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broken helmet+hot glue= new helmet?

freakrock

freakrock

Monkey
Aug 19, 2005
431
0
Santiago de Chile
What kind of "glue" should be used to re attach the EPS liner to the outer shell of a DH helmet in case it became lose and had to be repaired? Is using hot glue the propper way to do it?
i'm not planning on doing it, nor do i think it is a wise idea to repair something as delicate and important as a helmet. I just need some insights on the procedure so that i can persuade someone to replace a helmet instead of trying to fix it.

tyvm guys!
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
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JB weld. make sure he puts it on both sides of the foam liner, because anyone who thinks repairing a damaged helmet is a good idea should be wearing one at all times.
 
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T

tuumbaq

Monkey
Jul 5, 2006
725
0
Squamish BC
No need to be a bunch of dicks guys,this is a legitimate question.

Ive had a less that a years old D2 helmet with the same problem in the past.Everything looked fine but the liner would move "freely" in the shell, without coming completely off...I did try to hot glued it.I figured they had to glue that liner in somehow in the first place.In the end, I ended up buying a new helmet , thought it was a bit sketch and didnt trust this hot glue solution.

I honestly think it would be best for you to buy a new one at this point.You'll have no way to tell if your quick fix will provide has the right structural integrity wich could ultimatly lead to your DEATH. :D
 
4130biker

4130biker

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May 24, 2007
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I'm pretty sure tld does a similiar fix. I've had this problem with mine, and now have a new helmet. You could call tld and see if they'll fix it with the right glue.
I really don't see how this will destroy you in a crash though. Kind of a custom MIPS system.
 
Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
They just use hot glue (the stuff that you put sticks of into a gun)... that's all they use from factory, and that's all you need to fix them when they fall apart. If you think its unsafe, you should probably take it up with troy lee who used this solution in the first place, and not enough of it for that matter.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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4130biker said:
I'm pretty sure tld does a similiar fix. I've had this problem with mine, and now have a new helmet. You could call tld and see if they'll fix it with the right glue.
I really don't see how this will destroy you in a crash though. Kind of a custom MIPS system.
Click to expand...
not really. MIPS helmets use a low friction "slip layer" between the outer shell and liner to allow for movement. Glue wants to keep things in place.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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tuumbaq said:
No need to be a bunch of dicks guys,this is a legitimate question.

Ive had a less that a years old D2 helmet with the same problem in the past.Everything looked fine but the liner would move "freely" in the shell, without coming completely off...I did try to hot glued it.I figured they had to glue that liner in somehow in the first place.In the end, I ended up buying a new helmet , thought it was a bit sketch and didnt trust this hot glue solution.

I honestly think it would be best for you to buy a new one at this point.You'll have no way to tell if your quick fix will provide has the right structural integrity wich could ultimatly lead to your DEATH. :D
Click to expand...
Ok legitimate answer time:

They put the glue there to keep the EPS liner attached to the outer shell. There's one of two causes that could have led to the scenario described by the OP (EPS liner broken free from the shell):

1) The glue did it's job, kept the liner in place, and failed during an impact.

2) The glue didn't do its job. For whatever reason it didn't bond properly, there wasn't enough of it, and the liner broke free from the outer shell prematurely. In the event of this scenario, be glad it wasn't during a major impact (in event of an impact, see point #1), the helmet may not have performed properly.

In either case, it's still a OHW* helmet. EPS does not retain its impact absorption qualities beyond a single impact, so its time to replace it anyways.

Now, whether or not the glue that holds the liner to the shell is supposed to break free during an impact I do not know. It's my opinion that I don't think the glue is designed to or intended to fail during an impact (not that it can't happen; it's happened to me before). Generally, hot melt adhesives (if that's what is being used) have a high tack strength, which forms a strong bond between the materials being adhered (liner and shell). It makes sense to use something with a high tack for this kind of application. So if the glue fails, chances are something else has failed as well (damage to the EPS liner most likely) and the helmet shouldn't be used.







*OHW = One Hit Wonder, aka a single impact helmet.
 
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Bikael Molton

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,029
1,168
El Lay
Seriously, throw it in the gutter and go by another.

Why mess around with "fixing" a helmet when you can buy a replacement for under $100?
 
4130biker

4130biker

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May 24, 2007
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jonKranked said:
not really. MIPS helmets use a low friction "slip layer" between the outer shell and liner to allow for movement. Glue wants to keep things in place.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I wasn't clear- I was joking that having the shell loose was like MIPS.:D
 
freakrock

freakrock

Monkey
Aug 19, 2005
431
0
Santiago de Chile
why does everyone think it is a TLD? The helmet is not mine, and i wouldn't use a repaired one.
I need the hard facts about what is used for such a repair and why.
Someone like the kali guy (sorry, i don't know your name) telling me it shouldn't be done would also be great.

Thanks to those who have posted helpful information.
 
John P.

John P.

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,170
0
Golden, CO
My bros and I find ourselves in a similar predicament often, so we just cover our entire heads in hot glue. Seems to work. An added bonus is that Snookie, J-Woww, and the rest of the hottiez seem to like it.



--JP
 
motomike

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
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North Carolina
I had the same thing happen to my old helmet. I hot glued it back together and rode it for another 1.5 years. Now I have a new helmet and will do the same when it happens again. Use good judgement though, pull the liner out and inspect everything to make sure your helmet is still intact and that the glue is the only thing that has broken.
 
4130biker

4130biker

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May 24, 2007
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I just brought that up because it was my experience with TLD helmets breaking loose. If it's going to be repaired, it would be the safest to send it to the company to be inspected and fixed if possible. Who knows, maybe this way they'll either fix it, or offer a crash replacement.
 
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