Repair guides › Frame & Fork
Check a BMX frame after hard landings
Small, very strong frame built to take landings and grinds. Most are 4130 chromoly steel. Short chainstays and a steep head angle make it quick to spin and pull up. Brake mounts are often removable so riders can run it brakeless. Many have an integrated headset and a Mid bottom bracket.
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Tools
- Shop rags + nitrile gloves: shop towels and nitrile gloves ($)
Compare Good, Better and Best for each tool
Steps
- Wipe the frame clean.
- Look closely at the welds behind the head tube, under the top and down tube, and around the BB shell.
- A crack shows as a hairline in the paint or rust bleeding through.
- Sight down the rear end: the wheel must sit centered between the chainstays.
- Any crack: stop riding it. Chromoly can sometimes be repaired by a frame builder, but never ride it cracked.
Signs it needs doing
- Crack near the head tube or BB after a hard landing
- Dented top tube
- Bent dropouts (wheel will not sit straight)