Why don't GT frames seem to crack like other alu frames?

[GoldenEraMTB]

I would say GT for the quantity of aluminum frame bikes out there probably has a lower failure rate percentage than most brands that made/sold aluminum frames. I think in the early years they had the engineering specs where they needed to be to insure the product was sound. I also know that their heat treating was better than most other brands. The later years especially 97-8 there seem to be more failures on the higher end stuff and for that I blame lighter tubing and mostly Easton. Other companies like Manitou that used lighter Easton tube sets from that 95-97 time period are also known for having had high failure rates. Cracks in BB's and the bottom sides of chainstays are not due to bad manufacturing or materials but abuses from poor landings and smashing the frame on rocks and trees.....come on guys admit it!

forgive me if I think you have a bit of bias

I've always found my aluminum, (m2, so metal matrix aluminum), to be durable. Just sold a bunch of old M2 frames after heavy use, and all still had life left in them.

in the end, it's aluminum, and will crack.

Steel is real....woooooooo :twisted:

Forgive me back...but in the end all materials have proven they will crack or fail. Aluminum, Carbon, Ti and yes even steel. Again I'll say that crashing, flying and bashing are what shortens the frame life.

no worries...some crack or fail worse than others, and some with a lack of warning

in the end, it's steel, and will rust.

what the hell...I've never said such a thing.
Though I guess it's true :cry:

But with Steel it will give you a chance to get off before it dumps you on your face, aluminimium and the like tends to be a less graceful experience

true.

 

[velomaniac]

Maybe by making the bikes look overbuilt GT hoped to fool the gods of fate that their bikes were bombproof and thus not worth trying acts of wickedness in the form of cracks

Or maybe riders believing their Gt was so super tough that to break it would require extreme riding beyond their comfort zone and so just did not bother doing anything mad.....nah thats just stoopid, ignore that last statement.

Since Kaiser raced his GT at SSUK09 with two seperate cracks and survived i'm now quite impressed by GT's and thus must change my opinion of them. Still not sure i'd own one though

 

[utahdog2003]

Since Kaiser raced his GT at SSUK09 with two seperate cracks and survived i'm now quite impressed by GT's and thus must change my opinion of them. Still not sure i'd own one though

There is real irony here...that in Chat, there's this thread about how "GTs never crack" and in Reader's Bikes there's Kaiser's thread about two cracks in the same frame! :?

 

[Wold Ranger]

GT's

You see volumes of old GT Aluminium frames in perfect condition and cracking seems to be less of a problem, given the volume of sales than most brands can testify to.
I don't feel they are heavy though, just stripped and rebuilt a nice early Tempest and the bare frame was 3.7 lbs so not heavy really.
On the durability front, when you look at what Hans has done on them (and is still doing!) by nd large they are tougher than most Aluminium frames out there!