Can you get rid of a dent in aluminum?
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Can you get rid of a dent in aluminum? (pictures)
I just got a Bianchi Pista Concept frame and there is a good sized dent 3/4 the way up on the oversized down tube about the size of a quarter. Is their anything that I can do to remove the dent. Will the dent cause significant structural damage to the bike? Should I worry about the frame cracking?
pics
Thanks!
pics
Thanks!
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Baie-Comeau, Québec
Posts: 600
Bikes: Specialized Roubaix Comp '06
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by catalyst
Should I worry about the frame cracking?
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Quahog, RI
Posts: 1,509
Bikes: Giant TCR Comps, Cdale R5000, Klein Q-Pro, Litespeed Siena, Piasano 105, Redline Conquest Pro, Voodoo Bizango, Fuji Aloha
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Put a sticker over top of it, maybe a properly sized Mavic one would look cool. Yeah, that's just paint cracks. Put some clear nail polish over it to prevent it from flaking.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Orange Co, CA
Posts: 52
Bikes: '01 F1000 Lefty ELO
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
1- Stating the obvious, the tubing wall thickness is thinnest in the area of your frames damage. Triple butted tubing has (3) different wall thicknesses, ends are both thicker. Double butted tubing is the same on each end, thinnest away from ends.
2- The only way to tell if the tube has any cracking is to remove paint in that area and do liquid penetrant testing. This is done at the factory, by a certified tech., on every piece of tube. Its standard QC procedure.
3-High tensile Al tubing is formed then heat treated to reach specific properties. When this material is deformed i/e stressed beyond its yield point, the crystal lattice is disturbed. This is bad, stresses are concentrated and very small cracks can grow quickly, usually at the worst possible moment.
Check with Bianchi USA or a dealer to see if they will test the frame for you. It may take a few calls but they have an interest in having you ride a safe bike. Light, Hi Tech equipment is great for all of us, but we have to deal with more complex issues.
2- The only way to tell if the tube has any cracking is to remove paint in that area and do liquid penetrant testing. This is done at the factory, by a certified tech., on every piece of tube. Its standard QC procedure.
3-High tensile Al tubing is formed then heat treated to reach specific properties. When this material is deformed i/e stressed beyond its yield point, the crystal lattice is disturbed. This is bad, stresses are concentrated and very small cracks can grow quickly, usually at the worst possible moment.
Check with Bianchi USA or a dealer to see if they will test the frame for you. It may take a few calls but they have an interest in having you ride a safe bike. Light, Hi Tech equipment is great for all of us, but we have to deal with more complex issues.
#6
Fred
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boston, PRM
Posts: 277
Bikes: 1983 Schwinn Super Sp0rt, Trek hybrid, eBike, Xootr
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Short answer - aluminum usually stretches when deformed so you can't usually repair it cosmetically. The fact it got whacked hard enough to crack the paint finish is a bit disturbing. I'd guess trying to fill it and paint over it would be rather expensive.
#7
Senior Member
Check the frame for straightness. If it took a hit hard enough to ding the down tube to that extent, you could have a bent frame.
__________________
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
Il faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace
1980 3Rensho-- 1975 Raleigh Sprite 3spd
1990s Raleigh M20 MTB--2007 Windsor Hour (track)
1988 Ducati 750 F1
#8
The Rabbi
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,123
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Some good paintless dent removal guys who work on high-end exotic cars (Ferrari's are aluminum) can minimize the dent. We had a customer with a ding in his beautiful Project 1 Klein who took it to such a specialist and for about $80 had it looking as good as new.
#9
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I went and got the ding king. It work pretty well. I pulled it up by hand instead of using the brace. I don't care about the paint, it's getting powder coated.
#10
Long haired freak.
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Still stuck in hell.
Posts: 6,281
Bikes: 2011 SE Old Man Flyer.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Off topic here, but still a great little anecdote.
A little while back one of the students drove into the back of the automotive teachers truck with a peice of square stock hanging out of there own truck, the teacher didnt care about the scratch but it was up to the students to get the dent out. We tried the toilet plunger method but it did nothing, so we ordered up a similar dent pulling tool, it stuck better and seemed it would work, but nobody in the class had the strength to pull it.
So, we sat around and then came up with the idea any bunch of ********, redneck teens would come up with. We tied it to a truck. Yes, we are that dumb. Yes, the dent did get pulled. Yes, we did break a window.
A little while back one of the students drove into the back of the automotive teachers truck with a peice of square stock hanging out of there own truck, the teacher didnt care about the scratch but it was up to the students to get the dent out. We tried the toilet plunger method but it did nothing, so we ordered up a similar dent pulling tool, it stuck better and seemed it would work, but nobody in the class had the strength to pull it.
So, we sat around and then came up with the idea any bunch of ********, redneck teens would come up with. We tied it to a truck. Yes, we are that dumb. Yes, the dent did get pulled. Yes, we did break a window.
__________________
"the bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began...there was Cowboy Neal at the wheel of a bus to never-ever land."
"the bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began...there was Cowboy Neal at the wheel of a bus to never-ever land."
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 1,007
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Originally Posted by seely
Some good paintless dent removal guys who work on high-end exotic cars (Ferrari's are aluminum) can minimize the dent. We had a customer with a ding in his beautiful Project 1 Klein who took it to such a specialist and for about $80 had it looking as good as new.
#13
Listen to me
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Lexus Texas
Posts: 2,788
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by iNewton
It already started to crack, DON'T RIDE THIS.
Aluminum fails explosively (see post in FG/SS forum regarding Nitto bars)
Enjoy
#14
Senior Member
Some frame builder used to use pressurized oil in a tube to pop out dents in steel frames. Not sure if this guy is still around. Worked great on steel. This was 15+ years ago.
For aluminum - I'd consider the frame disposable and relegate it to trainer work, grass bike handling practice, etc.
cdr
For aluminum - I'd consider the frame disposable and relegate it to trainer work, grass bike handling practice, etc.
cdr
#15
Senile Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 506
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by jemoryl
Just because you pull out the dent doesn't mean the strength of an Aluminum frame isn't compromised. This is less true with steel...and the sheetmetal on cars is not a critical load bearing component.
The short answer is this: I'm not sure where the metal was bent exactly, but it would have been better left alone and not "fixed". Depending on the tube wall thickness, the weight of the rider, the exact area where the dent occured and the weight of the rider, the bike may or may not be safe. I certainly wouldn't ride it.