Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => The Dark Side => Topic started by: Kim on 07 December, 2017, 06:45:09 pm
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Just noticed a slight clunk in the steering on barakta's trike. If you grab the rearmost part of the wheels and wiggle them together/apart there are a couple of millimetres of play. Mk 1 eyeball reveals this to come from the bearingy bit on the ends of the track rods. The wheel bearings themselves seem fine.
How much play is normal? It doesn't seem to affect the handling.
I appreciate that it's a wear component, and I believe replacement track rods can be obtained from ICE. But it's only done about 2000 miles, so that seems early for them to be appreciably worn. There doesn't seem to be any sign of corrosion (barakta's mostly a fair weather cyclist, and the trike lives indoors).
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I know ICE now fit rubber covers over the rose joints to help keep the joints clean and cut down on wear.
Not sure when they started fitting then, but my first 'Q' didn't have then but my 'Sprint' now does.
If you get a lot of play then the tracking will probably be out and you'll wear one front tyre more than the other.
But it may take a few hundred miles before any excess tyre wear is noticeable.
So if both front tyres look the same, then you're probably still fine.
Thinking about it ...........
Just noticed a slight clunk in the steering on barakta's trike.
Does the steering feel there's a notch in it ??
Does the trike feel as though it's hunting for line around a corner ??
If so it could be one of the headsets could be too tight or there's muck in one.
So if my trike feels like that, I'll lessen the preloading on the headsets as see if that solves the problem.
If it does then it's either leave as is or strip the headsets down and check the state of the bearing.
Drop ICE an email about it.
Their aftermarket service is excellent and they'll soon get back to you about this.
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Doesn't feel like a notchy headset (at least not the way I've experienced it on a bicycle), but will bear that in mind. The steering clunk is quite mild, intermittent, and doesn't happen at a consistent position. And I can see some play at the track rod end. Barakta hadn't noticed it. (I only did because I was sitting on the stationary trike on a smooth indoor surface turning the steering while adjusting the mudguard[1].)
I haven't ridden it myself for ages, so I think the next thing to do is go for a ride.
Tyres are relatively new (swapped to Big Apples at the end of 2015 just in time for barakta's migraine stuff flaring up and her not being able to do any cycling for ages), so no real wear. I haven't checked the tracking, but that's probably a good idea.
It's the older version without the covers. While there isn't corrosion, there was plenty of mud in the area, so maybe it's been acting as an abrasive. The trike hasn't covered a lot of miles, but the lifetime Sustrans factor will have been fairly high, particularly in that first year she had it.
[1] I found a spare SKS mudflap in my bits box, so replaced one which got broken while loading the trike into a car a while ago.
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I replaced the track rod ends on my trike a couple of years ago as they went wobbly. Ice sent me free replacements with the new gaiters. It seemed to do the trick.
http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk/changing-the-track-rods-on-my-ice-sprint/
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I would replace them Kim . I had a track rod come adrift at low speed and it wrecked the wheel bringing me to a abrupt stop . If it happened at speed ....... :hand:
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Mine went after a similar distance - the first ones didn't have the rubber covers on, replacements did.
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There was noticeable play in Saphira's rod ends at 8000 miles, they were the original unshielded ones. I didn't detect any handling difference, but the tracking must have altered over time.
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I would not use anything unless it is specifically called for by the makers .
In my experience you should never use lube on plastic type bushings.
In fact if it is teflon many lubes will break down teflon.
Perhaps you have sprayed WD40 or similar onto the joints during cleaning and general servicing ?
Acting as a UK ICE Premier dealer I have no record of ICE stating "you should lube the plastic steering joints ".
However note that Q and T series and Custom built trikes used all metal construction steering joints .
The old school versions can be stripped cleaned and lubed .......Hurray !
I can offer full sets of "aftermarket" track rod end bushings which are metal with dust seals.
Produced by a British motor sport supplier .
Note :- The ICE rubber boots prevent users blasting lubes onto the joints ::-)