KDX175 Frame

[YUMASTEPSIDE]

Simple question...........'81 KDX175frame........ mild steel or chrome moly ?

                           Roger

[Tex]

The Jan '82 edition of Two Wheels descibes the KDX175B frame as being made of "tubular welded steel."

I hope this helps.

Tex

[YUMASTEPSIDE]

......mmmmmm  still not sure

               Roger

[GMC]

It's hard to tell short of spectro analysis. Their are a few claims of models being made from Cro-Mo but I don't believe that they are 4130 grade.

Why do you need to know? The welding procedure is much the same. Cro-mo wire is desirable but depending on what your welding it wouldn't matter too much. (As in welding blinker brackets or the main frame tubes)

[YUMASTEPSIDE]

Nothing too exotic Geoff, just need to replace the bottom cradle tubes ( reshape and widen )to fit an XR200 motor in.Just making another special out of one of my spare frames.

                 Roger

[LWC82PE]

Its the same for the PE's. The magazine tests say they are 'chromoly' but they are actually mild steel.

[GMC]

Whatever the frame is made from, for a frame cradle I would recommend 1.5mm cro-mo tube TIG welded with ER90 & then heat treat the frame afterwards to "normalise"
If your not that fussed about the project welding with normal filler (ER70) will still weld okay but if using mild steel tube then find something at least 2mm thick.

[YUMASTEPSIDE]

Thanks for that , we'll see how we go !

           Roger

[TT]

Whatever the frame is made from, for a frame cradle I would recommend 1.5mm cro-mo tube TIG welded with ER90 & then heat treat the frame afterwards to "normalise"
If your not that fussed about the project welding with normal filler (ER70) will still weld okay but if using mild steel tube then find something at least 2mm thick.

What's that in English? 

I guess that's why I don't weld as well as you take photos................. 

[YUMASTEPSIDE]

..........it's OK Tony, I own a welding/fabrication shop...........I speak welder 

                              Roger 

[GMC]

What's that in English? 

Sorry Tony, allow me to elaborate.
For projects like fitting an XR into a KDX, re-evaluation of the cradle may be necessary. Replacement tubes would be best served by the use of 0.065” 4130 suitably held in place with some ER90S-B3, but if none is available then ER80S-B2 is also acceptable. The GTAW process would be best & only a DC machine is necessary. The use of either Ceriated or Thoriated tungsten’s is recommended but I have found a liking for lanthanated of late. Normalizing post welding is also recommended. For a budget job you may get away with some ERW tube of no smaller than 0.080”.  ERW in 0.065” is easily obtainable but I feel this would succumb to torsional fatigue too easily. In this situation welding with  ER70S-2 would be fine .Some say to use 316 for its Ni. content but I feel it’s neither here nor their. Any equivalent to ER70 would be fine so long as it is triple deoxidized. I would definitely recommend against the use of MMA, however the use of GMAW using 0.8 would be OK in the right hands.
And there you have a simple answer to a simple question
Hope this clears things up.

And I don't weld as well as you take photos.

[YUMASTEPSIDE]

........if you were'nt confused before Tony, that should do it

   In english, Geoff is saying , use the correct grade and thickness of material,welded with a TIG using the correct filler rod and welding tip, or if you're good you can use a mig (with the correct wire ).

          See, its not that difficult

             Roger

[Graham]

Ah, why cut the frame up when a XR200 fits straight into a KDX 175 frame, did that16yrs ago, just make new engine mounts out of alluminium,rear one is the hardest but use ally tube and 2x plates once cut the right shape weld it up as one piece. Also you will find that plastic tanks and side plates and guards all fit off XR, from RB-RD,keep the KDX seat recover it and call it a KXR 175, easy job done

[Graham]

[Graham]

I have photos but its my first time using photobucket cant get them from there to here,  HELP