David325

Okay, so my friend and I found an '84 Panasonic Sport LX and have started fixing it up a bit. We did a couple of somewhat stupid things though. First, the dropout was bent. So basically, we hit it with a torch for a minute, stuck it in a vice, and bent it back into place. Wheel mounted up fine.. Secondly, the rear wheel was somewhat tacoed. So we just put it on the ground and applied pressure to the raised ends, and it basically went back into shape very easily. Half the spokes and loose and it's a bit out of true, but I could fix that pretty easily. So, my question is, are either of these fixes safe to ride on?

gomango

Question I ask myself when I get these ideas is it safe for my wife and kids? If you can give a legit "yes" go for it. If not, keep working on it. Have the wheel trued at a shop just to be on the safe side, unless you have a stand. While there, have them look closely at your dropout handiwork for a second opinion. As a riding buddy always asks his kids when they are working on bikes, "do you like your teeth?" In other words, don't cut corners on safety related matters.

leftthread

Dropout on the front or the rear?

TejanoTrackie 

I'd love to offer you my opinion, but upon consultation with my legal counsel I've been advised not to comment.

theschwinnman

Don't know about the wheel, but I believe heating up steel to a certain extent it will become annealed, and be much softer and easier to bend...

newenglandbike

Also bending steel can harden it, so there's that to consider as well.

wrk101

I would not touch that bike and I definitely would not ride it. I would be parting it out right now. Its really better to do some research first, and keep torches, hammers, drills, and vise grips away from the bike. With google, it is really easy to do basic maintenance research.

randyjawa 

Yup, I agree with wrk101. You might well have compromised the structural integrity of the frame set. As for the wheel, the wheels on a road bike are incredibly important if one hopes to have any kind of quality ride. Since you have bent the wheel rim, it will be difficult to get even tension on the spokes. If the rim is alloy and of old school, pinned joint design, then the wheel itself might fail and do so dramatically.

So, were it me, I would seek expert advice from a good mechanic at a local bicycle shop. My guess is that they will not approve use of the frame set. They will also suggest a new rim. And if they do not do both of these things, you might want to try another bicycle shop.

Or, you can ignore your concerns and the advice of others and ride the bicycle. If you would like to get a better idea of how to go about straightening out the rear drops and stays, have a peek at this article I put together to help people just like you and me.

https://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe...ameSetPrep.htm

I hope this is a help.

auchencrow

When in doubt, throw it out.

Bioflamingo

I'm more of a ride it hard and heavy until it falls apart sort of guy. If it were my bike I'd ride it like I stole it and the owner was chasing me. When it fell apart a few days later I'd pull the good pieces off and crush the rest. That being said I wouldn't take it at high rates of speed, just in case the rear wheel decides to fall apart, which it probably will. I do this all the time with wrecked/low end bikes and I have yet to seriously injure myself.

JohnDThompson 

Dropouts in that era were made from mild steel, precisely so they could be bendable without problems.

randyjawa 

I could not agree more, however; my concern was with the application of heat. Heating a steel piece, or pieces, hot enough to facilitate bending might well exceed the meting temperature of the brass or silver solder used to make the joint. Using heat requires skill and understanding on the part of the fellow wielding the torch. Anyone can bend metal but can everyone do so without compromising the structure of the metal itself? My guess is no. But that is just me.

David325

Based on the responses, I'm thinking the frame will be okay but the wheel is a bad idea. I figured the wheel was garbage anyways, but was just curious really. It was the rear dropout that was bent. At this point I'll be on the lookout for cheap used wheels, I suppose.. Thanks for the advice, everyone.

WNG

IMHO, the frame is ridable. Hitting the dropout with a torch for 1 minute isn't going to be enough heat to compromise a brazed joint. Especially a brass one. If your frame has a forged dropout, I think heating it was the best step to prevent cracking as you straightened it.
As for the rim, if it's aluminum, it may not take back its shape properly and stay true and round. But give it a try and see what results you get. I once had a Mavic MA40 I tried to retrue for my brother. Rebuilt the wheel but failed, the rim just wouldn't stay round. Had to toss it out.
Inspect your rim for cracks first, then try truing. No sense in wasting the effort on a bad rim.
Steel frames are more robust than we give them credit, look at the amount of 'aligning' they can take in attempts to straighten them or widen the rear. Failure modes are pretty obvious IMO.

soonerbills

Did we ever worry about such trivial issues when we were kid's ?
It will be fine to it ain't no more so shaddup and ride the damn thing

David325

Lol, much more ambitious responses from you guys. I'll definitely check the rim for stress marks and try to true it up while looking for a new one. Don't worry, if it all self destructs and I die I'll be sure to have someone post up pictures for you all.

gomango

Very thoughtful.

prettyshady

Take it for a test ride and check it over every so often.

RobbieTunes

HSLA steel should not be heated to straighten. You may get it straight, get the wheel true and straight, and be fine.
I sure can't tell you to ride it, nor would I tell you not to.

The risk is yours to assume.

randyjawa 

Of course not, but then again we did not weight 230 pounds either.

Drillium Dude 

I was thinking the same thing - the older we get, the more protective of our cohones we become. God bless the days when we didn't count the cost or calculate the odds...

That said, I hope there are soft shoulders on the road you take that on - just in case

David325

Yeah, I'll check it over periodically I guess. I think it's a good thing I weigh 140 and my friend 120, eh.

newenglandbike

Good plan- Just ride it and keep an eye on it and you'll be fine. Steel doesn't fail without warning, so if it starts to fail and you're checking it, you'll see the signs.

In fact that's good practice on any bike regardless of it's history.