i am new to this site and not very proficant with a typwriter that being said i will give it a try. i have bought a xs 400 my son wanted the seat lowerd so i chopped the tubing up by the back bone and at the shock mounts wanting to put acurve in it but i dont have a tube bender so trying to improvize i noticed that 5/8 rebar fits in the tube was wandering if anybody knew if the rebar would be sufficiant enough to put in the tube hole and run back to new shock mounts
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dongrady
dbgrady
i would expect rebar to be hard to weld to and more brittle. the frame is made from mild steel. i'm no expert, but i wouldn't recomend it.
deff a bad idea. do you have any pics of what it looks like now? and maybe it will be easir for people to help out. from the info i would say go to a exhaust shop or a fab shop and see if you can purchase some pre-bent tubing? make sure you figure out the angles first. maybe use the rebar as a template and say i need X number of X inch tubing bent to X degree. just my 2 cents
I doubt most exhaust shops will be able to help you either since their machines are for larger diameter thin walled tubing... It's not easy finding local places that have the proper benders for structural tubing and that is why so many people buy their own benders.
As already stated.. Do not use rebar on your motorcycle... Even if it is strong enough it'll look really bad.
I have a fully hydraulic rotary draw bender. I could bend you some pieces from 1" diameter .120" wall tubing (ERW or DOM) and mail them. I would need to know the length and angle you need. Private Message me for details if you want.
As already stated.. Do not use rebar on your motorcycle... Even if it is strong enough it'll look really bad.
I have a fully hydraulic rotary draw bender. I could bend you some pieces from 1" diameter .120" wall tubing (ERW or DOM) and mail them. I would need to know the length and angle you need. Private Message me for details if you want.
NICE. ill get one eventually, when i do enough building to warrant one. and have the cash lying around
skillzman1
XS400 Junkie
check harbor frieght...very reasonably priced ones I was just looking at.
http://www.harborfreight.com/compact-bender-38470.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/compact-bender-38470.html
i heard that those kindes dimple the tubing a little bit. :/
jochicos
XS400 Member
Use Erw or Dom. You only need 1", more than enough. Get an extra amount of length and put duct tape on one end. Pack it with whichever sand you can find, then seal off the other end. Find an anchoring point on one end, then place something rigid for a radius somewhere along the pipe where you want it to bend, and then a little bit of muscle. Pipe bender is not really worth it for one or two bends. Cheers
skillzman1
XS400 Junkie
^^^do you use torches in this process?
jochicos
XS400 Member
I bent 1 1/4 DOM which is hard as anything you can imagine, for the back bone. I did call alot of peoples names, but it can be done. You could torch it considering where its going, but if you don't have torches it can be done. Im actually building a hydraulic tube bender as we speak. Give my arm a break. 
That's not for tubing though, it's for solid round bar, or flat bar.
Rotary draw benders have large dies for each size tube and each radius of bend. The dies alone are $135-400 each.. like this http://www.vansantent.com/model_3_bender_dies.htm
hardtailed77
Never Finished
Google will help....Just search "DOM tubing in -wherever you are-, Missouri". A steel yard may carry it, but make sure you get the right type of steel...DOM! Also, make sure that they don't have a crazy minimum purchase amount like $500 or 100 ft. or something. You obviously don't need that much. Check around for prices and then make the leap. When you buy the right stuff, you'll be glad you spent a few extra bucks, take it firsthand from one who skimped the first time around....now I'm going back to do all of it the right way!
Any fabrication shop or place that does laser cutting, etc. should have a couple of steel suppliers they should be able to get it from. Also, where ever you go get to tubes bent should obviously have a source for tubing.
You can also order online from www.speedymetals.com http://www.speedymetals.com/p-3497-1-od-x-120-wall-dom-steel-tube.aspx
Or www.discountsteel.com http://www.discountsteel.com/items/DrawnOverMandrel_DOM_Steel_Round_Tube.cfm?item_id=200&size_no=99
You can also order online from www.speedymetals.com http://www.speedymetals.com/p-3497-1-od-x-120-wall-dom-steel-tube.aspx
Or www.discountsteel.com http://www.discountsteel.com/items/DrawnOverMandrel_DOM_Steel_Round_Tube.cfm?item_id=200&size_no=99
lhaolpa
XS400 Junkie
Actually,Harbor Freight has a hand-pump hydraulic tubing bender,with dies to support the inside of the bend.They come up on sale from time to time.I may get one because I've got an idea to build a trike with a 4cyl Toyota motor,as you can really hop them up and get some real power.A little way from my house[45m]they make bikes with 500hp v-8s in them.My wife says I'm just a foolish dreamer,since I can barely walk,but You don't have to walk to ride!!!! lha
Ebola Monkey
XS400 Enthusiast
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The harbor freight hydraulic bender is a pipe bender not a tubing bender. There are tons of horror stories on motorcycle, quad, 4x4, and hot rod sites from people trying to use them to bend tubing. There are a few tales of people making it work, but they're far outnumbered.
