| Author | Message | ||
     Chgojim |
my bike was knocked over a few weeks back. my front brake lever was bent (curled). i have since replaced the parts, and am saving the bent one as a spare. question is....if i heat the lever enough, can it be worked straight? | ||
| Kowpow225 |
I'd be interested to hear the answer as well. I'm guessing the aluminum will behave a little funky when heated up enough to easily bend. | ||
| Trojan |
You can do it but need to heat it VERY gently or it will melt before your eyes  | ||
| Bomber |
bend gently, as well -- cast aluminum is very fragile, and, as Trojan sez, doesn't change color when heating (unlike steel) -- you can easily wind up with a nice shiney puddle on the floor | ||
| Chgojim |
thanks for the info...figure i will give it a try, and worst case scenerio...i melt it and throw it out. thanks again. bomber- are you going to be at lakeshore hd on saturday? i'm thinking of riding up, it'd be nice to meet you. | ||
| Buellfighter |
Done this many a time with dirt bike levers. Held the mount side of the lever with pliers and heated at the gas stove then tapped into shape on the garage floor! | ||
| Toona |
You can also use a rubber hammer and straiten the lever on a concrete floor without heat. Don't use a vise to hold the lever, it concentrates the energy from the hammer in one spot and will break the lever. (Don't ask how I know  ) | ||
| Jimidan |
Put the lever in a vice and use a butane torch only to heat it, keeping it moving over the entire area to be bent. I slip a short piece of copper pipe over the end and feel for when it starts getting soft then I bend it and remove the heat. I have done this many times with great success. Somehow beating it on a concrete floor with a hammer sounds a bit extreme to me, but hey, its your lever! jimidan | ||
| Chgojim |
thanks for all the help. |
