Author Topic: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?  (Read 3196 times)

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
I was going to say for play, but I thought it might give an excuse for .....you know, creative comments.

Anyway, how's it done and what am I looking for?

marcusjb

  • Full of bon courage.
Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #1 on: 03 June, 2019, 07:42:43 am »
Pretty much unfold it and then grab the rear triangle and give it a good push and pull side to side.

Any play is time to address things.

https://brompton.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/211950369-Rear-Hinge-Servicing

Right! What's next?

Ooooh. That sounds like a daft idea.  I am in!

S2L

Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #2 on: 03 June, 2019, 07:58:25 am »
What kind of play are you talking about... there should be no side play at all... unless you mean play where the suspension bung is, in which case it doesn't matter as it will disappear once you sit on it

Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #3 on: 03 June, 2019, 04:49:05 pm »
I vaguely recall it's 2mm of play at the rear dropouts, but how exactly this is measured has never been entirely clear to me.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #4 on: 03 June, 2019, 09:04:38 pm »
I heard a quarter of an inch, which is a lot.  At least, the bike is still supposed to be rideable like that. Derailleur versions may be more fussy, since you could get ghost shifts.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #5 on: 06 June, 2019, 10:26:42 pm »
Thanks for the replies. I thought it might be a grab it and wiggle it type thing.

So mine does 25 miles pre day 5 days a week. I guess I should take it in for a replacement after 8 months. Does that sound about right ?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #6 on: 06 June, 2019, 10:55:33 pm »
Sounds pretty early to me but I have a fair tolerance of Brompton swingarm play and official Brompton advice back then allowed a significant amount (several millimetres, 2mm sounds about right but bromptonwiki has died) of movement. You check it by parking the bike (swingarm under) and measuring horizontal play at the dropout.

I think jsabine currently has my toolset for replacing the swingarm pivot but you are welcome to borrow it.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #7 on: 11 June, 2019, 09:30:05 pm »
Thanks LWaB, I'll check out what play there is and get back to you.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: How do I check the Brompton rear triangle for excessive play ?
« Reply #8 on: 23 June, 2019, 09:00:43 pm »
FWIW, I bought an old L3 many years ago that had seen 9 years' hard and fairly unloved commuting on and off a Surrey commuter train.  It was grimy and the paintwork was atrocious but the rear triangle was ok.  There was obvious slop but it ride fine.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.