Removing wheels to get tyres done. The front axel was a right pig to get out. This is what I found when I cleaned up the axel and whipped down the inside of the bearing. Bike is just over a year old and has done 5K miles. Surely this is not normal. Spacers on both sides have dark brown dirt corrosion marks that are not coming off with degreaser. Bearings do not turn very easily, they don’t feel gritty but again this is can’t be normal….can it? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-aiQAPCpM9Uc2T4leo9oH27BQ1YI8lMM/view?usp=sharing I'll imbed a pic here if someone can tell me how it's done.
The wheel spacers are notoriously difficult to keep clean and do permanently stain very quickly. Pretty sure the axle is aluminium and will corrode but after 12 months that's a bit soon. Wheel bearings should be free to rotate. My cynical alter ego is thinking poor pre delivery preparation, not greased up. I always liberally re-grease the axle every time it comes out. The bearings are 'sealed for life' but I pack the outside and inside of the bearings and clean up after I've torqued the axle. That hopefully restricts water ingress. If the wheel bearings are shot, they should be a warranty replacement. Andy
Commiserations, any more signs of serious corrosion around lower part of the bike that you wouldn't expect to see after after 12 months/5k miles? I'm guessing you've owned it from new?
Yup, had it since new and the rest of the bike looks ok as far as I have checked. Will be taking the back wheel off tomorrow after the front has been changed. I'm expecting the same thing with that axel! Think it is likely bad delivery prep as mentioned above. Will lube them up good and proper before they go back in.
Check the external “oil” seals they may have corroded on the inside. The external seals on my V4 multi wheels had turned the inner spring into a rusty paste that had gotten past the bearings seals over time. When i replaced the bearings/sealsi made sure these were greased on the inside before fitting. Just to add other info my oem seals appear to have been fitted dry/sans any grease & I never jet washed my bike.
My rear bearing failed at 8k and front failed at 13k, both replaced under warranty and they said it was a bad batch of bearings that were the cause. Mines is a 22 model, and im always careful not to use pressure washer on the axles.
Not so much poor PDI, more like poor initial assembly at the factory. I don’t think they do much disassembly and inspection on a new bike at PDI. I’ve seen similar on many year old bikes when assembled dry at the factory.
What Treadlightly says. AFAIK the wheels are supplied to the factory complete with bearings (and tyres) and the axles are fitted dry. Both my front and rear axles were bone dry which became apparent at the first tyre change.
