Overtightened Dahon Handle Wont Fold Down
06-06-17, 10:04 AM
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Overtightened Dahon Handle Wont Fold Down
I got my bike serviced and they tightened the inside of the hinge where you fold down the handle bars. It was put back up but I now can't fold down the bar. I've removed the hex bolt but this hasn't helped as it was the inside that was overtightened and I have no way to access that since I can't fold down the bar.
What options do I have?
What options do I have?
06-06-17, 10:06 AM
#2
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take it to a bike shop they can see it, and perhaps do something about it... its blind guessing, here.
06-06-17, 10:15 AM
#3
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First off, welcome to the forum!
You'd think that having a folding bike serviced at a bike shop would be best if you're not a bike mechanic. In theory, yes...but since bike shops see very few folders overall, they may or may not be up to speed on servicing them. Or maybe one service person knows how to service folders but doesn't work on the day your bike comes up for service and they figure one of their regular mechanics can do the job without issue. Obviously not, as your experience demonstrates.
Yours is not an uncommon issue. The other one I see most often is that some shop mechanics cut cables and housing way too short on folders - enough for use in the unfolded position, but binds when folded, because the mechanic doesn't consider that you need to leave a little more slack in cables and housing to fold the bike properly.
I'd take it back to the shop where you had it serviced. Two reasons: 1. Get your money's worth out of that service, because they left it in worse shape than when you brought it in. 2. Give the shop the opportunity to make things right for you. If they do, you'll likely be a customer there again. If they don't, you won't.
You'd think that having a folding bike serviced at a bike shop would be best if you're not a bike mechanic. In theory, yes...but since bike shops see very few folders overall, they may or may not be up to speed on servicing them. Or maybe one service person knows how to service folders but doesn't work on the day your bike comes up for service and they figure one of their regular mechanics can do the job without issue. Obviously not, as your experience demonstrates.
Yours is not an uncommon issue. The other one I see most often is that some shop mechanics cut cables and housing way too short on folders - enough for use in the unfolded position, but binds when folded, because the mechanic doesn't consider that you need to leave a little more slack in cables and housing to fold the bike properly.
I'd take it back to the shop where you had it serviced. Two reasons: 1. Get your money's worth out of that service, because they left it in worse shape than when you brought it in. 2. Give the shop the opportunity to make things right for you. If they do, you'll likely be a customer there again. If they don't, you won't.
06-06-17, 11:17 AM
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First off, welcome to the forum!
You'd think that having a folding bike serviced at a bike shop would be best if you're not a bike mechanic. In theory, yes...but since bike shops see very few folders overall, they may or may not be up to speed on servicing them. Or maybe one service person knows how to service folders but doesn't work on the day your bike comes up for service and they figure one of their regular mechanics can do the job without issue. Obviously not, as your experience demonstrates.
Yours is not an uncommon issue. The other one I see most often is that some shop mechanics cut cables and housing way too short on folders - enough for use in the unfolded position, but binds when folded, because the mechanic doesn't consider that you need to leave a little more slack in cables and housing to fold the bike properly.
I'd take it back to the shop where you had it serviced. Two reasons: 1. Get your money's worth out of that service, because they left it in worse shape than when you brought it in. 2. Give the shop the opportunity to make things right for you. If they do, you'll likely be a customer there again. If they don't, you won't.
You'd think that having a folding bike serviced at a bike shop would be best if you're not a bike mechanic. In theory, yes...but since bike shops see very few folders overall, they may or may not be up to speed on servicing them. Or maybe one service person knows how to service folders but doesn't work on the day your bike comes up for service and they figure one of their regular mechanics can do the job without issue. Obviously not, as your experience demonstrates.
Yours is not an uncommon issue. The other one I see most often is that some shop mechanics cut cables and housing way too short on folders - enough for use in the unfolded position, but binds when folded, because the mechanic doesn't consider that you need to leave a little more slack in cables and housing to fold the bike properly.
I'd take it back to the shop where you had it serviced. Two reasons: 1. Get your money's worth out of that service, because they left it in worse shape than when you brought it in. 2. Give the shop the opportunity to make things right for you. If they do, you'll likely be a customer there again. If they don't, you won't.
06-06-17, 11:20 AM
#7
Senior Member
Did you buy your folder new? If you did, call the distributor - not the shop - and explain your situation. They might have options above and beyond whatever an individual shop might have, including replacing the hinge at perhaps lower cost than a shop might charge.
06-06-17, 01:25 PM
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Take it to a shop like Fudges in Paddington ,London or any other shop where they are used to folders..
06-06-17, 03:56 PM
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Contact thorusa on these forums. He is an expert and may be able to give you instructions how to disassemble the hinge.
You probably have the Dahon hinge type with the internal sliding latch plate, right? If so, then you're out of luck. I have been the fiercest critic of that monstrously badly designed hinge. The mechanism is entirely hidden and buried inside with no way to fix it once stuck like that. The shop probably tightened the sliding latch plate bolts too much, preventing it from sliding freely. Once the latch is closed, the latch plate can't slide back to the open position by the internal springs because those bolts are too tight. Game over.
As far as I know the only solution *may* be to extract the hinge pin allowing the hinge to be dismantled.
If that isn't possible, then your handlepost will never fold again. You can't even replace it as the bolt fastening it to the fork is also inside the hinge! As I said, unfortunately, game over.
One possibility is to make sure the lever is in the open position and see if you can lightly hammer in a very thin steel plate or blade in between the hinge faces, opposite the hinge pin. That is where the latch plate is stuck in the closed position. Tapping it backwards towards the hinge pin may get it unstuck. If this succeeds then come back here for detailed instructions how to properly get it working again.
You probably have the Dahon hinge type with the internal sliding latch plate, right? If so, then you're out of luck. I have been the fiercest critic of that monstrously badly designed hinge. The mechanism is entirely hidden and buried inside with no way to fix it once stuck like that. The shop probably tightened the sliding latch plate bolts too much, preventing it from sliding freely. Once the latch is closed, the latch plate can't slide back to the open position by the internal springs because those bolts are too tight. Game over.
As far as I know the only solution *may* be to extract the hinge pin allowing the hinge to be dismantled.
If that isn't possible, then your handlepost will never fold again. You can't even replace it as the bolt fastening it to the fork is also inside the hinge! As I said, unfortunately, game over.
One possibility is to make sure the lever is in the open position and see if you can lightly hammer in a very thin steel plate or blade in between the hinge faces, opposite the hinge pin. That is where the latch plate is stuck in the closed position. Tapping it backwards towards the hinge pin may get it unstuck. If this succeeds then come back here for detailed instructions how to properly get it working again.
Last edited by jur; 06-06-17 at 04:02 PM.
06-06-17, 04:28 PM
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What Jur said .. you won't have to move the interior plate very much.. 1/4" or so .. as Jur said, shop probably tightened up the latching plate to remove slop (wrong), but understandable for the uninitiated .. once the plate was forced closed with the leverage of the latch handle, then it's jammed and the plate return springs won't overcome the wedge.. I'd remove the bolt and then use the slot to drive a thin steel blade in to move the plate .. good luck with it, let us know how it goes.. not the end of the world..
06-06-17, 10:49 PM
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Ah yes Bruce's suggestion of using the slot with a narrow blade going into the slot after removing the bolt is a better one.
06-06-17, 11:08 PM
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get a feeler gage ..like one uses to adjust the valves on a car or the gap of the sparkplugs insert and push inwards.... might be tricky ..otherwise a dremels with a very small drillbit. than use a pin through the hoe you created and push in
hope it works
thor
hope it works
thor
06-07-17, 03:51 AM
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Thanks everyone for your answers. In the end it loosened itself after cycling for about 5 mins so I've been able to fix it myself. It is so slight the amount you can tighten before it locks like this.
I will be careful with who checks it over in future. I could got vibes this guy wasn't really used to folding bikes but it was such a basic free check, I didn't think much could go wrong. Also I'm going to try to learn myself the specific needs for my bike.
I will be careful with who checks it over in future. I could got vibes this guy wasn't really used to folding bikes but it was such a basic free check, I didn't think much could go wrong. Also I'm going to try to learn myself the specific needs for my bike.
