Fixed!

"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove) 06/15/2018 at 18:33 • Filed to: bigger pain than it should have been

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I was trying to replace the bearings on this wheelchair, but one of the bearing races was fused to the stem bolt.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Well, I tried to use a penetrating solvent and lock pliers to work it off, but all I succeeded in doing was removing the stem from the titanium frame. I had to cut the race off with a dremel.

But then what to do about the stem? The manufacturer told me the stem is factory installed and can’t be reinstalled. Game over. Of course, I’m not about to bin a $3K+ titanium frame over a bolt. I found out that it’s anchored in at the factory with green loctite. So, I put it back with red and let it cure.

After that, I just had to wait for the new bearing cassettes I ordered to come in (because they didn’t have the right size at my hardware store). I got them in this week, and pressed them in. Add new washers and lock nuts, and I’m back on the road.

This is how it’s supposed to be assembled:

Getting that locking clip (#4) between the bearings in and out was a monumental pain.

lone_liberal > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 18:47

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Nicely done. When there’s $3k at stake you don’t listen to “can’t do it” without taking a stab at it.

benjrblant > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 18:50

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Your chair is a Ti frame?!

I have a huge soft spot for Ti

Chariotoflove > lone_liberal 06/15/2018 at 18:55

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Absolutely. Actually, I just checked the list price for a new one of the same chair I have (It’s time to get a new one). The sticker currently starts at $4,050 for the base and goes up fast from there.

gettingoldercarguy > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 18:55

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You get the bearing assembly treated with wpc?

HammerheadFistpunch > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 18:57

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I hate that “not intended to be serviceable” crap. Who do they think they are?

Chariotoflove > benjrblant 06/15/2018 at 18:57

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Ti frame, Ti backrest canes, Ti hand rims. Carbon fiber side guards and backrest. Spinergy LX wheels.

Chariotoflove > gettingoldercarguy 06/15/2018 at 19:00

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Nah, just bought the cassettes straight from the DME parts supplier, and they don’t come coated. Probably why the originals deteriorated so fast.

gettingoldercarguy > gettingoldercarguy 06/15/2018 at 19:00

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gettingoldercarguy > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 19:08

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Wheneveri do solid bushings in a car’s suspension I get the metal treated with wpc. You can literally feel it when you articulate the suspension pieces for an alignment.

Chariotoflove > HammerheadFistpunch 06/15/2018 at 19:09

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*Le grand sigh*

Yeah, this is what you get in the DME industry. Nothing is supposed to be user repairable. At most, you are expected to take it to an authorized dealer/shop and pay for the labor and parts to get it fixed, then bill to insurance and eat the copay (IF they cover it in the first place). Screw that.

In this case, I called the factory, and the rep told me the party line is that the stem is factory installed, and they can’t guarantee it’s safe under FDA guidelines if anyone else does it. That’s why they don’t sell the stem part to anyone, not even authorized shops. Can’t get it. Period.

Then he told me to hang on while he went to the floor and talked to the techs. He came back and told me how they build it. I then promised him that I would no way absolutely not try to reinstall the bolt into the frame, because that would, ya know, be dangerous.

I’d say that guy was pretty cool.

Chariotoflove > gettingoldercarguy 06/15/2018 at 19:15

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That’s very cool, but in this case, that’s not an option for me if the sealed bearings aren’t treated by the manufacturer, is it?

Nom De Plume > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 19:26

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Geez, now you have me shopping carbon composite wheelchairs . I mean you aren’t seriously considering anything but carbon, right?

gettingoldercarguy > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 19:29

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Not on that, you have to find a small time manufacturer of bearings with access to the big guy’s stock. At that point you should go ceramic and you’ll never hear another squeak from that part again (pun intended).

benjrblant > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 19:50

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That sounds like a damn sweet ride!

Chariotoflove > Nom De Plume 06/15/2018 at 19:59

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I don’t do carbon frames. I’m pretty rough on frames, and I’m afraid of getting a crack, and game over. Yes, I know lots of people use them, and they’re not that fragile, and that people say they can be repaired (but i don’t believe them). Still, I can’t do it.

Now, magnesium on the other hand. I was drooling over a Lasher the other day...

Chariotoflove > benjrblant 06/15/2018 at 19:59

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If I’ve gotta do it, might as well do it right!

Chariotoflove > gettingoldercarguy 06/15/2018 at 20:03

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Good point. However, the whole chair won’t last long enough to make it worth it. The welded Ti frame itself will be here until world’s end, but what happens is the fittings deteriorate over time, and it becomes more cost efficient to buy a new chair. Plus, the technology advances, and you end up wanting to take advantage of that, if you’re me.

Although, I stayed in this one an unusually long 7 years, and I’m dismayed at the lack of engineering advancement I’ve found over that time.

Chariotoflove > Nom De Plume 06/15/2018 at 20:13

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BTW, that concept drawing reminds me of the old Marvel M1 I saw a while back. Cool looking, but ridiculously heavy.

It also reminds me of the Carbon Black, which I have never seen in person.

Nom De Plume > Chariotoflove 06/15/2018 at 20:45

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Fair enough, marketing is one thing and actual real world use rarely shows through anywhere near the claimed qualities. I’d certainly ask to see some non-scientific stress tests like a burly medium build guy whaling on the frame against a metal pole. This is the gold standard universal procedure for proving durability in carbon frames.

Why, because the material inherently gets stronger, reforms after flexing better than it can be constructed, and more resistant to failure. If no corners were cut or design $%?!*#@ implemented it will survive intact.

Chariotoflove > Nom De Plume 06/15/2018 at 20:51

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I know people who have carbon chairs. I should keep a more open mind.