[Entrenador]

Is it possible to add strength / durability to a steel frame's down tube / head tube junction by adding a gusset? I have zero frame building experience, so I would take to a frame repairer to do this. Can a gusset be added to a frame that is already complete? Other than the aesthetic concerns (paint / finish removal), is there any reason why this shouldn't be done (i.e. concerns about the assembly sequence perhaps)?

Thanks much.

 

[Smokebikes]

HAZ.....heat affect zone, not s show stopper but a huge concern.

 

[shiggy]

HAZ.....heat affect zone, not s show stopper but a huge concern.

Which could make the frame weaker than it was before the gusset.

To the OP, for the gusset to be effective, you really need to know what the tubing spec in the frame is. If the gusset ends close to, or goes beyond, the end of the butted section the frame may just buckle at that point.

 

[Entrenador]

Which could make the frame weaker than it was before the gusset.

To the OP, for the gusset to be effective, you really need to know what the tubing spec in the frame is. If the gusset ends close to, or goes beyond, the end of the butted section the frame may just buckle at that point.

Read a bit about such concerns before, and I guess playing safe by going with a shortish gusset probably wont help strengthen it up either. I doubt I'd be able to get reliable info about the tubing spec since it's an older frame, so I'll just see how it holds up on its own.

Thanks for the clear and honest feedback.

 

[18bikes]

also, by strengthening one area, you may (or will) just pass the failure on to a different area of the bike, so unless you gusset everything (really pointless) then it's probably not going to help

Matt