Shock linkage question.

[Richridesmtb]

Hi All,

I recently received my M10 Rise and have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. My only issue, which is not ideal after a month of ownership, is a creaking axle on the shock linkage where it runs through the seat tube.

I pulled it down and cleaned everything but noticed that the threaded side of the axle was on the left of the bike, not the right as in the Rise and Occam blue paper. I watched a YouTube video for the purple tool on an Occam and his was on the left as well.

Another thing that I wasn't too happy about was some nasty scoring on the axle splines.

So could any carbon Rise owners please tell me what side is threaded on their axle? If you have taken it apart, what condition was it in? I'd only washed the bike lightly three times so expected it to look perfect.

Thanks, Rich.

 

[RustyIron]

I recently received my M10 Rise and have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. My only issue, which is not ideal after a month of ownership, is a creaking axle on the shock linkage where it runs through the seat tube.

Everything on a mountain bike that touches something else on a mountain bike needs a thin film of grease before being assembled. Creaky bikes are awful.

 

[Rod B.]

Rich,

The threaded side of my axle was also located on the left, non drive side. I don't think it really matters. I turned it to face the right side per the Blue Paper. The scoring on the axle splines isn't an issue, it's the scoring on the shoulders of the axle that is an issue.

I had the same creaking. At first, I thought it was the seat post making the noise. Tightening didn't help. Then I thought it was the seat post saddle rail clamp. No dice on tightening. It drove me absolutely bonkers. I finally figured out the noise was coming from the upper pivot axle. After servicing, the noise went away. Fortunately, my axle didn't look as worn as yours. You can buy a replacement on Orbea's website.

I've come to the conclusion the upper pivot axle needs to be lubricated frequently, i.e. every few months, especially if you ride frequently in wet conditions, or if you wash your bike regularly. The upper pivot axle bearings are very easy to replace as well. I think the issue stems from the axle having no seal on either end to keep dirt or water out. Over time, dirt and water works it's way into the union between the axle and bearings causing the grease to dry up from contamination.

The fit of the axle shoulders and the bearings needs to be a close tolerance fit. Looking at the scoring on the shoulders of your axle, I think you'll continue having noise issues if you go back with the same axle. Lubing the bearings and axle will help for a while, but ultimately the noise will likely return as the scoring grows worse.

As long as you keep the axle regularly cleaned and lubricated, it's not an issue. Give me a day to post the service article. Here are a few diagrams to give people an idea of the upper axle Rich is referring to.

 

[Richridesmtb]

Thanks for your reply Rob. I quickly tracked down mine by wriggling the wheel side to side while touching each pivot. I started off suspecting (and dreading) the main pivot as it was the culprit on my Rallon. It looks more tricky to service on the Rise though.

I think there was a lack of sufficient grease in the pivot from the factory on the Rise. I have given it a good dollop more and we'll see how it goes. Fortunately I have a great relationship with my orbea dealer, so I could try for a warranty on the axle if it keeps misbehaving. It shouldn't be an issue in less than a month after 3 washes and two wet rides.

On the threaded side of the axle topic, I was trying to figure out how it would make a difference which side the threads were on. It shouldn't really make a difference to the linkage alignment, so it still puzzles me why they specify a side (and don't build it up according to spec).

Thanks for your detailed responses in the various Rise threads. Some very valuable info in them.