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05-23-06, 07:12 AM
Alright I had an experience where I blew up, seized, destroyed a surly rear hub a couple months ago. I sent it back with a letter explaining what happened and accepting fault if in fact I did cause the damage.
I Just received a new hub with the following letter. HUge Props to Surly!!! Makes me love my Steamroller even more!!
"Dude-
Got your hub and read your letter. Thanks for the info surrounding the failure and your willingness to accept reality ( "If it was operator error..."). In truth, it's our belieff that the failure technically was operator error.
Our hubs, as you may know, use adjustable cartridge bearings. This means that although better sealed than loose ball hubs, they require almost the same care as loose ball hubs. Simply put, they need to be checked for adjustment every so often. Bearings wear and develop play. Left unchecked and unadjusted, this play can allow the cone nut to tighten due to pedal forces. It only happens a little bit at a time, at least until it finally becomes too tight and seizes up. I have had a Surly hub do this too, but it can also happen on other hubs. It happens more frequently on fixies simply because you're pedaling more on a fixie. The moral of the story is to check your hub once in a while. A few times a season, more or less depending on the amount you ride.
Now, having said all that, we replaced your hub. You were open and honest and not demanding. That means a lot. And you ride enough to destroy a hub (the beearings--the actual balls--were pressed so hard into the hub shell that there are pock marks INSIDE the hub shell, half spheres indented into the aluminum!), and dammit, we dig that. So enjoy, and for the love of pete check your bearings. Cool?
Cheers,
I Just received a new hub with the following letter. HUge Props to Surly!!! Makes me love my Steamroller even more!!
"Dude-
Got your hub and read your letter. Thanks for the info surrounding the failure and your willingness to accept reality ( "If it was operator error..."). In truth, it's our belieff that the failure technically was operator error.
Our hubs, as you may know, use adjustable cartridge bearings. This means that although better sealed than loose ball hubs, they require almost the same care as loose ball hubs. Simply put, they need to be checked for adjustment every so often. Bearings wear and develop play. Left unchecked and unadjusted, this play can allow the cone nut to tighten due to pedal forces. It only happens a little bit at a time, at least until it finally becomes too tight and seizes up. I have had a Surly hub do this too, but it can also happen on other hubs. It happens more frequently on fixies simply because you're pedaling more on a fixie. The moral of the story is to check your hub once in a while. A few times a season, more or less depending on the amount you ride.
Now, having said all that, we replaced your hub. You were open and honest and not demanding. That means a lot. And you ride enough to destroy a hub (the beearings--the actual balls--were pressed so hard into the hub shell that there are pock marks INSIDE the hub shell, half spheres indented into the aluminum!), and dammit, we dig that. So enjoy, and for the love of pete check your bearings. Cool?
Cheers,