I bought an old frame and the insides of the fork's dropouts looked weird. On closer inspection it looks like someone welded some material into the dropouts where the axle would sit.
Why would you do this? Was it to improve quick release axle fit? I measured 96mm between the drop outs.
by casually_biking
7 Comments
Maybe to get a little more tyre/mudguard clearance under the crown?
To help the brakes align?
To align the axle? Add a bit of bronze filler then file it back until the tire is centered.
If they were trying to center the wheel that might indicate the fork is bent. Which is an odd way to go about it since a steel fork can be bent to get the wheel perfectly aligned in the dropouts. Bike shops have a tool to do this.
Tire clearance. It’s an old hack, typically you’d tack a bit of spoke in the dropout.
I had a similar problem on a 94 alloy Stumpjumper frame. I used JB Weld which I filed to shape after 24 hours of curing. No soldering or welding skills required and 1 year later it still holds up.
I don’t see what you’re seeing. Looks like a well worn dropout to me