TallRider

So I'm working on a new front wheel with Ultegra hub, butted DT spokes, and a Mavic Open Pro rim. Nice light wheel that should last a long time.

But this rim has the dreaded clicking sound coming from inside the rim, at the rim seam. Basically, there's something inside the rim that is loose and makes noise when shaken around. It's something that Mavic uses to hold the rim together at the seam when welding the rim, and sometimes it breaks loose after welding. This isn't a huge problem, because if the wheel is spinning relatively quickly (as it is when riding, even at 10mph), then there's no sound. But if the wheel is spinning slowly, you can hear the piece clanking around like a quarter in a clothes-dryer, and it's annoying.

I don't know of any way to get at the spot. Of course you can't get inside the rim there. One thought is that I maybe could spray some Amsoil HDMP (which I use for rustproofing the insides of steel frames - goes in liquid and then becomes gummy as it sets). Maybe I could spray it in by one of the eyelets and it would harden and hold that annoying piece in place. But this is unlikely to work since the Open Pros have rim sockets, aka double eyelets.

Anyone have experience with actually solving this thing?

maddmaxx 

Dismount the tire, pull the rim tape and see if you can get at it via the inner spoke nipple hole.

If its too large then its in there forever.

A loose presta valve nut will drive you nuts with a similar clicking but from the other side of the rim.

TurdFerguson2

I have solved this a few times.

We would drizzle some Red Loc-Tite into the rim. It was usually on pinned rims though, with the problem being a loose pin. Easy to drizzle Loc-Tite through the seam from the inside. But if the rim is welded and double eyeletted, I don't know.

maddmaxx 

good point. Open Pro's are double eyeltted and the inner spoke hole will not gain you access to the inside of the rim. My advice above won't work on this rim.

TallRider

yeah, I think my only hope is drizzling some loctite or frame saver/HDMP through any slight gap on the top edge of the double eyelet (that would be under the rim strip). But I'm guessing this won't work, and I'll just have to live with it, because the rim is otherwise well-made so that you can't get to fix the part that's poorly-made.

LtSPD2000

I recently bought some Mavic Equipe wheels. They had the same problem but I noticed it before mounting the tires aned tubes. I Simply rotated the wheels slowly until the piece of metal was at the Stem hole. I jiggled it around until it fell out. Looked like some metal from the spoke hole drillings. It had two pieces inside the rim.

hope this helps....

jemoryl

I'm not sure Loc-Tite is the best substance for this: it is an anerobic thread locker, meaning that it sets up when deprived of air (e.g. between screw and nut). It might work, but something like framesaver might be better. One would need to be careful not to unbalance the wheel, maybe by spinning it until the stuff becomes immobile.

TallRider

I don't think that this will work with the Open Pros. The piece of metal is stuck at the rim seam, and the double eyelets preclude it from moving away from that spot.

I'm hopeful that since this is a common enough problem with the Open Pro (based on reviews at roadbikereview.com) that someone will have a known-about solution. But based on my thinking through the problem itself, I shouldn't feel very hopeful.

Soil_Sampler

I just checked, double eyelet will not let you access inside the cavity.
Drill a small 1 or 2mm hole in one of the two dimples on either side of the weld that hold the rim jig in place to allow you to use some loctite or other bond.

TallRider

Sounds like a plan. Thanks. This should be pretty straightforward.

Deanster04

For $40 live with the sound. NEVER drill the rim. Aluminum is a nasty metal for stress risers developing out of drilling. I remember some nasty spills from broken handle bars when holes were drilled for feeding aero brake cables. Aluminum doesn't like to be drilled without post heat treatment to anneal out any damage.
If you drill anything then try and drill a small hole in the steel eyelet adjacent to the noise and squeeze in some epoxy and let is sit until it sets and that should fix the metal piece in place.

jemoryl

What about the hole for the stem? Doesn't that allow access to the inside of the box section?

silent1

I have used a small punch or nail to fix the problem in my wheels. Just find where the seam is welded, place the punch in the center of the weld and give it a small tap. It bends the aluminum just enough to hold the metal piece in place.

urbanknight

read posts #6 and #8

TallRider

I actually like the drilling a lot more than this idea, where the creation of stress risers is concerned.
However, I'm not nearly as worried about stress cracks in this area as is Deanster, because the area in question really isn't under much stress.
But since there's no clicking above 3mph (once the wheel is spinning sufficiently fast, the centrifugal force keeps the little thing against the outer edge of the rim and not moving b/c friction), it's pretty easy to live with.