Question for all you metallurgists

[Mick_J]

I want to change my side stand for a different one (long story) but the best fit is too short.  My question is can I weld an extension onto a cast side stand and it still retain all it's strength?

[Hooli]

Correctly welded then yes I think you can. I know people weld cast iron boilers for AGAs & log burners etc.

I've feeling the whole work piece has to be heated & then it's different rods to normal welding & slowly cooled. Although I can't weld so don't expect any more info from this source.

[Irish in Oz]

There's got to be some Mentalurgists on here.

[Nellywelly]

Hi
I did exactly that.
I just cut the foot off and welded a piece of bar in there and ground it to shape & sprayed it black. It looks original.
Cos I raised the  rear shock mountings with those block things.
I had to carry a block of wood around.
It's been fine since I did it about 4 years ago. I did the centre stand to. That's been good since too.

[Mick_J]

That's great, one of the other options I was considering was to put a bend in the stand to straighten it, can cat be bent easily?

[KiwiCol]

Ya have to work out what you're dealing with first Mick.  Is it Cast Iron, Ductile Iron or cast steel perhaps?   
Cast Iron & Ductile Iron won't take kindly to trying to bend them, they'll snap, cast steel would yield more though.

Nellywelly is your best info source here as he's done it, what rods, bar & method did you use mate?

[Nellywelly]

Hi
As far as I know the side stand is made of cast steel. I just welded a piece of mild steel bar into it.
It welded really nice.
I just chamfered the edges so I got a good weld, then ground it smooth.
I used a mig welder.
Cast iron may be too brittle for a side stand and it wouldn't weld that nice.
I'm not sure what would happen if you tried heating and bending it. Not sure if that would make it soft.

[GSXKING]

Hi
I did exactly that.
I just cut the foot off and welded a piece of bar in there and ground it to shape & sprayed it black. It looks original.
Cos I raised the  rear shock mountings with those block things.
I had to carry a block of wood around.
It's been fine since I did it about 4 years ago. I did the centre stand to. That's been good since too.

Is it possible for you to post pics of both stands please 🙏 mate 👍

[grog]

Mick, what about welding or bolting a block to the end of it, ive done that with a couple of bikes.

[T 24]

I want to change my side stand for a different one (long story) but the best fit is too short.  My question is can I weld an extension onto a cast side stand and it still retain all it's strength?

I welded my side stand 12 years ago with chrome steel rod (stainless). No problems

[Mick_J]

Thanks again to you all.
The issue is that after my bike got written off as a cat n (No structural damage) due to tanks not being available the arse of a recovery company lashed in down to the back of a lorry using the side stand and bent the lug on the frame, so the stand now locks up under the end of the foot peg and interferes with gearchanges.  I tried a new stand but it's the frame lug that's bent.

I looked at various stands and decided to use a Suzuki stand that uses the same bolt (to save a lot of alterations) and found that a bandit stand uses the same fixing.  I made up a wooden mock up to ensure a straight stand would fit and it's perfect but a bit short so that's what my first post, just add 1.5" to a bandit stand and paint it.

All the while I'm chasing the insurance for their incompetence for bending my frame and seeking compo to get it repaired correctly in the future (I think it will be an engine out job).

[Nellywelly]

Hi GSXKING
I hope this helps.

[GSXKING]

Hi GSXKING
I hope this helps.

Yes mate that's fabulous thank you 🙏

[GSXKING]

I've had this lump of timber a long time if I'm out and need rear wheel off the ground I use the gutter. Very rare occasion though.

[VladTepes]

I miss not having a centre stand.