stress cracks on handle-pole

[meatball]

noticed some cracks on the side of my stock sqaure handlepole. They dont look like they affect the strength, and pushing on it doesnt make it flex any, but its still a slight worry of mine. Its worse on the left side, but its around the front of the chinpad on the sides.

Is this common for the square poles? I cant see the white, so am I gonna be OK riding it as is or should a fix it now? Im planning some reinforcing this winter.

Im not sure how long its been like that, but I've been climbing all over the hood lately.

 

[Mouthfulloflake]

common, yes

weak, yes

ad some cloth and resin over them for now, or you risk splintering the pole

 

[meatball]

Wont that affect how it sits in that channel?

9 oz do it right?

 

[jetskiking]

Thats where mine started cracking. I repaired it and it ended up breaking anyway. I would replace it with an aluminum. unless you want to eat the end of a broken pole:banghead: Is this where it is cracking?

 

[meatball]

Great, like I have the money to spend on an aluminum pole...

Yes its cracking exactly in that spot...

 

[jetskiking]

Yeah, Mine didnt seam that bad either.You could repair it till you get the money to replace. Mine lasted a season on the repair. The fiberglass poles just dont hold up to hard riding. West marine has a repair kit that I used it comes with everything and was only like $10.

 

[meatball]

I have like two gallons of West Marine Epoxy in the basement, along with lots of different cloth, I think I may just cloth all over the place, and look for a hundred dollar pole somewhere.

 

[jetskiking]

So your good to go:biggthumpup: Its actually an easy repair the pad covers the top where the fiberglass is hardest to lay:sneaky: Make sure you grind the cracks out some.

 

[goXtreme]

Mine didnt break there, it broke down on the pivots, for a quick fix until the aluminum pole showed up, I wrapped some stainless around it and screwed it back together, if I would have known better, i could have just cut 2 or 3 inches off and redrilled the holes, might have been easier.

 

[meatball]

ohh thats right theres lotsa cracks under the pad. Ill see what I can do...

 

[jetskiking]

http://www.pwctoday.com/showthread.php?t=56405

 

[meatball]

Did you develop any more cracks afterwards?

I may just wrap the whole pole in fiberglass and call it aluminum, I have some woven mat in the basement.

 

[jetskiking]

Did you develop any more cracks afterwards?

I may just wrap the whole pole in fiberglass and call it aluminum, I have some woven mat in the basement.

Yes. I will say that I ride alot and try to break my ski everytime I ride. Thats the only way my wife can get me off the water:biggrin: Like I said just repair it then save up for an aluminum pole. If you do alot of aggresive riding it will be worth it.

 

[jetskiking]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the blue pole and the gray pole are the same pole. It got painted blue when I did my build