Wobbly Top Box - Broken Frame

[Rik398]

Ok folks, so after 2 years faultless reliability, the bandit problems just keep on coming.

Had a big MOT bill, and I have ordered a load of stuff for service, plugs, air filter, oil, oil filter, going to do valve clearances and carb balance also. Partly because the bike needs it, partly because I am bored and decided to teat myself to some wrench time.

But, I decided to investigate why my top box wobbled so much. Its a renntec rack, so not really designed for top box, and the top box is a cheap one, but it has always wobbled ever since I put it on. So decided to look.

The rack bolts into where the grab handle is. The grab handle bolts into threaded eyelets on the frame. Soon as I took the back plastics off, one of the eyelets simply fell off the frame. The threaded bit had snapped off the frame, and there was some residue on the side where someone has tried to glue it or something previously.

I am no welder, but did bump into some alminium brazing rods while searching the net, and thought I would just use them. Then i remembered that the frame is steel.

So, is there a brazing rod or something that can be used on steel, or am I looking at welding as only option. I have investigated silver solder brazing, would this be sufficient? The bolt will be taking the load of a top box, but there are 4 bolts so its not as though that one bolt takes all the weight.

Its annoying as having the top box is one of the good points of the bike, and it has no sub frame, its all one piece.

[Stu]

can I have some pics of the threaded hole in question

you cant just buy brazing rods you need all the right gear to go with it

you can buy a new nutsert if they are nutserts

[Rik398]

I will try and get a pick up. Literally got called to work on spare of the moment as I was doing it, so stuck it all back together using the available bolts for the moment.

[Rik398]

Its basically a circular piece (not nut shaped) that is threaded on the inside and welded to the frame.

[Stu]

if you can get it out cleanly you could try one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Gro ... 3a8ae07e72

[Rik398]

Found a schematic of the frame which should give you some idea.

They are just tubes with threads in them that are welded into the frame. The tube has snapped off, with some of the metal around the edges coming with it.

[Stu]

Ah that makes more sense now

a lot of bikes use them nutserts I linked too

if the threads are fine etc just get someone to weld it all up for you

[eastanglianbiker]

mig welder will be the best for that only take couple of seconds to weld it back in place if you havent get a mig welder any local garage will do it for you i would of thought just make sure you remove negative terminal from battery for safety sake what ever welding you decide to go with

[Rik398]

Those look like a possibility. Though I am not sure the flange on them will be big enough. Because the tubes are welded to a flat piece, a fair amount of the flat piece has come with it leaving nothing to attach anything else to.

I think welding it up may be the only option