steve_sordy
Wedding Crasher
I have a Focus Jam2 2019 9.6 NINE
After my previous post advising you all to check your Novatec axle tightness (it came loose again, so I've threadlocked it), I should have checked every other bolt on the bike. But I didn't. Never occurred to me to check the shock mounting bolts.
Yesterday, I noticed that the lower shock mounting bolt was sticking out a bit towards the non-drive side. I got my Allen key out and screwed it back in, but it just went round and round! Long story short, the bolt screws in to the frame and ends up flush with the frame on the drive side. The bolt had come loose and worked its way out away from the drive side, then the threaded section sheared off, leaving the stub engaged with the threads in the frame! The bolt is black anodised aluminium alloy. The shaft of the bolt is scored and all the black anodising is worn off on one side. That is after less than 740 miles. I don't do big jumps and so far I haven't been riding loads of rocks, just the roughest bit of forest I can find.
I spoke to one of the technicians at Rutland Cycling and he said that he would have expected threadlock to have been used, but there was no sign of it. Standard procedure is to drill a small hole in the broken off stub and then engage some sort of thread removal tool, but often the drilling unwinds the stub anyway. If they can't get it out, the frame is a write off. RC don't stock these bolts (I asked for a top bolt as well) and Derby Group (owners or UK agent for Focus unsure which) are not renowned for their fast delivery of spares. I could be without my bike for a fortnight! Warranty claim of course.
My advice to you guys: (Do it before your next ride).
Deflate the shock to a low pressure, but not so much the shock collapses completely, because the top mounting rotates behind the rear triangle and becomes inaccessible. Remove one bolt at a time, apply threadlock and refit, torque to the settings printed on the bolts (12Nm on my bike). Inflate the shock back to your preferred pressure.
While you are at it, remove the Novatec axle and use threadlock (12-14Nm). (See my previous thread on the topic).
After my previous post advising you all to check your Novatec axle tightness (it came loose again, so I've threadlocked it), I should have checked every other bolt on the bike. But I didn't. Never occurred to me to check the shock mounting bolts.
Yesterday, I noticed that the lower shock mounting bolt was sticking out a bit towards the non-drive side. I got my Allen key out and screwed it back in, but it just went round and round! Long story short, the bolt screws in to the frame and ends up flush with the frame on the drive side. The bolt had come loose and worked its way out away from the drive side, then the threaded section sheared off, leaving the stub engaged with the threads in the frame! The bolt is black anodised aluminium alloy. The shaft of the bolt is scored and all the black anodising is worn off on one side. That is after less than 740 miles. I don't do big jumps and so far I haven't been riding loads of rocks, just the roughest bit of forest I can find.
I spoke to one of the technicians at Rutland Cycling and he said that he would have expected threadlock to have been used, but there was no sign of it. Standard procedure is to drill a small hole in the broken off stub and then engage some sort of thread removal tool, but often the drilling unwinds the stub anyway. If they can't get it out, the frame is a write off. RC don't stock these bolts (I asked for a top bolt as well) and Derby Group (owners or UK agent for Focus unsure which) are not renowned for their fast delivery of spares. I could be without my bike for a fortnight! Warranty claim of course.
My advice to you guys: (Do it before your next ride).
Deflate the shock to a low pressure, but not so much the shock collapses completely, because the top mounting rotates behind the rear triangle and becomes inaccessible. Remove one bolt at a time, apply threadlock and refit, torque to the settings printed on the bolts (12Nm on my bike). Inflate the shock back to your preferred pressure.
While you are at it, remove the Novatec axle and use threadlock (12-14Nm). (See my previous thread on the topic).
Last edited: