Rise M10 - Excessive rear end flex after replacing broken main pivot axle

[b33k34]

Following on from this thread -

Broken main pivot axle. (Rise)

This explains why the rear of my bike suddenly felt like it was no longer attached to the front yesterday (after a fairly large crack sound on a landing) Anyone else had a main pivot axle break?

www.emtbforums.com

I've not been riding a huge amount as the weather has been bad here - and I'd been blaming the wandering back end on slippery trails and poor skills. But comparing my bike to others and had a mech look at it and the bike definitely has excessive flex at the rear.

none of the bolts feel loose and theres no knocking or movement, but really noticeable flex (easiest seen by the amount the linkage moves around the seat tube).

I'm going to strip down the rear end again, but has anyone had this and can give me any clues as to what I'm looking for?

 

[b33k34]

Answering my own question. Drive side upper pivot (ie the splined axle on the pivot) was loose - bolt was tight and it was only when I'd removed the rear stays that I could detect it. When I undid the shock mount lever the right arm fell off the axle. Luckily I have a spare in stock (ordered one when I got the main pivot axle) and hopefully theres not too much wear on the lever (it feels like it goes on tightly but seems odd that both parts wouldn't' have worn).

 

[Weeksy]

Where abouts are you mate ? I've stripped ours down a few times and i'm pretty handy with the spanners.

 

[b33k34]

Thanks. I've got it all apart and cleaned. With a new axle I think theres still a little movement on the linkage.

And of course it's a superseded part - the new 23 linkage needs a whole load of other parts as well which add up to 300 Euros. And of course, as always with Orbea, there are a couple that aren't in stock, and the estimated delivery date for one of them isn't until after I've left for a riding trip in Spain....

I'm thinking of reassembling with extra Loctite 638 on that side (the next service of the part is going to be a replacement in any case) and see how it rides.

 

[Weeksy]

I've got an old linkage here you can borrow. I had mine swapped under warranty to the new linkage. It's got about 500 miles from new on it. All bearings are good

 

[b33k34]

how did you manage to get the new one under warranty (and also have undamaged levers?). Will see if it holds up tomorrow. I put quite a lot of Loctite on so getting it off again might be interesting.

 

[Weeksy]

I wrote a mail to my LBS and said "I've got play , can you raise a warranty please"

2 weeks later, the parts arrived. I then fitted it all.

I'm not convinced my play was anything more than just needing undoing and retightening but the video did the job.
It's a fussy little linkage, doing them up in one sequence can leave it wobbly, then you do it all the same but a different order and it has play.