[VTinCT]

:angryfire Whats up all? I bent the be-jesus out of my rear rotor this past weekend, (its a bit beyond warped). I was thinking of using a rubber mallett to hammer it down, does this work? I'm leary of using pliers as I think they'd dent the braking surface. If anyone out there has dealt with his before, HELP!! I checked the archives, but couldn't come up with anything regarding this. Thanks yawl!

 

[Brian HCM#1]

A rubber mallet can't hurt. I would remove the rotor, and place the rotor on piece of plywood, then try to straightn it as best as possible. Then reinstall it then try to fine tune it with a couple of large cresant wrenches. Its worth a shot worse comes to worse you buy a new rotor.

 

[Dirt rider]

NO NO NO NO!!!!


DONT EVEN TOUCH IT WITH A MALLET!!!! you will put little dents in the rotor face (pits) AJUSTABLE WRENCHES??? scratchs, too small of a area on the wrench, puts a little rectanle in the rotor??

what the % @:crossbone#:angryfire* BAD!!!

ok how bent its it can you run it thogh the caliper?

if so ride around with the front brake on enough so you can still move the heat of the frictin will help the metal form to the correct shape after it cools it should be ready to roll.:

 

[Ranger]

Servus!

HOLY SHIZNAT!!!!!

ACHTUNG! NEVER EVER DO THAT TO A ROTOR!!!!

Run, don't walk, to your nearest LBS and shell out $20 for a new rotor!!!

 

[Jihv Mabone]

Yeah, a rotor is brittle...so even if it can be beat back into shape, it could then crack and cause more trouble.

But since you will need to buy a new one anyway...go ahead and beat the crap out of it and tell everyone how it comes out

 

[VTinCT]

Well, it figures that I'm broke now from that holidaything, but hammering on the little do-dad could be great for stress! Sounds like I'm into it for a new rotor anyway. Thanks monkeys!

 

[BMXman]

this is to Brian but anyone can answer.....will a Hayes rotor work with an Avid caliper?.....D

 

[edoz]

Originally posted by Dirt rider
if so ride around with the front brake on enough so you can still move the heat of the frictin will help the metal form to the correct shape after it cools it should be ready to roll.:

No, sorry. It does not work like that. Most(all?) rotors are stainless steel, and ss loves to warp as it cools. Trust me on this, I have several years experience in metal fab. If you heat it up, it will be worse when it cools. God forbid you should think of heating it with a torch. If you get stainless hot enough in the open air, the crystaline structure will change as it cools and it will be very brittle. Stainless is very sensitive to being overheated. Overheating it during welding will cause it to crack. It's kinda neat to watch, though. Sometimes it will crack right behind the torch as you move it along the joint. I'd better stop now, I can talk about this stuff all day.

 

[VTinCT]

What ta do? I went ahead and ordered a spare, or two, but I will attempt to do some metal bending tonite after work anyway.

I too would like to know the answer to BMXman's question as to the compatability of rotors b/w companies. Who's got this one? Thanks for the info!

 

[johnbryanpeters]

...I have straightened modestly bent rotors on the trail with an adjustable wrench. For any sheet metal piece that's bent, straightening is iffy. The metal stretches as it bends and straightening it stretches it more.

If you use a mallet, use a soft faced mallet - lead, leather, or plastic. A decent plastic faced mallet of sufficient heft to straighten a stainless rotor will cost you more than a disk.

On the rotor I worked on, which was out maybe 5 mm, I got it good enough to ride out, but even taking it off the wheel and thumping on it on a flat wood block, I never got it straight enough so it wouldn't intermittently hit the pads.

Also, if you figure your time at whatever rate you like, it doesn't take too long to equal the cost of a rotor, and a new one hopefully won't have hidden cracks. It's only your life.

J

 

[Tooky Munster]

I doubt this would work, but it was an idea rolling around on my head for a while. What if you took a hydrolic press and pressed the rotor between two flat sheets of metal? Most hydrolic presses I would guess could exert alot of pressure, and probably enough to straiten a rotor. You would still have all the problems of bending the rotor (metal stress, etc.) but at least you might be able to have a functioning rotor while you wait for the replacement. Anyone ever thought or this or tried? I dont even have disk brakes so its not like I am going to be attempting this in the future, but its fun to think about.

 

[bomberz1qr20]

Originally posted by Tooky Munster
I doubt this would work, but it was an idea rolling around on my head for a while. What if you took a hydrolic press and pressed the rotor between two flat sheets of metal? Most hydrolic presses I would guess could exert alot of pressure, and probably enough to straiten a rotor. You would still have all the problems of bending the rotor (metal stress, etc.) but at least you might be able to have a functioning rotor while you wait for the replacement. Anyone ever thought or this or tried? I dont even have disk brakes so its not like I am going to be attempting this in the future, but its fun to think about.

Won't work. To get the metal to go back to straight, it has to be bent PASSED where it needs to be laterally. In a press it would only spring back to it's bent shape.

 

[Tooky Munster]

Originally posted by bomberz1qr20


Won't work. To get the metal to go back to straight, it has to be bent PASSED where it needs to be laterally. In a press it would only spring back to it's bent shape.

Yup. Thats what I figured. Oh well. It was a nice thought.

 

[HELLTACO]

Originally posted by bomberz1qr20


Won't work. To get the metal to go back to straight, it has to be bent PASSED where it needs to be laterally. In a press it would only spring back to it's bent shape.

It cud work if ya chimed it juss right. But it realy ain't wort doin' if chu cud gets a new one.

 

[VTinCT]

:crying: Well, now that I've ordered the rotor, I took a closer look at the beast, only to discover that I've gone and cracked my pivot bolt, probably from the same hit that did in the rotor...never a dull moment eh?

 

[gravity]

sorry to hear of your woes dude. similar things always seem to happen to me, i break something, pay to fix it, then find out once i've fixed it that something else was damaged as well.

ah well it'll fix itself eventually. at least thats my theory.

 

[VTinCT]

Yeah man, ain't it the truth!? I just keep telling myself that at least at this rate I'll be a kick a$$ home wrencher in quick time! Although I am a bit worried about dealing with Ellsworth's warranty dept. I've been hearing some nasty horror stories...we'll see.

 

[HELLTACO]

pivit pins are easy ta fix. Juss replace dem wit a cotter pin, roll pin, bobbie pin, weldin' rod, a nail or whatever chu gots.