a link to a thread from bike forums, and some amazon reviews,
note that another thing to consider are the razor sharp edges on the outsode of the pedal which have cut people, so we sanded those down a bit.
Shimano pedal maintenance question
"Bought these to replace an older set of XTR pedals than snapped an axle after eight years. On the surface, these seem like a well-built premium pedal. They're light and the engagement is firm and easy.
The problem, however, is that after only 100 miles of riding, the dust seal on both sides had backed out. I pushed them back in with my fingernail, but they immediately work themselves back out. It's too soon to tell, but I wager these pedals will fail prematurely due to dust, water or mud intrusion into the bearings. A quick search on the internet shows that this problem is frequent and well-known, but there is no solution except to buy another model or brand of pedal. When these fail (and I'm sure they will) I will be getting a set of crank brothers.
Very poor product. And add thing is Shimano knows about the problem. Seals around axle fell out after 2nd ride on first pair and after 1 ride on the replaced pedals. This seal keeps dirt and grime out of axle and is very important. Won’t buy again until Shimano fixes the problem and I’m a huge Shimano fan!
I was hoping Shimano had fixed the known seal issue with the new XTR pedals, but sadly the pedals I received from Amazon still have the known design issue. Basically what happens is that, with normal use, the pedal inner body opens up along the circumference of the spindle on the pedal body side. That opens up the inside of the pedal to everyday grit that will almost certainly cause premature wear of the pedal internal mechanisms. You can research this problem online. The pedals I received from this listing had the known seal problem and so I had to return them. This is a rare but crucial QA problem by Shimano. SPDs are the best-functioning pedals on the market, but these new XTR SPDs have a critical design defect that is widely known. I will wait for Shimano to take action.
I've had the cheaper shimano pedals and never had a problem with leaking seals, The right seal came out at about 100 miles and now dirt and water can get to the bearings. Shimano needs to fix this problem,
ep, the reviews are accurate. The seals back immediately. Second ride both pedals had the seals back out. Shimano do the right thing; recall these seals and send us functional seals.
Have been riding a set of these pedals for about 18 months on my Gravel Bike - Lynskey Pro GR. Silky smooth for about 17 months. Rides usually on gritty, sandy and muddy Red Clay roads. Deep, thick mud 1 out of 4 rides. 125 -150 miles/week. Began getting minor noise about 3 weeks ago. A routine look and spin of the pedals showed nothing. Noise became louder, especially on a recent gravel/clay 50 miler. Careful inspection revealed the dust seal had backed out on the drive side pedal and the pedal workings were fouled with grit. Note: It takes a close look to see the dust seal has backed out. A casual glance will not necessarily allow you to detect this. Unfortunately the pedal is "shot".