Thread: Welding wide brakes?

Has anyone tried to weld horizontal extensions on the brake arms? This seems like a good way to circumvent the shortening and possible breaking due to the bending process. Plus, no messing with the angles. Yesterday, I was using a TIG torch to heat up the brake arms, before I began bending. I guess, I didn't heat one of them up enough, because it cracked. I used a little filler metal to fix it, and it seems pretty solid. This got me thinking. If I can get the correct filler metal, I may be able to make some really wide brakes. I think that it is going to take some experimenting to get the right filler metal. Any thoughts? Anybody want to donate some broken brakes to science?

Sounds like a good project. I have a single Salomon regular sized brake arm (2 arms, but for one ski). Might be enough for an experiment. PM me your address and I'll send it your way, if you want it.

Thanks 72Twenty. I'll send you a PM. It will not be until late Jan when I can start the project, because I have to wait until the spring semester to get into the welding department. If we see success, you will be first to have some made.

BTW. Those Merrel Super Comps I picked up from you on my way cross country have a new owner in Colorado, and the REI back pack is working great. Also, thanks for finding a place for us to leave the sailboat. It would have been a real bitch hauling it up over 12,000 ft on Trail Ridge Road with a Tacoma!

Remember to check the brake geometry when they're up (retracted) as well as down. Some brakes tuck in close to the binding and simply widening them can cause interferance.

I did it on two pairs of Rottafella TRP tele brakes (crap) that broke during bending and one of two broke just from riding in the back of my truck. The other is still going strong four years later.

Please note that a guy I know who makes famous and coveted Ti bottle cages did the bending and welding. He obviously knows what hes doing.

Also plaese note that Rotaffella crap is vastly inferior to any alpine brake hardware so the alpine brakes may fair better.

Snow Dog, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks

Originally Posted by foxy

I did it on two pairs of Rottafella TRP tele brakes (crap) that broke during bending and one of two broke just from riding in the back of my truck. The other is still going strong four years later.

Please note that a guy I know who makes famous and coveted Ti bottle cages did the bending and welding. He obviously knows what hes doing.

Also plaese note that Rotaffella crap is vastly inferior to any alpine brake hardware so the alpine brakes may fair better.

Foxy, interesting info. So, both pairs of brakes broke during the bending process, and as a result, they had to be welded back together? Were they TIG welded? Interesting how one broke in the back of your truck, and the other pair is going fine.