Snapped chainstay or dropout: repair options

Unshipped the chain into the spokes, which locked-up and pulled the derailleur up and into the wheel snapping the dropout in the process, along the line of the adjuster screw.

It's only my beater Winter bike (1980's Raleigh, 531 main tubes, £50 for the whole bike), so I'm not too pissed off and I've had my money's worth from it.

I'd rather not skip it though, it's a perfectly decent hack. Getting the dropout replaced is certainly feasible and I was even thinking of getting track fork ends put in while I was at it.

Having a quick check online though it looks like it would cost £100-odd. I'm sure I could get the price down a bit, but even so that's a fair whack to spend on a modest frame.

Is this the sort of job that a competent engineering company could do, or does it need a jig?

Any other options/opinions/advice?

three quid > http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-rear-gear-mech-derailleur-hanger-convertor-adapter-drop-out-/261159316102?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item3cce4eea86http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=261159316102&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]

Interesting RG, but with only half a dropout remaining, I'm not sure how secure I could get it.

I suppose it could be brazed in place?

like you say ss, with a fifty quid frame how far do you want to go? i reckon the above device could be drilled and pinned to the remaining top load bearing surface of the drop out. how secure though..?

else get a framebuilder to braze in the proper part

Drill & fix: that's an idea!

I think a framebuilder will be too expensive, but I hate the idea of binning an otherwise serviceable frame.

Of the various suggestions I've received on various forums, yours looks to have the most mileage...

okay, just don't sue me when the bodge disintegrates into a sorry mess at the most inopportune moment..

It's only my beater Winter bike

Phew.

Hmm. I would drill the dropout through, pin it, and weld it up. Or maybe fabricate some thin (1mm) dropout-shaped plates and weld either side of the dropout (would need a longer axle, perhaps). You can do all of that yourself, except the welding bit. There is (or was) an excellent welder in Kelvedon, if you're willing to travel that far - he fabricated a new frame for my old 1960s convertible car's roof for about fifty quid, and it only took him a day.

okay, just don't sue me when the bodge disintegrates into a sorry mess at the most inopportune moment..

Where there's blame, there's a claim...

Thanks Lewis (and also for the Sturmey Archer info).

The silver lining is that I was forced to build up the Orbit: Chorus RS and matching perforated white leather Laser and tape; the ride is in stark contrast to my Winter bike...

Would like to see the orbit built up, ss

I think i have an orbit that was refurbed by argos

On Saturday's club run. Needs Elite Ciussi cages and a Campag wheelset: the only Campag wheels I have are laced to DP18, which seemed pointless riding in a group.

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Very handsome, like the group ethos of white saddle and tape!

Here's mine, same slight wrapover of seat stays, built in slx. Wheels are also rigida's, but shp60

http://www.lfgss.com/album.php?albumid=1312&pictureid=12429

Nice, we're seatpost/rim buddies! But either the tape or the saddle would have to go...

Just for kicks here are a couple of snaps of the damage done to my Raleigh (and the Golden Arrow derailleur).

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i cut the back end off my old road frame and fitted track ends cost £20 to get them tig welded into place. done around 300 miles on it and its been brilliant

take a look at my build thread.
i got a bit of stick for doing it though

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of snapped chainstays... how much it'd cost to fix, and whether it would be structurally safe once fixed?

Cheers

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It couldn't really be at a worse place could it

seems like a snapped dropout? shouldn't be that bad, maybe source some local framebuilder and try giving him a call, guess if he has some drop outs lying around it shouldn't be much of a job, shame for chrome though... i think it's better luck then cracking a tube, so cheer up :)

It is indeed a snapped dropout. I've had braze-on bosses snap off before, which have been easily welded back on, but what with it being at such a high stress point I wasn't sure whether it'd be alright or not, I don't know much about welding you see...

braze on a new dropout, and don't chrome it. Chrome makes it brittle. Simple repair for a frame builder.

Cheers adroit. Any idea on rough price?

Would another option be to weld a sleeve over the split? Is a sleeve even a thing?

Its a really simple job for a frame builder. I've had exactly the same problem in the past. A sleeve would be more difficult, even if there was such a thing.

No idea on price, but a drop out is cheap. Maybe 30 minutes labour ? Less than £100 all in, I imagine.

I paid 70 quid some years ago to have this repair done to a steel GT.

Great, thanks for the replies. Food for thought...

Hey I have a mate that will tig it for £20...it will blue the chrome a little around the weld tho it will hold up fine...we did a few in exactly the same place and there was never a worry...they held out for years...you just angle grind the area on the edge of the crack to get rid of the chrome and fill it in with weld...then linish off the excess...you don't really need a new drop out... he will do you a great job...ping me a pm and i'll get his contact details