Well, the new LBS changed the crankset. The other got bent from the last chainsuck episode. They also relaced the
supposedly stock 68 x 118 BB cartridge with a 68 x 126 cartridge. They did this because when the original LBS "fixed" the chainsuck problem they put on new chainrings which had been damaged by chainsuck. The chainrings that the original LBS put on the bike were so close to the frame that you couldn't keep the chain from badly rubbing the inside of the derailler cage when the bike was in low gear. All the adjustment was taken out of the Low limit screw, but the chain still scraped on the cage.
The new LBS found a
68 x 113 bb cartridge instead of the 68 x 118 that was supposed to be on the bike.
To sum this up, it looks like the original LBS replaced the crankset in an attempt to fix the chainsuck problem. It appears that in trying to fit the new crankset, they replaced the bb cartridge with one that was too narrow. This put the new chainrings way too close to the frame. When the chain sucked again, it was forced between the tight space between the middle chainring and the chainstay. That bent the middle chainring all to hell.
If you recall, the Specialized warranty rep told me that I would have to replace the bent crankset at my own expense, and there was nothing else he was going to do for me. That's the last I heard from them.
I've had the bike out twice now on the trails and I haven't had any problems with chainsuck. With the new 126mm bb cartridge, the chainline is pretty far out compared to what it had been. In fact, when I'm in the middle ring and the lowest 3 cogs in back the chain is at a noticeable angle, and I can hear a little of the pre-shift noise when I'm climbing a hill and putting some force on the pedals. I may try a 122mm bb cartridge to see if adjusting the chainline in a little will smooth that up.
FWIW, I did find some reviews on the internet of 2011 Rockhoppers that mentioned problems with ghost shifting when climbing hills. Maybe the issues I'm having with this bike aren't just limited to my bike.
http://www.consumersearch.com/mounta...zed-rockhopper