Frame Welding

[John Holiday]

A friend of mine has a tresured older MTB, a Proflex 750 with front suspension & elastomer rear.
He no longer rides 'serious' Down Hill rides, but finding the bike so comfortable & for sentimental reasons, would like to convert it to a 'Hard Tail'.
Does anyone know of someone in the Cheshire/North East Wales area who might do a little frame welding to convert it for him?
Any suggestions appreciated.

[Si]

I shouldn't think that it needs welding, just replace the elastomer with something solid (assuming that they've not gone rock hard already as most of that age do). Indeed, I believe that the frame is aluminium so not as easy to weld as a steel frame of the same standard.

Alternatively....if it's got the vector fork on the front, sell it to me !

[mig]

steve goff isn't far away.

[Brucey]

I would echo Si's thoughts really.

IIRC the frame would originally have been heat treated. If you start bodging it about it might be no good at all unless it is re-heat treated and that is an expensive and time-consuming process.

Proflex bikes are now collector's items; looking to cut and weld one seems a bit mad to me.

cheers

[PT1029]

As well as possibly ruining a nice classic, also worth remembering the frame will have been designed for the cushy life of suspension. Making it a hard tail ups the stress factor considerable, probably exceeding the frames design stresses.

[greyingbeard]

I wouldnt be surprised if many of these elastomers can be replaced with an automotive suspension bush. They are all kinds of rubber bung.
Start by trying something like landrover plain rubber bushes, they can be had for about £3. "polybushes" are a lot dearer.

[John Holiday]

Many thanks for all the responses & information.
Will pass them on & hopefully enable my friend to restore the bike to useable & original condition.

[Brucey]

after being NLA for a while it looks like Thudbuster elastomers are back in stock in a few places. IIRC they have a slightly smaller hole in the centre but with a little modification they might work OK in a proflex bike. Gotta be worth a go, that.

cheers