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Bonding for cycle wings...


Andrew Russell

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Have just returned from a most enjoyable adrenalin rush, blasting around the lanes, spoilt only by the departure of my nearside cycle wing which chose a opportune moment to detach itself from the stay!

 

It had been bonded on with domestic type clear silicone and has stood up to five years of serious abuse.

 

I think perhaps a better grade of bonding is now required!

 

Previous threads have suggested either Sikaflex, Terroson 2K or 'Grip-fill gap filling adhesive.

 

Where do you actually obtain such items, i've not come across them before?

 

Thanks for any observations.

 

Andrew

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Claassic Carriage Company sell a product for bonding on wings - www.se7ens.co.uk.

Actually, I was doing some kerb hoping at Pembrey yesteday and the vibration ripped off my bonded on wing! Any other ideas for holding on front wings other than silion bonding (not Pembrey proof) or bolts (I got nudged during a race last year. The wing came off (fine) but the bolt holding it ripped into the tyre (not fine). I nearly had to retire...).

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It was a case of perhaps too little silicone applied in the first instance, not having built enough up around the stay. It has survived five years of abuse but it has simply become detached with air pressure. ( I was at an unlawful speed and accelerating, when the front just peeled away from the stay and there's not much you can do then, except hope that the low flying wing makes a soft landing!)

 

The powder coating is perfectly intact....not original Caterham finish, having been recoated some time ago.

 

Any idea where I can source the recommended goo?

 

Andrew

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Andrew, I'm surprised at you, fancy you of all people admitting to such an event. Pleased though that you have at last got out and about. Just goes to show what all of that captivated frustration can drive us to.

 

on a more serious note i recall reading recently about the substance you mention in your original post. The article was on this site and related to an owner who had made up some plates to increase the surface area for bondage???? Look at the Laybond website at www.laybond.co.uk

 

On a similar subject I'm about to have all of my wings resprayed and holes and dents filled. what is the best way to fix flared wings without using unsightly bolts. I'm considering fibreglassing a plate under each front wing into which I would loctite a small stud. Having said that I'm open to suggestions. Maybe fixng through the indicator repeater units

 

Edited by - John E on 11 Mar 2001 18:31:34

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Any idea where I can source the recommended goo?

 

Sikaflex can be had from (at least) PartCo, similar gloop can be had from body repair suppliers. Last time I used some 'Tiger' stuff.

 

I've also heard that windscreen bonding stuff does a good job, presumably tube ends can be sourced from the obvious places....

 

Paul

 

 

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I enquired when I was at Arrowstar the other weekend as to what they use. It car windscrreen bonding stuff which they will sell you if they have any in. Cost around £18+vat ish.

 

Three of the retaining screws on my wings have almost pulled through so I'm going to fill the holes, respray the wings and bond them.

 

Yahoo,I've got a car to beat my brothers Scoobydo teeth.gif

 

Edited by - Gareth Harrold on 11 Mar 2001 20:58:27

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Well, I've used "Gripfill", and as PR said, it's obtainable from any builders merchant at about 2ukp per tube.

 

The last time I used the stuff, it was on a pair of flared wings, and I used a bit the size of a threepenny bitquestion.gif on the wing stay, and when I came to remove the wing, I had to cut it off with a Stanley knife, cause it was just delaminating the fibreglass when I tried brute force! Previously I had used the car for sprints/hillclimbs, and maxed it out at around the 135 mark, with it still intact, so had no qualms in using it again on the cycle wings.

 

Incidentaly, I've overcome the excess lock, when the new cycle wings hit the body sides, utilizing the existing rack, if anyone is interested.

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Thank you , one and all for the comments ands leads.....I will hit town at lunchtime and source the necessary.

 

The wing did make a softish landing and after 30 minutes with the Brasso and Autglym, the modest scratches have all but disappeared, and the wing ready for another season.

 

Now, all I have to do is to decide what compound is best for the job...Gripfill, Sikaflex or Windscreen bonding......

 

Andrew.

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None,

 

I tried this for years with the CF wings and found the only way to fix them on is to araldite a stepped piece of ally (or carbon) to the underneath which is then screwed to the stays. The stays will take an m6 RivNut for this purpose.

 

Or fix them on with some caphead mushroom anodised bolts! Less unsprung weight than glue!

 

 

 

 

Arnie Webb

The Fat Bloke blush.gif in a Slow Old Vauxhall wink.gif

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'Kerb hoping' Graeme ?

 

Is that where you try and go round the outside of someone on the kerbs hoping not to spin off? (Ho ho ho, I'm so funny...not).

 

What size ty-wraps did you use Graeme ? I think from memory Glen's method said to use blinkin' big ty-wraps.

 

My question at the time was how do you replace a knackered wing in a hurry? You would have to have a replacement wing all prepared a la method. Anything using silicone won't be usable in a hurry unless it is pre-prepared.

 

Davebo

C7 CAR

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My wings are attached using glass fiber layered over the wingstays and matting

into the glass fibre of the wing. This gave such a strong bond that the front wheel coming off and the entire cars weight on the wing and stays did not shift it. The wheel did a little dance under the wing and then took off. This was at 50mph on the track at Abingdon. There was a slight flat spot in the big brake disk where it became the new wheel. This has been replaced. The wing stays were bend up and out at an alarming angle No other damage done.

Surprisingly the wing remained intact. Bolts would have cause stress weakness and it would have shattered. All I had to do was winch the wing stays back in to position using a rachet strap.

Glass fibre em' on in my book.

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I got some loctite polyurethane stuff (type 3951)from RS to bond my new cyclewings on, and went to their web site to find out if there were any recomendations regarding bonding. To my horror several graphs indicated that unless the ambient temperature was at least 22 deg C for 5 days, I was not going to achieve full bond strength.15 deg C for any period of time only gets you 60% bond strength.You also need high relative humidity, at least 50% for a good bond. There's more to this bond stuff than meets the eye, me? I'm saving this job for the summer!
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Davebo,

Some of the kerb hopping was neat tight apexes smile.gif, some of it was "oh my god, I'm running out of exit room at a rather rapid rate... sad.gif

My quick fix was to borrow a drill from a Porsche race team and drill thro' the wing where the holes in the wingstay were from when I used to bolt fix them. Positioning was easy as there was an extra blob of sealant on the wing where it'd seeped into the holes. Then stuck a ("borrowed")zip-tie down one hole and up the other one. Zip it together - viola! A road legal Caterham -if not that pretty. I really should stop driving the Caterham to test days 500 miles round trip away. Just a broken wing starts to make you sweat about how you're going to get home.

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