Levo Gen 3 Help find the rattle on my '22 Levo Expert?

Ntinos

Member
Oct 5, 2020
51
39
Athens, Greece
While I am waiting to have mine in a couple of weeks,,,,Maybe this rattle is coming from somewhere around seat post ? If your seatpost is not 34.9mm (frame --> shim <-- smaller diameter seatpost)
 
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Leon

New Member
Mar 2, 2022
5
0
Tel Aviv
I've had my '22 Levo Expert for three months and about 700 miles. Unfortunately, it came with a very noticeable rattle, which been mentioned on the gen 3 mega thread by myself and a few others. My dealer who has sold a bunch of '22 Levos has tried everything that has been mentioned in the mega thread as a possible fix, they even installed a new motor since a few folks said that a new motor fixed their rattle. The bottom line is my dealer and specialized are unable to figure it out at this time. I'm sure eventually the rattle will be located. I'm starting this thread, so that it will be place for others who have a similar issue can share info.

Please do not added stuff like "just wear headphones" or "Specialized bike's are overpriced POS"
I got my new expert a few days ago and have the exact same problem knocking sound like something is loose especially in the rough choppy stuff, can’t recreate the sound in the stand really p me off
 

Leon

New Member
Mar 2, 2022
5
0
Tel Aviv
I've had my '22 Levo Expert for three months and about 700 miles. Unfortunately, it came with a very noticeable rattle, which been mentioned on the gen 3 mega thread by myself and a few others. My dealer who has sold a bunch of '22 Levos has tried everything that has been mentioned in the mega thread as a possible fix, they even installed a new motor since a few folks said that a new motor fixed their rattle. The bottom line is my dealer and specialized are unable to figure it out at this time. I'm sure eventually the rattle will be located. I'm starting this thread, so that it will be place for others who have a similar issue can share info.

Please do not added stuff like "just wear headphones" or "Specialized bike's are overpriced POS"
Same let me know if u get to the bottom of it
 

nativeracer

Member
Aug 24, 2019
30
38
California
Try looking to see if the grommet holding the line for speed sensor/magnet pickup has come off by the rear axle. My 2022 Kenevo SL had a similar rattle that I finally tracked down to the speed sensor wire rattling inside the chain stay. The grommet had slid off and was no longer pressed into the frame. Which let the wire rattle inside the lower chain stay arm.
 

Leon

New Member
Mar 2, 2022
5
0
Tel Aviv
Try looking to see if the grommet holding the line for speed sensor/magnet pickup has come off by the rear axle. My 2022 Kenevo SL had a similar rattle that I finally tracked down to the speed sensor wire rattling inside the chain stay. The grommet had slid off and was no longer pressed into the frame. Which let the wire rattle inside the lower chain stay arm.
Thanks will have a look at that👍
 

congerball

Active member
Jun 3, 2019
224
217
Yorkshire UK
I used to have an annoying rattle…only on rough stuff. Something was loose in my fork, Specialized swapped my fork for some new Rock Shox Pikes and the rattle was gone 👍
The only way I could recreate the sound was to lift the front wheel, spin it forward then slam on the brake…or drop the front wheel onto the floor (whilst it’s still spinning) that’s how I showed the guys in the shop the noise I was hearing.

You could also try….front brake caliper..there can be a bit of play between the spring pad holder and the screw that threads through it to secure to the caliper. Mind you my brakes are sram level t’s so maybe it’s just mine 🤣 I put a small strip of inner tube over for a bit of tension, stops any rattling 👍

8C07C87D-CAD4-4499-8519-92F87C078EF9.png

Check plastic torque caps on wheel hub are ok, grease them up 👍
 

SparkleHedgehog

Active member
Dec 11, 2021
47
25
Coningsby, UK
I've had my '22 Levo Expert for three months and about 700 miles. Unfortunately, it came with a very noticeable rattle, which been mentioned on the gen 3 mega thread by myself and a few others. My dealer who has sold a bunch of '22 Levos has tried everything that has been mentioned in the mega thread as a possible fix, they even installed a new motor since a few folks said that a new motor fixed their rattle. The bottom line is my dealer and specialized are unable to figure it out at this time. I'm sure eventually the rattle will be located. I'm starting this thread, so that it will be place for others who have a similar issue can share info.

Please do not added stuff like "just wear headphones" or "Specialized bike's are overpriced POS"

If you remove your top cap of the stem is your fork steerer near on flush with the top of the stem lip? Mine was and that was my issue as it needs to be 2-3mm below the stem edge to pull on the cap down. If flush there's no pull so effectively untightened headset.

Worth a look
 

akira

Member
Dec 9, 2021
163
73
SanDiego
Hey there,

i had extreme knocking/ rattling sounds, always on shaking root lines. sounded like a loose part knocking from inside the frame.
But Nothing to hear when shaking the bike in the stand.

I now searched all the frame internals several times and found that Specialized imtegrated me some secret Swat spare part:

That carbon spacer was in the top tube end near the seattube and rattled as hell !

View attachment 74176

Perhaps other rattling levos also have integrated secret spare parts by speci assembly line ?

Best regards,

Chris
I have been chasing a rattle/knock on my Expert for the last 50 miles. It is there every ride through any chunky terrain. Pulled the headset to clean, grease, and re-installed (all looked good). Then thought it was coming from the forward shock mount because I could often get the knock to happen in the garage if I pushed down quickly and firm on the bars. I could hear the knock from what seemed to be the area at the forward shock. I removed the shock and re-installed to correct torque specs. The knock was still there. Went fishing for any spare parts in the top tube with no luck.

Tonight I pulled my TCU again and zip-tied the TCU cables. Also tucked the wiring so it has less opportunity to move in the top tube. I can't get it to knock in the garage and thinking the connectors on the TCU cables were tapping the carbon frame and the sound exiting near the forward shock bolt. Fingers crossed this issue is resolved.
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,257
4,643
Llandovery, Wales
My persistent rattle was the cassette, the spacer ring between cassette and hub went missing and rattled badly, was really hard to find too.
The giveaway is that the cassette will have relative movement between the main carrier and the smaller sprockets.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,581
5,068
Weymouth
My persistent rattle was the cassette, the spacer ring between cassette and hub went missing and rattled badly, was really hard to find too.
The giveaway is that the cassette will have relative movement between the main carrier and the smaller sprockets.
I went for an XC type ride today and the ground was really hard and where tractors or cows had been it was like riding over a corrugated tin roof!............and I had this annoying and quite loud rattle. Now my bike is the Whyte E 180 and I dont get the Bosch motor rattle at all, and this noise sounded higher up on the bike anyway. I held brakes levers etc whilst riding to see if I could stop the noise and identify the cause.

Turned out to be my helmet rattling on my glasses!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,257
4,643
Llandovery, Wales
I went for an XC type ride today and the ground was really hard and where tractors or cows had been it was like riding over a corrugated tin roof!............and I had this annoying and quite loud rattle. Now my bike is the Whyte E 180 and I dont get the Bosch motor rattle at all, and this noise sounded higher up on the bike anyway. I held brakes levers etc whilst riding to see if I could stop the noise and identify the cause.

Turned out to be my helmet rattling on my glasses!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
at least it wasnt the bones (yet)
 

Basher

Member
May 23, 2020
15
3
GATESHEAD
Had a clicking noise on my 19 Levo for weeks and couldn't trace it. Tried everything and was convinced it was headset but to no avail. Finally traced mine to the saddle itself where the rails go into the saddle. Had tried everything around the saddle except try a different one and hey presto. I realise everyones rattles and clicks can come from a myriad of things but have you considered the saddle?
 

carlito

Member
Feb 14, 2019
35
3
BELGIUM
Was this problem solved? For what it's worth, I had a comparable issue with my 2022 Turbo Levo Comp Alloy. Looked around here several times. Did not find the solution for my particular problem. My dealer is 100km away and fully booked. It started as an occasional, minor, short rattling sound. Since the sound has always been there since I bought the bike in january, I thought it was caused by debris thrown against the downtube or mudguard by the front tire. But with every next ride the noise gradually became louder, more frequent and really annoying. It was as if the fork, frame or seatpost loudly creaked with every bump, impact or turn. I was able to provoke the sound only while riding, by front loading the bike and wiggling the handle bar. It litterarly ruined several of my rides up to the point that I was thinking of just selling the damn bike. The silence of the motor was a major reason for me buying this e-mtb. My frustration came to an end yesterday when I just tried to tighten the axle nut keeper screw of the Fox 36 Rhythm suspension (see image). It was not loose at all, but I just tightened it some more. Noise is gone. So screw that screw tight, or you may be screwed like me. Not my first e-mtb, not my first quest for silence. Sometimes you have to go through the valley of despear before you can suffer in silence on an e-mtb. My personal record is 95,8km and 1910hm in 1 ride.

15qr-axle-adjust.jpg
 

exckiwi

Member
Apr 15, 2019
19
6
Belmont, Lower hutt
Four Flusher you've probably sorted your rattle but I had the same issue on my 22 Expert. For the first few months the bike was really quiet then around the time the bike shop installed a new dropper cable an annoying rattle started. It drove me mad because I couldn't replicate it by bouncing the bike while stationary.
But finally I've worked it out, it's the swat tool. If you pull it apart there's a lot of movement in it sideways. There's also a rubber buffer in the top cap that compresses against the tool to make it a tight fit when you close it , but over time this flattens which causes movement and a rattle.
Hope this help's.
 

akira

Member
Dec 9, 2021
163
73
SanDiego
Four Flusher you've probably sorted your rattle but I had the same issue on my 22 Expert. For the first few months the bike was really quiet then around the time the bike shop installed a new dropper cable an annoying rattle started. It drove me mad because I couldn't replicate it by bouncing the bike while stationary.
But finally I've worked it out, it's the swat tool. If you pull it apart there's a lot of movement in it sideways. There's also a rubber buffer in the top cap that compresses against the tool to make it a tight fit when you close it , but over time this flattens which causes movement and a rattle.
Hope this help's.
The SWAT tool was always coming loose on my Expert. It either creaked or rattled. I replaced it with the OneUp V2 stem tool and problem solved. It now has more options for tools and no more creaks or rattles.
 

SteveRS

Member
Jun 9, 2022
107
78
British Columbia Canada
My rattle is gone 👍🏻🎉. I recently installed a cascade link on the bike. During the process when I took the original linkage off I noticed the plastic spacers that snap into the bearings, that one of them was sitting out a little bit. With the new link arms I ensured that the spacers were pushed all the way in and now there is no more rattle off the back when the bike drops over something sharp. It could have something to do with the old link bearings but they seemed fine. So maybe undo the bolts at the seat stays and shock yolk and check to make sure those spacers are pushed all the way in, and I would also recommend regreasing everything inside there as well.
 
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RickBullotta

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Jun 5, 2019
1,849
1,579
USA
If any of you removed the water bottle, the water bottle mounting bolts will not adequately secure the internal piece that they anchor into, and you'll get a rattle. Happened on my 2022 S-Works. Easy fix was two washers on each bolt.
 

Yellowdog

New Member
Jul 4, 2022
10
4
Chile
My rattle is gone 👍🏻🎉. I recently installed a cascade link on the bike. During the process when I took the original linkage off I noticed the plastic spacers that snap into the bearings, that one of them was sitting out a little bit. With the new link arms I ensured that the spacers were pushed all the way in and now there is no more rattle off the back when the bike drops over something sharp. It could have something to do with the old link bearings but they seemed fine. So maybe undo the bolts at the seat stays and shock yolk and check to make sure those spacers are pushed all the way in, and I would also recommend regreasing everything inside there as well.

I'm happy you were able to fix your turbo levo rattling! congratulations. but I'm not sure if I understood what is the spacer you are referring to. The one that is connected to the shock will be the one in the attached photo? Thanks for your help in advance!!!

DC16F8C4-57B0-4523-AF0B-27EAD2DE189C.jpeg
 

SteveRS

Member
Jun 9, 2022
107
78
British Columbia Canada
I'm happy you were able to fix your turbo levo rattling! congratulations. but I'm not sure if I understood what is the spacer you are referring to. The one that is connected to the shock will be the one in the attached photo? Thanks for your help in advance!!!

View attachment 95813

Watch this video at the three minute mark and you will see the spacers that I’m referring to that push into the linkage. One of mine was not pushed all the way in. When I installed the cascade linkage the spacers pushed all the way in. This was the only thing that I’ve done that has stopped the clanking sound in the back. And the sound that I was trying to get rid of was not a rattle it was more of a clicking or clanking sound when the back tire rolled over something sharp.

 

Sofaboy73

Member
May 26, 2020
69
35
UK
Had anyone identified a rattle definitely coming from the motor? Went on my first ride on my levo expert and all was good other than a very loud rattle over rough stuf. Plenty of possible culprits to try identified above, but it sounds very Mitch like a far louder version of the motor rattle you get on the Bosch motors. Ie is a rattle motor on the levo a thing before I spend hours trying to track I down the cause?
 

Yellowdog

New Member
Jul 4, 2022
10
4
Chile
Watch this video at the three minute mark and you will see the spacers that I’m referring to that push into the linkage. One of mine was not pushed all the way in. When I installed the cascade linkage the spacers pushed all the way in. This was the only thing that I’ve done that has stopped the clanking sound in the back. And the sound that I was trying to get rid of was not a rattle it was more of a clicking or clanking sound when the back tire rolled over something sharp.


Thank you very much for the video, I already understood what the spacer you mention is and you are telling me that it was not placed correctly. I will check if it is my case, thank you very much for your help.
 

Mina08

Member
Aug 21, 2018
76
70
Sweden
2022 Gen 3 expert carbon and a rattle, turns out it was the rear brake cable hitting the seat stay, near the caliper. Solution was put a sticky pad to dampen it.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,581
5,068
Weymouth
2022 Gen 3 expert carbon and a rattle, turns out it was the rear brake cable hitting the seat stay, near the caliper. Solution was put a sticky pad to dampen it.
On most bikes it is fixed on the chainstay such that it is pretty tight against the seat stay and protective film is stuck on the seat stay. If it is loose enough to rattle maybe check the fixings
 

Mina08

Member
Aug 21, 2018
76
70
Sweden
it was as you said but between the fittingclamp and the caliper its was knocking the seatstay
 
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