Subject: Re: Titanium frame alignment Posted by: Jim Kish on September 15, 1997 at 08:57:48: In Reply to: Titanium frame alignment posted by Dan Lucas on September 04, 1997 at 14:37:26:

Message: Wow, you've asked a mouthful, Dan. : How does aligning a titanium frame differ from aligning a cro-mo frame. Due to titanium's elasticity(ability to flex without bending) and strength, aligning them is much more difficult. : Are there different limits to the amount of correction possible? This isn't as much of an issue as the difficulty in getting the frame to move in the first place. : Does alignment hurt the structural integrity of a titanium frame? Yes, aligning hurts the integrity of any frame, regardless of material. Whenever you align the frame, you are bringing it to its yield point, which is about 85% of the way to its ultimate strength, or breaking point. By aligning the frame, you are essentially subjecting it to the same stress as a really bad crash. : Do you need different tools? Maybe just bigger arms. : And, concerning alignment in general, how close should you get? If a frame is 1.5mm off, are you better off leaving it alone, or aligning it? That's a matter of opinion, and mine is that 1.5mm isn't enough to worry about.