Removing V-Brake Mounts - Advise Needed Please

[thesneaker]

Hi Guys,
don't worry i'm not mutilating a retro frame, my 2003 Attitude frame is getting a revamp, i'm going for all disc and want to remove the v-brake mounts to give it a cleaner look, a couple of things i would like to know -

1. how safe is it, don't want to end up wasting a completely good frameset.

2. anyone on here done this before to a aluminium frame, and whats the best/safest way, someone told me to use a grinder first then smarten it off with a file, any better ways?

 

[mikee]

hacksaw and belt linisher then smooth file
i did a gt i have since sold but it wasn't a klein
so i wont recommend doing it

 

[stuts]

Why not just use the little blanking caps you can buy nowadays to fill in the holes. If you want to sell the frame sometime in the future, it'll be worth bugger all. Well, don't know that for sure, but I know I wouldn't want a frame somone had taken a hacksaw too, regardless if it affected the strength, I would never trust it, offroad especially.

 

[beagle]

When I've removed brake mounts and cable guides from BMX frames, I used the method you said: grinder then a file to neaten. Obviously they were cromo frames though. It's completely safe as long as you go careful and don't hack into the stay. Just take it steady and grind a bit at a time. It takes time to get it looking neat. I also wouldn't have any qualms about riding a frame that's had the brake mounts removed, as long as whoever did the work hadn't gone crazy with the angle grinder.

If you're scared of messing it up, why not take it to a frame builder? It won't cost much to have the mounts removed and it's going to need repainting anyway.

 

[JamesM]

I wouldn't go anywhere near that frame with a grinder, one slip and the frame could be ruined!!! Its aluminium so a junior hack saw will make easy work of chopping those mounts off. Take it slow and don't cut it to close to the stays. Then, again taking your time, finish it off with a small flat file and then some wet and dry.

Of course if it was me I'd fit the blanking bolts!!!

 

[taffy]

I wouldn't go anywhere near that frame with a grinder, one slip and the frame could be ruined!!! Its aluminium so a junior hack saw will make easy work of chopping those mounts off. Take it slow and don't cut it to close to the stays. Then, again taking your time, finish it off with a small flat file and then some wet and dry.

Of course if it was me I'd fit the blanking bolts!!!

QFT!


If it were me I'd do the same blanking bolt/plate and live with it.
(Actually to be brutally honest i wouldn't need disks - i don't go fast enough!)

However JamesM has it spot on IMHO a hacksaw and then file then wet and dry

 

[thesneaker]

thanks for the replies guys, i know if i don't hack them off i will regret it after the repaint, blanking bolts won't really do it for me, think i will go the hacksaw route, or find a frame builder local to me, let the pros do it

 

[Dead Rats]

definitely would leave them on and pay £3 for alloy blanking bolts... removing them won't ruin the frame but might knock off half it's value / retro scope