cjenrick

like an idiot i got a case of retail-itus and bought something before researching it,

in this case, a set of Shimano XTR M-PD9100 pedals for the road bike which is what the LBS guy steered me towards along with a set of specialized recon 2 shoes to go with it.

391 dollars later, i come home and do research to find out that the pedals have a seal problem!

so in order to try and save the bearings from grit and water contamination which would lead to premature failure, i tried to concoct a solution to help ease my depression over my snap decision.

the fix is to mix up a small batch of jb weld and carefully run a small bead around the pedal axle in an attempt to build a ridge that will hopefully keep that seal where it belongs. made sure we did not glue the pedal to the axle o course,
a mag glass and a push pin were used to carefully distribute the epoxy. spinning the pedal helped as the epoxy would grab the seal and wick it's way around the pedal.

anybody else have the seal problem and what did you do?

will report on jb weld fix after next ride.

Koyote

I have those pedals, and I understand the problem that you are describing - I noticed it the very first time I rode with them. After about 1.5 years, I have concluded that it is not actually a problem.

My slightly older XT pedals do not have these seals -- I know this conclusively, because I have dismantled two pair of them for cleaning and regreasing a couple times. The spindle just fits inside the pedal body, with no rubber seal. So, on the newer XTR pedals, the seal is an additional item. Yes, it should stay where it belong, but it doesn't -- and that doesn't seem to harm anything. My XTR pedals, even with the seals working their way out periodically, are holding up better than the XT pedals without the seals. (And by the way: if you are worried about dirt and water in the bearings, it is pretty easy to overhaul those pedals. Look for the Park Tools video online.)

My only concern about your solution is that the pedal body needs to rotate on the pedal spindle, but the JB Weld could bond them together...Unless I am not understanding precisely what you have done?

msu2001la

For the OP - did your seals actually come out or are you just trying to preemptively fix this?
I ask because I have XTR M9100 pedals on my CX bike for nearly two years. Many thousands of miles with zero service done to the pedals. The seals have never worked their way out. I wouldn't automatically assume you have a problem.

Russ Roth

Part of the design is how they're meant to be greased and relubed which the seal would get in the way of. You basically unscrew the (I think 15mm) bolt on the spindle side, which pulls the bearing system out, no bearing will fall out. Pump a bunch of grease, though don't over do it, into the pedal, push the spindle back in and tighten the nut down, as it tightens the old grease will be pushed out by the new grease being pushed in. Job done, all bearings greased and decontaminated. I've been running the XT version since they came out, had to adjust the bearings early on which was annoying, but only just greased the pedals again after easily 2 years with no trouble. Also have a set of the XTR for my kid's bike, they're good stuff, don't screw them up thinking shimano doesn't know what they're doing, they do.

cjenrick

thanks for all the replies! most people with this problem had it happen in the first 25-30 miles , so we were trying to prevent anything getting in those brand new bearings.

jb weld not sticking very good so we might rough up surface a bit and do it over, also bought some shoegoo if jb don't hold up.

love this system, been an idiot for 40 years for not using this setup.

recon 2 shoes have some rotation even with the black cleats but that is a good thing me thinks.

trying to save the knees which can save the back which has been acting up with perfectly parallel feet from avocet touring shoes with the perfectly parallel pedal slots.

you guys mostly heel in or heel out on the cleat setup?

base2 

What's wrong with removing the pedal from the bike, installing a rubber band on the axle as a seal keeper & reinstalling the pedal?

The XTR 9100 pedal seal are a carp design, & as usual Shimano doesn't know what they are doing.

Koyote

My advice: stop worrying and ride your bike! In a couple years (assuming normal mileage and use), follow Russ Roth 's advice in post #4, and then ride some more.

You're trying to fix a non-problem, which is a good way to create a problem.

Koyote

Why would he need to remove the pedal from the bike in order to put a rubber band on the axle?

base2 

Because the pedal is big & the threaded end of the axle is small.

A couple of tight loops of a small rubber band is prettier than a bunch of loose loops from a big rubber band.

Koyote

Okay, I get you. And I would prefer that solution to the OP's ideas...Though I still think it is a non-issue.

greysquirrel

Instead of a rubber band how about an O-ring?

cjenrick

here is a collection of posts from just one link out of about 20 links that i have researched for those who thinks there is no problem. one person on another link is on his 5th set of xtr pedals, waiting for Shimano to up-rev the problem.>

"I've seen this issue mentioned here and there on the internet -- the inboard seals will back out and get grimy and dirty. I've tried wiping them and pushing them back in. I've also tried greasing them up and pushing them in. Still they work out though less than before. Is there a fix? Maybe a rebuild kit with a new seal? I've searched and can't find any shimano updates.

Same problem here...

I had mine warrantied by Shimano and 20 minutes into my first ride I had the same problem. Not sure if the newest production runs will have the same issues.

lots of play and crunchy bearings already....

Yes, I noticed it happening the first week of riding them.

I just went with a ghetto solution


I used a couple of tiny zip ties tightly attached to the axle, almost rubbing the nut that attaches the pedal body to the axle... since then... the seal never back out again...

Simple and effective and definitely not ideal

Same issue here : three PD-M9100 sets in a row, first ride with a brand new set today. Guess what? Both seals popping out :eekster:

Was hoping for a running change during production, but still not resolved :madman:

This happened to me after 20mi and Shimano did not warranty repair/replace for me. Horrible quality and customer service. Luckily my LBS replaced for me as a one time courtesy. Looks like left pedal seal on new set is already popping out even before ride.

The only way to get a new seal is to buy a replacement axle.

The seal is not really the problem. In my opinion, the spindle needs a more defined groove or lip to prevent the seal from migrating out of the pedal Lock Bolt (2). The red circle is showing the seal groove.

My experience with both the XT and XTR is if only trying to push the seal back into the pedal body, I can not seem to get it fully engaged in the Lock Bolt or in the spindle seal groove. However, If I remove the spindle from the pedal, I can successfully get the seal to seat in the seal groove. This might not be a long term fix, but it does work better than just attempting to push seal back into pedal.

Fortunately, this is an easy enough repair that you can kill two birds with one stone by servicing the pedal while disassembled. The bottom line is that we should not have to do this and Shimano needs to find a design fix to better retain the seal within the pedal."

Badger6

TL;DR...you are way overthinking this. Ride the pedals. If they stop rotating smoothly, take the spindle out of the body, as you've been advised, regrease it, and reinstall the spindle. These pedals are an excellent design, and are super durable. Nothing is 100% perfect, but Shimano don't make junk either. If you are into that, buy Crank Brothers, otherwise just ride these pedals and enjoy what is arguably one of the best SPD-MT compatible pedals in the world.

cjenrick

more of the same, guy at the bottom on set number 6!!!

"I’ve had the same problem and had 4 pairs of the new xtr trail pedals warrantied. Seems to be a problem shimano knows about, but doesn’t seem to be fixing?? Thinking of changing to the new xt trail pedals instead but they might have the same fault!

I had that on one of my sets. I tried to undo it to rebuild them and the axle snapped. I sent them back for a refund.

I think from now on I’ll stick to xt. My 520s and 540s have all been bomb proof for years. Is the weight saving worth it?

Never got fixed had another 2 sets under warranty they all did it !!! – in the end just got my money back and i’m back to using my old XT pedals

They used to do that on the originals. Shame, ace pedals otherwise. Shimano definitely going downhill over the last few years.

Had the same on 2 sets. Warrantied both. In the end replaced them with the new xt version that are a few grammes heavier but have been faultless. Baffles me why Shimano have not fixed this and keep just sending them out especially at xtr level. Also refused to admit this is a known fault.

Personally I would just put some M540 pedals on. I think pedals are the only part of my bike I am happy with a basic bit of Shimano kit.

have they fixed the issue with the dust seals popping out and never staying in with the XTR Pedals ?

I had 3 pairs replaced under warranty until I was just given my money back….

The seals continuously pop out every ride. This started shortly after I purchased them. After a few thousand miles they eventually started making noise when pedaling like the bearings were dry. Tried to regrease them but it only helped for a few rides.

The pedals are great, seals not so much. I had the rubber seals pop out on the second ride out of the box. After pushing them back in on every ride and it getting very old Shimano replaced the spindle assemblies under warranty. The new assemblies lasted a ride or two before the seals came out. Shimano is now warranting the entire pedal set. A mechanic at my local LBS had the exact same issues as well.

I’ve had the same issue. What’s worse is these pedals had the same well known issue in their previous rendition and Shimano has done nothing to fix the issue

same issues with the seals. Killed the bearings in one after a couple hundred miles. Bought a new set. same problem with the seals.

Same issue with the XTR M9100 (race) and M9120 (trail). I am getting a 6th pair directly from Shimano. The first five pairs failed each after one ride. Fingers crossed for pair #6..."

cjenrick

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".

cjenrick

I have loved these pedals for the time I’ve had the, but I’ve had the same issue twice with the pairs I’ve had. The seals for on the pedal spindle actually push out of the pedal body onto the axle.

I recently got a pair of XTR M9120 pedals. Today I noticed an elastic ring visible on the axel, and bits of grease on it.

Reasons NOT to buy:
User Reviews

There are some reports of the dust seal popping out after use, limiting the durability.

But, since very early on a rubber o-ring seal would creep out of the pedal body and along the axle. We’d push it back into place, and it’d eventually make its way out again. Surely the seal is there to protect the internals, but it won’t do its job if it’s not in its intended position. We spotted it occurring on several bikes at a recent press camp, and at the EWS in Tasmania, so we’re not the only ones. We’ll see.

After a while of riding I noticed that the seals of the pedals popped out. I pushed them back in, but within a few kilometers, usually less than 40, they popped out again. These seals prevent dirt getting in to the pedal body and prevent premature wear. If a seal wasn’t needed, it wouldn’t be installed, especially on an XTR pedal. So, I returned the pedals to get it repaired under warranty. After about a month I received, not a repaired, but a completely new set of pedals, including cleats. On the first ride, 20kms in, the same thing happened. This went on a couple of times, but after 5 sets of XTR pedals replaced under warranty, I can surely say that these pedals have a flaw that Shimano didn’t manage to solve during my review period. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that many kilometers out of a single set of pedals to get a good idea of the reliability of the rest of the pedal. I rode a maximum of 480km on a single set and a total of 1421km all sets combined, before returning them.

The unwanted dirt ingress caused by the seal can reduce the lifespan of your pedals significantly, but knowing the issue and not solving it is in my opinion even worse. Especially at this price point. These XTR pedals are not up to par to the Shimano standards that I know. It’s strange to say, but I can’t recommend these XTR M9120 Trail pedals, unless they managed to solve the seal issue. I haven’t seen any issues pop up with the XT M8120 Trail pedals, so you might want to look at these as an alternative.

cjenrick

Conclusion
Care for a lightweight pedal but hoping for something a bit more stable and durable? Stable they are, durable they may be. Three of our four test pedals had seals pop out on the second ride, and the bearing feel never improved. We'd love to endorse them, but there's some kind of unresolved quality issue with these pedals. Seals literally popped out on the first ride. Would be 5 star without this issue. Please get it together Shimano, I really wanted to love these.


— Joshua Hutchens

Badger6

Yeah, I don't think high performance pedals are for you, my man.

cjenrick

Just trying to warn people so they don't spend 190 bucks on a piece of garbage.

Koyote

All of this kvetching about dust seals. Have you tried actually riding with these pedals? Or are they just for display?

msu2001la

I own these exact same pedals and have rode them several thousand miles since May 2020 with zero problems, and zero servicing done on them. I've never even heard of this problem until I saw this thread.

I'm not saying these people are wrong or lying, just saying that a handful of anecdotal experiences posted on the internet is not always the overwhelming evidence that people think it is.

Koyote

The OP has a case of paralysis by analysis.

redcon1

OP: They are fitted on your ROAD bike-- I'm willing to bet that you're not plowing through mountain streams and dusty singletrack like on a MTB. Just ride the things and keep an eye on them..
When they wear out, or you become tired of obsessing over the seals, just get a proper pair of road pedals and shoes.

Badger6

Garbage, eh? How many kms have you put on your set? I’ve got about 20,000kms, 70/30 dirt, mud, gravel to pavement across 3 sets. And, I live in Europe, where it rains all winter long. Zero issues, except that everything with any component of dirt is always some form of mud. I’m guessing your level of expertise with these is about zero and couple of internet searches. Good luck with your cycling, but if I was you, I’d definitely look for a pass time with no seals…so the circus is definitely out.

cjenrick

how many km on this set of pedals? about 50 and i can already see the seals getting ready to pop.

the whole point of this thread is to prevent the destruction of a brand new set of pedals, therefore saving 191 dollars. either for myself and or others.

can i ask you a personal question?