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How-To/Mechanics: How to fix a Cracked Tri spoke?

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorERN
    • CommentTimeFeb 16th 2009
     
    ive got and old specialized tri spoke that has a little crack in it. i want to fix it before it gets worst. any one has suggestions i would loved to know!
    thanks
    ern
  2.  
    Maybe put some 3M 8115 or some other epoxy type substance on it. But it might not be safe depending on where the crack is and how big it is, do you have a picture of it?
  3.  
    Perhaps drill a stop hole? I don't know much about carbon wheels, and It's probably not reccomended, but it's done in aluminum and such frequently.
    • CommentAuthoro_O
    • CommentTimeFeb 17th 2009
     
    do not attempt to fix this wheel.
    it will end up failing.
    catastrophically,i might add (your face will become well acquainted with Mr.Pavement).
  5.  
    Yeah, what he just said.

    Sell it on Ebay to some other crazy fool that thinks they can ride it. I would NEVER trust riding a cracked plastic wheel.
    • CommentAuthoryoxscotty
    • CommentTimeFeb 17th 2009
     
    if you're willing to trust a formerly cracked wheel by fixing it, perhaps contact the manufacturer? they might be able to repair it for you?

    otherwise, i'd try to sell it (advertise the crack) or suck up the loss.
    • CommentAuthordarkclark
    • CommentTimeFeb 18th 2009 edited
     
    it has already been brought up that you should not ride a cracked wheel, but here a a few options you have

    1)manufacturer may have a crash replacment program allowing you to buy a new wheel from them at reduced cost

    2)if you live near an engineering school there may be a student in an upper level composites class willing to do it for cost of materials and dinner or something (probably cant be brought back to original strength but may no longer be rolling grenade)

    3)im sure there is an online composites company willing to take a crack at it for enough money

    4)try and fix it yourself ( bad idea if you are asking how to begin)

    5)pawn it of on an ebay kid who doesnt know any better (dick move)

    6)accept your beautiful wheel is broken hang it on your wall and get a new front wheel
    • CommentAuthorjam guy
    • CommentTimeFeb 20th 2009
     
    Oh yea, easy fix. Elmers glue, then pray.
    • CommentAuthorK3NNY
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2009
     
    Ride that crap and avoid potholes at all costs!
    • CommentAuthoro_O
    • CommentTimeFeb 24th 2009
     
    COVER THAT SHIT IN DUCT TAPE.
    • CommentAuthorERN
    • CommentTimeFeb 27th 2009
     
    the crack was no more than an 1/4 of an inch. i used industrial epoxy. been taking it easy to see if its going to crack back through.so far good. but i know its done!
  13.  
    hey man, hold my beer and watch this!
  14.  
    If it's a crack in the clearcoat, it doesn't matter. If it's down into the fiber, never ride it again. Also, don't sell it, because then you're an asshole, cuz you knew it was catastrophically damaged.

    Find out about replacement. It's one of the problems with tri-spokes. No way to repair them.
  15.  
    If the crack is near the hub, stop riding it immediately. If the crack is towards the outer rim, contact the specific manufactuer about repair or replacement. There is no 100% repair to composite (carbon fiber) wheels. If you add epoxy, it will fill the voids and expand propagating the existing crack causing larger fissures.
  16.  
    www.hexcel.com/NR/rdonlyres/6B92766F-6419-4487-87AA-FE6C607DDE6E/0/CompositeRepair.pdf
  17.  
    Epoxy doesn't expand.
  18.  
    The crack will expand
  19.  
    No one even asked if it was carbon or composite. Hmmmm. Great advice.
  20.  
    carbon fiber is a composite. der
  21.  
    Slim, excellent link. Thanks!

    Alex, no, fourthaxis is right. It might be made out of charcoal.
  22.  
    Oo! Or diamond!
  23.  
    Calfee runs a composite repair shop in California- I managed that service for almost two years. If you send them the wheel (or any fractured carbon frame), they will be able to repair any cracks in the carbon, as long as they are not on the braking surface. It may cost you around $200 and up, but the work will be guaranteed against failure for five years. www.calfeedesign.com/howtosendrepair.htm. Send in a picture first to see if they'll accept the job. Good luck!

    PS; doing the repair with epoxy alone may slow the growth of the crack temporarily, but without new filaments to rebuild the broken layers of carbon, it will fail eventually- as one person said- catastrophically. in the meantime, mark each end of the crack with a sharpie dot, and monitor it closely for growth if you plan to keep riding it.
  24.  
    no carbon fiber is a composite. its actually made out of graphite aka charcoal. composite refers to the carbon fiber material being combined with resin. heres a definition in case i havent been clear enough. Composites : combinations of two materials in which one of the materials, called the reinforcing phase, is in the form of fibers, sheets, or particles, and is embedded in the other materials called the matrix phase. The reinforcing material and the matrix material can be metal, ceramic, or polymer.

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