Rebuild done! 3rd Frame now

[TJ Bradley]

I just finished my "winter rebuild" i guess you could say. Just in time for indoor. And now i'm on my 3rd Frame with this bike. Didn't do anything to the motor since it only has 4 hours on it and the shocks were revalved and resprung and revalved in august. But i put new plastics on her and the new frame, just wanted to see what you guys think. Check out the custom gussets. It shouldn't break no time soon. All the way up behind the upper tube where they all break, is a half inch solid peice of steel. lol. little heavy but im tired of this crap.

[TJ Bradley]

ok so the other pictures wont download lol. i'll try to get them up ASAP

[TJ Bradley]

side

[TJ Bradley]

gotta lova a DASA

[TJ Bradley]

heres the gussets for the bends. starting at the bend on the back side is where the soild steel bar is. :D

[quad2xtreme]

Mine is reinforced more than that...same problems. I might run out and take some pics. I've been meaning to anyhow.

I also had to reinforce the lower engine mounts and a full piece of steel across the front between the two front shocks.

[ss440ex]

Originally posted by quad2xtreme
Mine is reinforced more than that...same problems. I might run out and take some pics. I've been meaning to anyhow.

I also had to reinforce the lower engine mounts and a full piece of steel across the front between the two front shocks.


Post some pics of the lower engine mounts....Thanks.

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by ss440ex
Post some pics of the lower engine mounts....Thanks.

I will post them tomorrow. I will tell you now that they are reinforced on the inner side so I didn't have to find longer engine bolts. I did have to grind down the aluminum spacers so the engine would fit.

[TJ Bradley]

My lower mounts are done the same way it sounds. Fat boys and big jumps dont mix. lol

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by TJ Bradley
My lower mounts are done the same way it sounds. Fat boys and big jumps dont mix. lol

I raised my quad to 8" under the pegs measured to the bottom of the skidplate and then 8.5" 18" forward from this. (this is wearing full gear). It has really helped.

[quad2xtreme]

Picture of left rear frame gusset...notice it extends down past the engine bolt... the other gussets are from Lonestar.

[quad2xtreme]

right rear gusset...also extends down below the engine bolt but the brake pedal block the view...

[quad2xtreme]

this is the 3/16" steel plate added in front of the plate that already runs between the two front shocks...he drilled four extra holes (besides the 2 for the shock mounts) so he could fill them in with weld. He told me what this is called but I forget.

[quad2xtreme]

This is the best I can do today for the lower engine mounts. I didn't want to take the skidplate off. Hopefully you can tell they are thicker. Basically, the metal is all built on the inside. That little crack better be the old crack that was forming. :D The aluminum spacer isn't as wide as stock now...

[quad2xtreme]

the other one...

[TJ Bradley]

I have my bike sittin right at 8 under the pegs to. and bout 8 1/2 up front. It sits like a XC bike but no problems yet with the frame. And Yea i'd say yours is pretty stout now. My lower mounts are done different. We put like a round shaped piece of metal on each side of where the bolt goes through. So they go from the frame to the top of the mount to keep from bending. O yea. Do you think i'll run into problems up at the front shock mounts? The old frame didn't look too fatigued there so i dint gusset them. ?? what do ya think?

[quad2xtreme]

I split mine just inside the frame tubes...you would have thought it would have split right at the shock mounts. I also had several cracks around where the steering connected.

I think much of this happened because I was running 7" under the pegs and 7.5" up front. I started hitting some big jumps and coming up short. I also landed on the front bumper a year ago...I have no idea what that did as I never really looked at my frame all that close.

You can always add that extra shock support later if you notice things cracking. I would use 1/8" steel though. I think my guy just had the 3/16 laying around and used it for everything.

[TJ Bradley]

K cool. yea i'll just keep an eye on it and see what happens. Im a pretty big guy. I'm 6'2 260, and love to go big. I guess thats wahy im on my 3rd frame since feburary. ?? :D

[quad2xtreme]

hopefully you got new shock springs.

I am 6' 5.5" but a measly 195 without gear. :D

Ever been to NCMP?

[TJ Bradley]

Still a frame killer tho obviously. lol. Yea i'm runnin custom axis triple rates. And yea i got em revalved and resprung. Theyre set up for... 250+ now i think. And no i've never been to NCMP i've heard some good stuff about it tho. Thats i bit of a haul for me.

[kodymx13]

are yall "mig"ing these gussets in? if so that y. tig then powder coat

[quad2xtreme]

haven't cracked a weld that Pappy did yet...not sure if he tig'd or mig'd. The issue is moving the problem to the next area. For me, you are also talking about 3 full years of fatigue...we ride year round in NC.

[born2ride14]

Originally posted by quad2xtreme
this is the 3/16" steel plate added in front of the plate that already runs between the two front shocks...he drilled four extra holes (besides the 2 for the shock mounts) so he could fill them in with weld. He told me what this is called but I forget.

i believe that is called a button weld

[TJ Bradley]

i know we MIG welded mine. And same as quad2xtreme most of the time its not the weld that breaks it just moves the breaking point to another location. When do you think HONDA will finally do somethin about this design? It'd be sweet if they'd come out with a Can-am sort of frame, like yamaha did. They have no welds to break and are supposed to be pretty much bullet proof from what i hear.

[motoguy450r]

man i guess i been fortunate because ive seen alot of nightmare stories, im 6'0' 265 my frame has never been touched and its a 04. guess the mx gods r watching out for me. and yes you r right saying the weld moves the breaking point.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by quad2xtreme
haven't cracked a weld that Pappy did yet...not sure if he tig'd or mig'd. The issue is moving the problem to the next area. For me, you are also talking about 3 full years of fatigue...we ride year round in NC.

The time you spent learning to hit the downside is what took your frame out:p We rarely see this type of damage on Pro Am or Pro frames.

TIG welding these frames doesnt offer any advantage over mig more or any less as they are mild steel and mig welded at the factory. The issue lies on the design of the joints and the stress placed upon them. If it were a chromoly construction then tig would be applied.

[TJ Bradley]

Yea you're exatly right pappy. I i have cased and came up short a few times trying to clear some stuff or just over shooting sometimes. O well. lol. So yea i know you frown on it but my frame is rattle canned. =) I was wandering whet you charge for a frame. Just the main frame. I hear your the best.

[quad2xtreme]

me too Pappy...I can't deny and have admitted many times that I don't have the ability to judge jump distance. I've pounded my frame into the ground more than once. :D

I use to have "test" dummies but I haven't found any reliable ones since moving to NC. I was hoping TJ lived closer to NCMP. ;)

[Pappy]

TJ...roughly $145 for the main frame

John...your not the only one:p I have seen frames break regardless, but we all need to own up to what we do to help worsen the situation...lol

[TJ Bradley]

Haha. Id love to be your Test dummy. I usually am anyways. lol maybe when it warms up a lil i'll venture down your way and we can demolish some frames together.
And Pappy thanks I just rebuilt mine but as soon as i break this frame.. which hopefully wont be any time soon, you'll definitly be hearing from me. Theres a local guy here that was talking like he was cuttin me a hell of a deal to do my frame at $325 !!

[trx250rider]

carolina powder coating

$100 striped
$125 not

their the most reasonable i found and do great work..im rebuilding a 250r.ill have pics up soon

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by TJ Bradley
Haha. Id love to be your Test dummy. I usually am anyways. lol maybe when it warms up a lil i'll venture down your way and we can demolish some frames together.
And Pappy thanks I just rebuilt mine but as soon as i break this frame.. which hopefully wont be any time soon, you'll definitly be hearing from me. Theres a local guy here that was talking like he was cuttin me a hell of a deal to do my frame at $325 !!

I got a quote like that too and the guy told me that didn't include the stripper. I told him I better be getting more than a stripper for that amount of money. LOL. :p

[dustinshuler]

hey , just ventured over from the 250r threads to take a break and look at some 450s. started reading this thread and Im tired of the fat boy remarks. I am 6.5 and weigh 265 and I havent broke a frame in sevaral years. Course I guess I need to ride more and built quads less.LOL. I have to agree with you pappy down side those jumps is the cheapest way to fix frames. Whats up TJ? Glad to see you on the site, I didnt know you had got in to the sport so big. I think I know the local guy your talking about since we live about 3 miles apart LOL. hes out of his mind and not that good either. Not to take anything away from pappy hes the best but theres a guy in waynesville that im hooked up with and he does an awesome job to. B.T.W. come over to the 250r threads and check out the build Ive got going you can see a sample of the powdercoat. I went with silver hammertone.