as a decoration,
cause like grip said, they are not getting repaired

 

[ipod]

thanks Grip and Spinner, appreciated. Ive been hearing similar things but just wanted to see if anyones actually done it before, but from what you've said i'm guessing no ones been stupid enough.

Well, four weeks till Thredbo, four weeks to get new forks.