250r frame reinforcement?!?!?!

[stocktires]

OK, I have an 86 R and i race MX. I need the frame to be stronger but i cant spend thousands on a whole new frame! I want to get my frame reinforced and powdercoated! Has anyone had this done? I want a professional to do it, not a friend's, dad's, best friend's, cousin who is basicaly an amaturewith SOME welding knowledge. ya know what i mean! I'm gona be doing some hardcore racing and dont want all the gussets coming off, not working, and breaking. Cuz hardly anyone knows where exactly to reinforce the frame. theres like 10-20 different places! So ANYONE with ANY info PLEASE let me know!!

[Dave400ex]

Call Duncan racing. I think they will do it for you.

[Clay]

Well, i dont know about the reinforcing, but Universal Plating (http://www.universalplating.com/) did my powedercoating and i love it. They do all of Dirtwheels powdercoating as well. (See 330EX test).

[stocktires]

I wana get it done all at the same place because i dont wana wait a long time to ride, ya know! But thanx anyway!

[Clay]

Well my frame cracked today and i broke my motor mounts. Anyone have any suggestions?

[trx400ex]

your racin hard core? just get new shocks and you wont have a prob

[Dave400ex]

Sounds like it`s time for a Laeger Frame. You might want to check into some PEP or Axis shocks also.

[trx400ex]

if he cant spend thousands on a frame then i dont think axis and laegars will be on the list

[Clay]

Read my signature guys. I have an AXIS rear. My works fronts are soon to be Legacy Rhino Racing shocks. I dont need new shocks. I wish i could get a frame, but reinforcements are on the list, not a frame. Dont have $2300 to spare. Any help? Yes im racing pretty hard.

[Dave400ex]

Why aren`t you getting Axis fronts? The only thing I can think of to do is, weld the stock frame, or get a aftermarket frame.

[trx400ex]

Originally posted by crhye250r
Read my signature guys. I have an AXIS rear. My works fronts are soon to be Legacy Rhino Racing shocks. I dont need new shocks. I wish i could get a frame, but reinforcements are on the list, not a frame. Dont have $2300 to spare. Any help? Yes im racing pretty hard.
i was refering to the original post that said he cant spend thousands on a new frame, get axis fronts

rocky ridge racing in kentucky will reinforce it, powder coat it and finds ways to ship it cheaply

[Clay]

Awesome, i live in KY. HOw can i get ahold of them?

you'll have to ask around the board cause i lost the number

[stocktires]

i have works TR's in the front and an ohlins in the rear.

warriorman- I said i cant spend much and what do you advise? AXIS and an aftermarket frame are COMPLETELY out of the question!!!!!!!!! Im saving for my 2003 cannondale so i can put elka's on it. im gona be ridin for a year on my R so i need to either get it reinforced or keep puttin it in the welding shop for repairs (where it is now). I heard rocky ridge does really crappie work, like one time they forgot to paint the whole bottom of someone frames and RR didnt even care

[trx400ex]

why oh why do you want a canondale , do you know how frikin awesome the r could be with a little extra push (lets say 7 thousand, or are you gettint the canond mx?) but anyway id just get it welded up real good, cant the welding shop just rienforce it where its breaking?

[Dave400ex]

I didn`t tell you to get a Frame and Axis shocks. I was talking to Crhye250r.

[stocktires]

yea, they can fix it, but the Cannondale are fricken AWESOME!!! SOOOO fast and QUICK!!! i dont have $12,450 to get a MOTO440 so im gonna ge ta cannibal and get elka or axis (maybe pep) shocks, WALSH RACECRAFT a-arms, dura blue x-33 axle and all kinds of other stuff to make it way better than a moto! My R could be SOOOO awesome and i luv 2-strokes, but its just cannondale ya know! i'm still thinkin about striping down my R and putting $3000 into it and SLAUGHTER EVERYTHING in sight (on the track)! My R is already awesome it just needs a good rebuild and a ESR 265 motor. im just dont know which i should do. but anyway my 250 is getting welded and reinfored at the right footpeg now.

[trx400ex]

do you know how professional welds hold up to hard abuse? i have to do something about my frame because its broke through in 3 places, im def. getting new shocks, but i hope i dont need a new frame(the only advantage to that is i get to get it powdercoated and all that). seriously, why buy a c-dale for 7 and then dump another 5 in it? 250rs have smoked cdales at every race ive seen , one canondale was halfway up this nasty hill when it died, we couldnt get it started so me and a bunch of other guys had to push and pull it all the way up the hill and then it wouldnt start for the rest of the race. its your money , but if i could do it all over again i would have paid the same 6k i had on a 400 .on a 250 and had one BEAST.plus ive aleady spent 2 1/2k on mine and the end is knowhere in site(moding is the fun part but still:)

[stocktires]

I'm not gonna buy the cannondale for 7k, im selling my 250 for 5k so it'll be 2k, plus 3k-4k in accessories. But the old c-dales SUCKED! and they had many problems with them! 2002's are a different sorry and are awesome. the 2003's should be even better, but my decision isnt final. If you want my 250 i'll sell it to ya! If i rebuild the whole thing it'll take me about 4-6 months and i dont wana do that. i'd spend abut 4k-5k to do it too! So both whould be equal in price. And professional welds wont hold up at all, unless you reinforce the place it cracked or broke.

[trx400ex]

ill probably just have it rienforced/welded in that area then, what kind of mods do you have on your r? :devil

[stocktires]

well I'll give you the biggest mods

-CHASSIS-
#1. +2 Chrome Dean Sundahl a-arms
#2. Works front TR's w/ rezzys
#3. Ohlins rear shocks
#4. Dura blue axle
#5. Renthal bars
#6. F&R OMF Beadlocks w/ tamers and radials
#7. AC Pro-pegs, front bumper, and grab bar (all brand new)
#8. BEAUTIFUL stock red 89 plastic w/ 87 flat red hood
#9. One-Industries Graphics

-MOTOR-
#1. Pro-Design Coolhead
#2. FMF Exhaust
#3. Boyessen carb bowl
#4. Boyessen Rad Valve
#5. K&N Filter

AND many many more mods, just cant think of em!

Rocky Ridge's phone# (502) 259-9604

Here's a write up on their gusseting: http://www.atving.com/editor/racing/feature/techtip/chassis.htm

"Ken will perform what he calls the "Ultimate RX Conversion," which includes all of the above plus gusseting and welding of all areas of the R chassis that are prone to cracking, as well as sandblasting, magnafluxing (a process that highlights cracks and fractures in the frame), welding of all cracks, and re-painting. He even has an exact match for Honda red. As part of the process, Ken installs double-wall frame rails from the footpeg mount up to the rear plastic attachment point, braces the front shock towers, braces the areas around the front and rear motor mounts, and re-enforces the steering column loop area. In addition, Rocky Ridge will perform the same frame refurbishing, less the engine conversion, (including gusseting, sandblasting, welding and painting) to most any ATV frame for $375. Two years ago, Rocky Ridge gusseted and re-welded the practice bike frame of top pro Joe Byrd, and it has yet to show any signs of cracking! With the cost of aftermarket frames in the $2000 range, spending just a few hundred dollars to fix up your stock frame could be the hot ticket. Ken has even found a way to ship a bare frame via UPS from anywhere in the country for less than $30 one way! "


Hope this Helps, AMJ

Ken does great work,,rode some of his bikes,,but good luck getting a hold of him,,i've been tryin for like 3 weeks..:(

[stocktires]

your finally back rico! What kind of winter prodject you got goin on? I dont wana send my frame to him and have to wait a long time

[trx400ex]

sounds like a nice r!

[stocktires]

yea, thanx, its awesome. havent ridden it in 5 months!

[trx400ex]

Originally posted by 1986trx250r
yea, thanx, its awesome. havent ridden it in 5 months!

whys that? i rode mine today, but a guy who hunts in the woods we ride in came out and told us not to ride there untill jan 1st because of deer season, he was reall nice about it and even let us finish riding there till night.looks like i wont ride untill it snows now, and maybe not then i fi do the powdercoating and chroming i want to do:D

[stocktires]

i broke my wrist and was in a kast for 3 months (bad break)! while is was unable to ride I worked all summer and as my paychecks came in i put it into my R, i put about $2,200 into it, its at the welder right now getting the frame welded and reinforced and the left foot peg. The project just took me ALOT longer than i thought!

[trx400ex]

did you get the cast off yet? do you think youll be able to ride this year, ive had 6 broken wrists in the course of one year, and they all sucked. dont know how much winter you guys get down there but its already 30 degrees in the mornings up here, i say if its gonna be cold there might as well be snow to jump and mess around in:D ...i have a broke wrist right now, but the doctor i go to always puts on a removable cast,plus its not a real bad break. the only time it gets in the way is when i get on a steep hill and i try getting over the front end

[stocktires]

6 in one year, wow!! i had the cast on for 3 months, and a brace for a month. i've had the brace off for a month now and have been riddin my 300ex to get back into shape. I'm planning on racing a points race in january with 4 tracks and 12 races. The doc said i broke the worse bone i possibily could in my wrist (neuvicular bone, i think). My mom (ex ray tech) said it would be a year before my wrist felt normal. You need to get one of the wristresters or something!!! I plan on goin to the track in (hopefully) a month if my wrist isnt still to weak. If i were you i would NOT do chrome! My swingarm, kick starter, shifter, and brake pedal have either fully peeled or is starting to peel! Get powdercoating or polish! I'm hopeing my A-arms wont peel, i HATE chrome! But powdercoating & polishing are the only way to go! chroming something on a quad is like painting your plastic! At first it looks AWESOME, then It peels in sheets and looks SOOO UGLY! the you have to take the whole thing apart again and do it over with powdercoating or polishing. CHROME IS CRAP

chrome also weakens the metal of the chrome part

I guess if you take your parts to jackleg and associates chroming company in the back of somebodies garage that might be the case. But my buddy that will be doing mine, strips things down,,blasts them,,,polishes,,does a good job and takes his time but I guess that's the benefit of having a friend do it and not somebody that you don't know,,plus if it peels off or has problems He'll just do it again,,he's done a ton of stuff on his dirtbike and it looks great and has held up for a long time.

And how does chroming hurt metal???:huh

[beerock]

ok here is where you need to go to get all the reinfocemment parts for the frame gusseting www.timmyboydesigns.com

Timmy Boy's gusset kit for TRX frame. Its $50 shipped
Comes with I think 6 gusset's for different areas of the frame and a couple of chrome molly tubes for top by steering stem loop.

ill be ordering it soon, as I cracked my frame by my left foot peg :/

[trx400ex]

Originally posted by Rico
I guess if you take your parts to jackleg and associates chroming company in the back of somebodies garage that might be the case. But my buddy that will be doing mine, strips things down,,blasts them,,,polishes,,does a good job and takes his time but I guess that's the benefit of having a friend do it and not somebody that you don't know,,plus if it peels off or has problems He'll just do it again,,he's done a ton of stuff on his dirtbike and it looks great and has held up for a long time.

And how does chroming hurt metal???:huh

it weakens it because of the elictrical currents ran through the chemical crap the put the pieces in to get the nickle stuff to stick

I've always heard chroming something will strengthen it not make it weaker..:huh

[trx400ex]

nope.....Chroming parts, no matter how important they are to safe operation of the vehicle, appears to run rampant among people who place a priority on ribbons and glitz. The show scene is a great place to exhibit your rig and your craftsmanship, but chrome shocks, shock mounts, shackles, motor parts and similar hardware can be weakened by chroming. Here is some information to educate you about the process of chroming and ways to avoid hydrogen embrittlement.

Most people think of chrome as the bright shiny stuff on bumpers. This is not chrome, however, it is nickel. The chrome is like a clear coat over paint to keep the nickel from turning color. It is the chroming process we are concerned with. In an oversimplified explanation of how plating works, the process goes like this: The parts will go into consecutive tanks or baths of alkaline, water, acid, then water. Electrical current travels through a titanium basket filled with both the part and either a copper or nickel ingot.

Let's say you insist on chroming a shock. The part to be chromed must be clean and free of rust and excess weld slag and be thoroughly polished. The shock then receives a coat of copper. Copper will fill small scratches and pits as well as adhere the nickel to the part. After the copper-coated shock is buffed, it goes through the baths again. Now the shock is coated with nickel - a thicker coating means longer time in the coating tank. The shock is buffed again, then the whole process is repeated with the final coat of chrome; the clear coat. Again the chrome plating and polishing process will be repeated.

But shocks contain oil that needs to stay cool and the shock shaft has a seal to keep the oil inside. The acid affects the seal and the copper, nickel, and chroming process retains heat the shock must disperse in order to perform. Chrome shocks look good if you do not expect them to perform or last.

The big problem is hydrogen embrittlement Chroming such parts as shock mounts and spring shackles is asking for potential trouble. Hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels has the most devastating effect due to the catastrophic nature of the fractures when they occur. Sources attributed to hydrogen embrittlement have been encountered in the manufacture of steel, in processing of parts (chroming) and in welding, etc. This hydrogen embrittlement is like the bends for metal. Welding, especially electrowelding, initiates the problem and an electrolytic plating bath such as chroming, compounds it.

Now what can we do about this destructive effect? On anything except a shock, bake the part. Yes! Bake it. There is an embrittlement relief procedure table which ranges from a half hour at 500 degrees to 23 hours at 325 degrees. You can bake the part yourself to relieve embrittlement after it is chromed, but ask the folks at the plating shop for the proper tables. Do not do this with a shock as it will blow up.

Our purpose here is to educate you on the pitfalls of electroplating components for the sake of appearance. Speak to your plating shop about options available to you that won't jeopardize part performance or personal safety.

Were did you get that info from,,,not that it's not true I'd just like to know the source so I can copy it and give it to my buddy..thanks

[trx400ex]

i just wrote that on my own knowledge,, no heres the link, i found it yesterday,,,,,,im not getting very much chroming done, but not becasue of this, more of the price tag, i only want to spend about 200 for for chroming, and i called someone who said it be around 100 for the case covers, then more for the brake pedal, footpegs and mounts




http://www.findarticles.com/cf_offrd/m1185/n2_v31/18980765/p1/article.jhtml

not sure but can aluminum be chromed...i know the side cases are aluminum and i think the front motor mounts are too...i think they have to be polished