Frames....

[Livinlife]

You guys have any problems with the frames cracking on your ClubCar's? Just wondering, mine is cracking on both front frame rails right behind where the front spring plates attach. Common, or mine the only one?

[scottyb]

It is a fact of life ~ Aluminum is very strong for it's weight but, it will only flex so many times before the stress cracks appear. If you inspected the frames of a dozen 10 yr old CC that ran on rough terrain ... I bet 10 of them would show stress cracks, which later lead to breaks.

Of course it depends on use and terrain....

[Saltysteele]

you could always use that stuff someone just posted on a while ago, that you can braze aluminum, or any unmagnetizable metal, including galvanized steel.

what was that stuff again, someone who, unlike me, knows what they're talking about?

it would appear, that when welding aluminum with it, it is stronger than the aluminum by itself.

they showed repairing aluminum heads, but i'm not sure how that would work, due to the low heat it takes to apply it in the first place, however, that is for another thread. just hoped this would refresh someone's mind as to what that stuff was called.

[Saltysteele]

okay, found it

http://durafix.com/

anyone here used it?

[Hill Country Hunter]

There was a demo clip on that stuff on another site. It was followed by a reply by a welder who didn't recommend it. Welding is a lot stronger than brazing and shouldn't cost that much when done by an experienced welder. He also said don't try to clean the area before bringing it to the welder. He said the welder would know how to clean it and would probably have the necessary cleaning stuff on hand. Trying to clean it yourself might lead to weld contamination when the welder does his work and a less than satisfactory job.

[Livinlife]

The comment about how to clean the area is best left up the welder (I have been welding for over 26 yrs) it takes stainless steel brushes to properly clean the area...carbon brushes will leave little specks of carbon steel imbeaded into the softer aluminum base material, or if flap disc style pads are used a zerconium (spelling I dont know about) material that wont effect the weldament.

About my situation....the right frame has broken clean into, after talking to the local cart shop as soon as he seen that it was a Club Car he only tried to sell me a EZGO or Yamaha. According to him even if I fix this it will just break again....I have no problem welding this frame but was just going to see if this is something that I need to really watch. I dont need my kids on this thing if these are prone to failure.

The material is not dull or polished looking suggesting a long term fissure crack. This looks like a quick fracture rough and bright looking. The cart shop owner says these will just snap. I think he is just trying to sell me a cart....thats why I was asking you ClubCar guys.

[stevenvjohnson]

I have some carting buddies who swear by this snake oil, HTS-2000.

http://aluminumrepair.com/land/index...FRptgwod_3N7dw

I've never used it, though...

Steve

[Livinlife]

I'll just stick with the tig welder......

[Land Owner]

Post up a pic or two. What about adding some steel in front of or behind the welded aluminum, separated of course by a non-metallic material to prevent dissimilar metal electrolysis, and bolted through the places where the stress is less and the metals can take the loss of section (bolt holes), or welded, and framed such that a future aluminum crack will be prevented? Just thinking out loud and without the benefit of a picture.

[Livinlife]

I'll get some....