NORTON FRAME REPAIR

Hi everyone....been a long time! Hubby had to put restoration on hold for a while but is back at it and he left me a note to ask for help!! as follows:

I need advice as to the best repair....my 1973 Commando frame is cracked on the left side...just to the rear of shock absorber brackets on the "loop" for the rear fender. what type of welding tig, mig or other? Should I make a split sleeve to repair area?

Any and all advice will be appreciated.

hope everyone is well as I have really missed visiting with you all! But on a high note daughter is officially a college graduate and is employed so we can have a life again....lol!!

Gets mum to do all the dirty work?, straighten rear hoop so it doesn't droop, get welded up, mig , tig, then fit some gussets like those sold by OLD BRITTS,BUT do get it straight because know one likes a droopy rear end.

Others with more experience in welding can speak to the type and quality of welding needed to repair the crack. I know from experience that the rear frame loop is often damaged on Commandos. The loop is not strong enough or braced well enough to take a heavy two up load. Two fat people,their luggage, plus rough roads equals bent of damaged rear frame loops. I have attached some detail pictures of my frame in that area. The frame loop was originally bent, due to an unfortunate accident in the distant past. Once straightened I made two brace plates from mild steel, one for each side and had them welded in and ground down to match the original shock mounting plate. I wish I could take credit for this fix but I can't. We used to do this routinely at the Norton shop where I worked.

Peel's broke rear loop on RH side, so had welder put ~6" long steel pins hammered in then welded thru the drilled holes at ends of pin and around frame tube seam.
But even that ain't up to passenger or a few cases of beer or feed bags, so will use struts from Z plates to back up big luggage rack. New Peel has extra gussets made from carpenters square - for ordinary loads but will attach the struts for loads over ~60-75 lb. Its just mild steel, tig or stick will work if melted deep enough w/o just blowing through.

If it is cracked, you might as well cut the whole loop off and sleeve it, and weld it. Then if you add reinforcement brackets like the ones shown here on Old Britts site, the problem should not return. http://www.oldbritts.com/ob_start.html

Stephen Hill

Thanks for all the advice all!! Infomation has been copied and given to hubby....will let everyone know how it turns out!

He has purchased a laptop so he may be soon asking his own questions.

Sharon

What a gal to share her mate with motorcycles!
Any decent welding shop can fix it, even average DIY with a rented welder.
Its a very common injury. Sleeves out side will show and mar the sleek lines, like a patch on legs of panty hose. A steel pin or rod stuck into frame tube a couple inches is the way to go as nil evidence remains after grinding, sanding, painting.
Main thing I've ran into on mine after the welding was loop was still too drooped low in back. I put up with this still a total tear down gave me a bare frame, which I then Bashed down on a carpet pad on cement till pleasing angle again.
To bend it in place on assembled bike may need a few heavy helpers to hold bike down while loop levered/bent back to right-ish.