Tandem Cycling - Chris King univrsal tandem rear hub

Hi,

Since Chris King has never answer any of the 3 emails I sent to them, I am asking for the same answers on this helpfull forum.

Is the rear universal tandem hub come with all the disk adapters or do you have to buy them separately? If this is the case how do I know what model I need to buy?

Is it necessary to remove the disk to be able to adjust the bearings, like it is with white hub?

How much are the tools that are required to maintain the cK hubs?

What kind of customer service they have? I am a bit wondering about that since they never bother answering my emails. (yes I did check their email address twice) (;-)))

Thanks for the info,
Cheetah

Ive dealt with King a couple of times and found their service to be a bit sub par. I ordered some stuff from them last year and it took forever to ship. When it finally did, they sent me the wrong items. They were worth about $15.00 total. They would not ship me the correct items until I sent them the incorrect items back, at my expense.

That soured me on King. YMMV

Gee. My only experience was the exact opposite. I needed a 130mm stub axle to convert a mountain bike rear hub to road use. The part that I needed wasn't listed on their website but one telephone call and the $10.00 part arrived via USPS in about 3 days. They didn't even charge me shipping.

Normal maintenance only requires a pair of 5mm hex wrenches and maybe a chain whip. Chris King says that overhauling the hub requires special tools that are on the pricy side.

Is the rear universal tandem hub come with all the disk adapters or do you have to buy them separately? If this is the case how do I know what model I need to

Separately; it's determined by your choice of rear disc brake / rotor bolt pattern.

http://chrisking.com/files/images/parts/h-rotoradp.jpg

Is it necessary to remove the disk to be able to adjust the bearings, like it is with white hub?

Yes, the disc adapter needs to come off to get at the bearing pre-load adjusting ring. Note: be sure to figure out what type of rear axle configuration you have. They aren't always what they seem to be.

How much are the tools that are required to maintain the cK hubs?

Basic user maintenance doesn't require special tools. If you're talking about the annual ring drive service, then you'll need their hub service kit (http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&major=6&minor=6&description=Hub+Overhaul+Tool+Kit&vendorCode=KING), which is about $150.

http://chrisking.com/files/pdfs/TechServiceManual.pdf


What kind of customer service they have?

Responsiveness and support has been spotty as far back as 1998. Sometimes it's great, other times you wonder if they're still in business.
High-demand + boutique, machined parts business + comfortable business niche with strong backlog/brand recognition/quality = seller's market.

Thanks for the answers. It clarifies things for me.

Cheetah