My Chainstay wore a hole in my brake line!

[muzzman1]

On my 2019 Levo, right where my brake line enters the lower chainstay, I noticed the paint was bubbling up.
My bike has been sitting for the last 5 weeks while my wrist recovers from a fracture that was a result of coming up short on a double (The "crash" happened on my Kenevo, not this bike)
I am all healed up and ready to get back out, so I wanted to go over the bike to make sure all is well. I've ridden over 3000 miles since Feb, so it get a lot of hard use.
I flipped the bike over and saw the pic below.
This explains why I needed to bleed the brakes every couple weeks. Here I thought I just sucked at bleeding them.
I looked at showroom bikes and they are the same, in that there's no grommet protecting the line.

@Specialized Rider Care What can I do to prevent this in the future?
This is a safety concern right? My rear brake completely failed at one point a couple months ago, and I just chalked it up to my bad bleeding skills. Turns out that's not the case.
TL;DR, Has anyone else had a rear brake line get cut as a result of rubbing the frame where the line enters the chain stay?
This pic was taken with the bike upside down.

 

[Mcharza]

Wow! Maybe DOT brake fluid?

 

[R120]

Shouldn’t there be a grommet in the hole to prevent that happening?

 

[muzzman1]

Wow! Maybe DOT brake fluid?

Definitely DOT fluid. It was leaking from the brake line, that was cut by the frame!

 

[muzzman1]

Shouldn’t there be a grommet in the hole to prevent that happening?

I looked at a couple brand new Levo's at my LBS and they do not have a grommet.

 

[NULevo]

On my 2019 Levo, right where my brake line enters the lower chainstay, I noticed the paint was bubbling up.
My bike has been sitting for the last 5 weeks while my wrist recovers from a fracture that was a result of coming up short on a double (The "crash" happened on my Kenevo, not this bike)
I am all healed up and ready to get back out, so I wanted to go over the bike to make sure all is well. I've ridden over 3000 miles since Feb, so it get a lot of hard use.
I flipped the bike over and saw the pic below.
This explains why I needed to bleed the brakes every couple weeks. Here I thought I just sucked at bleeding them.
I looked at showroom bikes and they are the same, in that there's no grommet protecting the line.

@Specialized Rider Care What can I do to prevent this in the future?
This is a safety concern right? My rear brake completely failed at one point a couple months ago, and I just chalked it up to my bad bleeding skills. Turns out that's not the case.
TL;DR, Has anyone else had a rear brake line get cut as a result of rubbing the frame where the line enters the chain stay?
This pic was taken with the bike upside down.


View attachment 23579

This is scary! it's an aluminium frame? surely covered by the warranty?

 

[levity]

Ugh, poor design as there’s bound to be some rubbing.
Specialized will want to see this. I imagine you should have a new bike shortly.

Just checked my 2019 Comp Carbon - no grommet, but no wear.
The angle the brake hose takes is close to parallel with the stay, and this
may help minimize rubbing a and wear, but I’m going to keep an eye on it.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP!

The brake hose has to flex and move here as the suspension moves.
I wonder if hose length or tightness is a factor?
Could Improper set up been a contributing factor?

I’ll ask @Al Boneta if he’s seen this.

 

[Webike]

Either the swingarm motion causes enough abrasion on the hose to frame contact point or a rock/limb has made contact and pinched the hose. It's surprising that the over-shroud was not extended enough to enter the frame and provide a bit more protection...be worth adding an additional layer if the hose is replaced but it may require drilling out the hole a tiny bit and deburring any rough edges.
The 2500 miles on my 2019 alloy comp has only managed to create a small dent imprint on the brake hose but thanks for the 'heads up' and it's something to keep an eye on.
Where exactly is the rupture point? Perhaps a photo with a pin stuck in the hole?

 

[Al Boneta]

Ugh, poor design as there’s bound to be some rubbing.
Specialized will want to see this. I imagine you should have a new bike shortly.

Just checked my 2019 Comp Carbon - no grommet, but no wear.
The angle the brake hose takes is close to parallel with the stay, and this
may help minimize rubbing a and wear, but I’m going to keep an eye on it.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP!

View attachment 23619

The brake hose has to flex and move here as the suspension moves.
I wonder if hose length or tightness is a factor?
Could Improper set up been a contributing factor?

I’ll ask @Al Boneta if he’s seen this.

Thanks Larry, I was taking another sabbatical from the forum.

No I have never seen this happen on a 19 or 20 Levo, but there is a simple fix to prevent it from happening to anyone else.

Whenever we build a new bike in the shop we have to loosen the cable clamps inside the sidearm to make installing the dropper easier. This only occurs on alloy frames.

We will usually just remove the shock to get to the tiny bolts that loosen these clamps

While we are busy having to dick around with the dropper post cable, we make sure to put enough slack in the brake hose to prevent it getting yanked or having it rub excessively against the swing arm hole.

And since the shock isn't mounted this is really easy to check by moving the swing arm up and down through it's travel.

Once you have done all of that happy horseshit, tighten the cable clamps back down to prevent the hose from slipping. Again this only applies to alloy frames

If you have a carbon frame, you have nothing to worry about because the hole isn't sharp like it is on an alloy frame. But if you are an OCD type like myself, you can wrap the exposed hose in heatshrink to prevent any rub from wearing through the hose or wearing the hole bigger.

Hope that helps

 

[muzzman1]

Thanks Larry, I was taking another sabbatical from the forum.

No I have never seen this happen on a 19 or 20 Levo, but there is a simple fix to prevent it from happening to anyone else.

Whenever we build a new bike in the shop we have to loosen the cable clamps inside the sidearm to make installing the dropper easier. This only occurs on alloy frames.

We will usually just remove the shock to get to the tiny bolts that loosen these clamps

While we are busy having to dick around with the dropper post cable, we make sure to put enough slack in the brake hose to prevent it getting yanked or having it rub excessively against the swing arm hole.

And since the shock isn't mounted this is really easy to check by moving the swing arm up and down through it's travel.

Once you have done all of that happy horseshit, tighten the cable clamps back down to prevent the hose from slipping. Again this only applies to alloy frames

If you have a carbon frame, you have nothing to worry about because the hole isn't sharp like it is on an alloy frame. But if you are an OCD type like myself, you can wrap the exposed hose in heatshrink to prevent any rub from wearing through the hose or wearing the hole bigger.

Hope that helps

Yes, the plan is to add some heat shrink to the hose upon installation

Ugh, poor design as there’s bound to be some rubbing.
Specialized will want to see this. I imagine you should have a new bike shortly.

Just checked my 2019 Comp Carbon - no grommet, but no wear.
The angle the brake hose takes is close to parallel with the stay, and this
may help minimize rubbing a and wear, but I’m going to keep an eye on it.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP!

View attachment 23619

The brake hose has to flex and move here as the suspension moves.
I wonder if hose length or tightness is a factor?
Could Improper set up been a contributing factor?

I’ll ask @Al Boneta if he’s seen this.

I emailed rider care, they asked me to have my LBS file a warranty claim. I suspect they will replace the lower chain stay. He indicated to me that the frame has a lifetime warranty and the paint a 2 yr. This falls under those categories from what he said.
I don't have the line out, but here's a really close up. The leak is extremely small. It takes 2-3 weeks to affect braking. I ride 6-7days a week and the bike has over 3000 miles since feb.

 

[Al Boneta]

On my 2019 Levo, right where my brake line enters the lower chainstay, I noticed the paint was bubbling up.
My bike has been sitting for the last 5 weeks while my wrist recovers from a fracture that was a result of coming up short on a double (The "crash" happened on my Kenevo, not this bike)
I am all healed up and ready to get back out, so I wanted to go over the bike to make sure all is well. I've ridden over 3000 miles since Feb, so it get a lot of hard use.
I flipped the bike over and saw the pic below.
This explains why I needed to bleed the brakes every couple weeks. Here I thought I just sucked at bleeding them.
I looked at showroom bikes and they are the same, in that there's no grommet protecting the line.

@Specialized Rider Care What can I do to prevent this in the future?
This is a safety concern right? My rear brake completely failed at one point a couple months ago, and I just chalked it up to my bad bleeding skills. Turns out that's not the case.
TL;DR, Has anyone else had a rear brake line get cut as a result of rubbing the frame where the line enters the chain stay?
This pic was taken with the bike upside down.


View attachment 23579

Also this is why proper set up at the shop is critical for optimum performance and preventive maintenance.

I would be pissed off at the shop that set this bike up. It totally makes them look like they haven't a clue what the fuck they are doing

 

[muzzman1]

I got the bike back from my LBS with new brake line so I can ride it again.
They submitted a claim to Specialized. They suspect I will get a new chainstay or frame to deal with the ruined paint, and also the hole will be a smoother transition so it does not happen again.
Once this pans out completely I will report back.

 

[muzzman1]

So I heard back from my LBS. They told me that the rep and get me a satin black triangle as opposed to a triangle that matches my tan bike.
I was kind of taken aback. How can they think that's ok? Im not too anal, it is a mtn bike that gets beaten up, but my 1st thought was how ugly can it get and for resale, who would want a mix color frame??
I suggested they find me a tan triangle (my preference as I do actually like the color) or get me a black satin frame (not my ideal choice)
What do you shop owners think? (@Al Boneta) Am I being too demanding?

 

[Al Boneta]

So I heard back from my LBS. They told me that the rep and get me a satin black triangle as opposed to a triangle that matches my tan bike.
I was kind of taken aback. How can they think that's ok? Im not too anal, it is a mtn bike that gets beaten up, but my 1st thought was how ugly can it get and for resale, who would want a mix color frame??
I suggested they find me a tan triangle (my preference as I do actually like the color) or get me a black satin frame (not my ideal choice)
What do you shop owners think? (@Al Boneta) Am I being too demanding?

I think all of the warranty swingarms come in satin black. Don I think you are being demanding?
No not really, seeing as how they carried that tan over in to 2020, but if that is the only color they have available, nothing else can be done.
I have had to install blue warranty forks on red road bikes before.
I think this whole thing is more on the shop than Specialized.
Yeah it’s going not going to match, as for resale, it was the most unpopular color in our store, so I don’t know if it would help it or hurt it.
Me personally if it bothered me enough, I would probably just run the tan swingarm and put heatshrink or conduit on the hose and call it a day.
Actually what I would do is have the satin black swing arm painted to match.

 

[muzzman1]

I just want to update everyone here:
Let me start by saying Specialized rider care is the best.
While the brake line issue was getting resolved, the bike would not start. My LBC (Incycle Santa Clarita) spent a couple days Diagnosing the issue, and came to the idea that a new bike would be in order.
@Specialized Rider Care approved a full replacement (swapping my carbon wheels bars, shock and fork & battery).
So I end up with a brand new frame , motor brakes & wiring New warranty etc.
I consider this above and beyond customer service. Totally outside of the scope of my expectations.
I've done a couple rides already and it is perfection once again.
Thanks to Incycle (Lala) and Specialized.