Drilling your frame...
 

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[Closed] Drilling your frame for a dropper.

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Any horror stories. Everyone on the intraweb have no problems. I'm sure if you did monumentally **** up you wouldn't share.

Do you know of any bad news?


 
Posted : 29/06/2020 4:48 pm
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Did it on my Orbea and no problems at all. I drilled 2 5mm holes next to each other then drilled again with a 5mm bit where they touched then filed it to create the oval.


 
Posted : 29/06/2020 4:51 pm
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Drilled 2x BFe's and 1x Stumpy Elite FSR.  No issues yet.

Main thing is to have sharp drill bits, as blunt ones are shite and take forever.


 
Posted : 29/06/2020 4:57 pm
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I've done it 3 times I think and never had any issues. The main thing is access- when I did it the first time I had the hole exactly where I wanted it for cable angle and looks, but it was a horrible place to drill a hole. Since then I do it clocked to about 30 degrees from straight ahead- still works great for cable line but means you can just whack a drill straight on at the angle you want to pass the cable and make it as small and neat as possible.


 
Posted : 29/06/2020 5:13 pm
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It's one of those jobs you look at for days, imagining the worst, especially if it's a brand new frame. Sweat a bit doing it then once it's finished you think " that was easy enough ".
Masking tape on the frame to stop the drill bit shooting off, centre punch the holes first then take your time. Sharp drill bits and slow drill to start with.
What grommets are you using, oval or round?


 
Posted : 29/06/2020 5:53 pm
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I did it on my Liteville with no issues - but then they have instructions telling you exactly where to drill the hole (how very German!). The hole is by the weld where the seat tube meets the down tube and is barely bigger than the cable outer. The cable exits at 90 degrees so I didn't see any point in making it oval and it doesn't move independently so I didn't bother with grommets.


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 10:48 am
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What frame is it?


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 10:53 am
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Did it a couple of weeks ago. Did procrastinate for about a year.

Used a rubber grommet to work out hole size.

This one in fact from CRC: shorturl.at/eDPR7

I'm not dead yet.

Got a pack of three grommet's if you want one. Not the smallest hole.


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 10:57 am
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It’s one of those jobs you look at for days, imagining the worst, especially if it’s a brand new frame. Sweat a bit doing it then once it’s finished you think ” that was easy enough “.

Can never have too many holes.


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 11:05 am
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smokey_jo
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Did it on my Orbea and no problems at all. I drilled 2 5mm holes next to each other then drilled again with a 5mm bit where they touched then filed it to create the oval.

Exactly this, but on an Orange Five. Just make sure you've worked out exactly how you want the cable run first


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 11:15 am
 aide
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My old bike had a hole drilled in by the previous owner. Was a bit dubious at first but after many a year and crash its still holding up fine


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 12:05 pm
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Yep, did it on an On One 45650 frame recently after I mistakenly bought a stealth dropper.

The frame also has a dent on the top tube 😬

Still fine ... 🤞


 
Posted : 30/06/2020 9:32 pm

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