lyledriver

Hi all,

I thought about asking this in the mechanics forum, but its kind of fixed specific.

My question is, How long do your SPD bearings last?

I ask because I used to ride in clips and straps, then this spring I went clipless.
I had some Wellgo knock off SPDs, where the bearings exploded after 1000km.



Then I splurged on some Shimano M540s, which lasted 400km before the right pedal bearing started snapping.

I took those back and had them replaced on warranty (as they were under a month old, and weren't even scratched)..

Now my second pair of M540s are about 500km old and are starting to click when I stand up and really put pressure on them. I'm afraid they'll soon blow up as well.

What gives?

Why the hell am I destroying these cartridge bearings?

I hardly skid at all, and I'm 185lbs. These are supposed to be OFFROAD pedals!!!

LóFarkas

Mine (silver m540s) are holding up just fine, but then I'm very-very nice to my parts (62 kg and a relatively careful style), and they have only done 1500 miles or so, though that included a fair bit of wet riding as well. I'm expecting them to last 5-10000 miles or more, with a repacking at every 3000...
BTW, I'm pretty sure they are loose ball, not cartridge.

What the hell happened to the pedal in the pic? Locknut loosened, pedal came off the spindle? Spindle snapped?

I have no idea what's going on with your pedals, cuz 540s and Sh SPDs in general are solid pedals with a very good track record.
Just have the bearings repacked before they get effed up if they are clicking... (Which they shouldn't, after 500 km in the summer.)

I used to have wellgos as well, which were just great for the money. They lasted 5000 miles or so, and even now the mech. is fine, I just can't set bearing preload because of a very lousy cone/locknut design. So they loosen up all the time (not designed to be worked on). Actually, I prefer the wellgo mechanics to the 540. Easier in, easier out, and despite that, fewer accidental clipouts. If only they put a keyed washer in them...

noisebeam

I have M520s that have lasted >6k mi and are still fine.
Al

lyledriver

LoFarkas,

Shimano lists the 540s as sealed cartridge bearings, and I'm under the impression that they are not servicable.. other than putting in new cartridges. Though, I haven't been able to find a service guide online.

The Wellgo pedal in the picture started experiencing outer bearing failure while i was grinding up a hill on my commute.. Within 2km, the remains of the bearing ate the nut at the end of the axle, allowing it to slide out. I was able to ride it home by keeping inward pressure on the pedal body.

When my first set of M540s started making snapping sounds in a similar manner, I was sure to get them back to the bike shop right away..

Now that my second set is doing it, I'm starting to have doubts about the quality of the product.
I'm going to have to go back to the shop and see if they can do anything about these pedals.

dirtyphotons

i'd be inclined to say that lightning has struck thrice. guys a lot bigger than you have mashed pretty hard on clipless pedals for a long time without that sort of problem. i have no experience with the particular models in question, but i can't imagine that it's because of your size or how hard you pedal.

i'd see if you can score a pity discount at the shop and try another brand/model

max-a-mill

i wiegh 230 and i NEVER break pedals... you must have a mighty stroke son!

i recommend getting another pair and paying attention to them! if they start to get a little loose on the spindle learn to tighten them maybe take them apart and regrease them.

i'd guess those bearing are probably getting fried when you ride them loose for a little while? i dunno... but man i bet you are hard on parts (not meant in a bad way).

i have that same pair of pedals (and two other pairs of similar older model shimano spd's) and i have never had any issues with them. i commute on them everyday and through winters and they just work without any maintanence EVER...


if you are doing this to shimano's i would hate to see what you could do to a set of eggbeaters...

LóFarkas

Sh list it as "sealed bearing cartidge axle" which is probably some fu**ed up translation from japanese. Of course the bearings are sealed on offroad pedals... But how could the axle be cartridge?
Shimano are famous for using loose ball everywhere 'cept in BBs, so I'm still pretty sure it's loose ball. The manual does talk about some sort of adjustment if the bearings do funny things, but doesn't go into detail. I haven't taken mine apart, so I'm not entirely positive. Do tell me if you find out for sure.

You must be some evil magician, placing destructive curses on your parts...
I have never heard of any of these 2 pedal types falling apart promptly after purchase; the 540 got a very solid 4,7 out of 5 at mtbr.com. And you somehow killed 3!

How did the bearings eat the cone of the Wellgo in 2k? What did it look like?

lyledriver

I'll be rolling up to the bike shop after work today.

Right now, the right M540 is only clicking at the 6 o'clock position, when I stand on it.
Its still quiet if I keep a smooth spin so I don't think there is too much bearing damage.
(I've tried out my platforms, and everything is silent, so I know its the pedal)

I'm a little worried that the shop will think I'm trying to scam them into giving me new SPDs every two weeks... but who knows, maybe they got a bad batch?

I'm totally comfortable with taking them apart and servicing them, if there is indeed user servicable parts to replace. I just don't want to go that route yet as the pedals are practically new.

When the Wellgo went, it felt like it grabbed my foot and tried to twist it down.. then it gave out, and a bunch of little metal fragments came out as it slid off the spindle. What was left was a rounded nub where the nut was, covered in greasy shrapnel.

Due to the axle design of the shimano, I doubt they'll fail in the same way.

Does anyone have a link to an exploded diagram of the M540?

Soil_Sampler

"If you experience any trouble with the rotating parts of the pedal, the pedal may require adjustment.
Obtain advice from a professional dealer" - Shimano Technical Service Instructions


Link:

https://www.shimano.com.au/publish/co..._diagrams.html

LóFarkas

Yeah, that's the unclear bit in the manual I was referring to.
But the pdf makes it clear that it is indeed cup and cone stuff. Eff shimano for not including the exploded view in the manual and decieving everyone with the "cartridge axle".

Thanks, SS

worker4youth

The M540s are definitely serviceable. Though it may not be worth the trouble.

lyledriver

Wow! Thanks for the link Soil Sampler!
Funny how the North American site doesn't include that info.

..and wow, it IS looseball after all. 62 of em!

I've printed this out.
I'll update you guys when I get it all sorted.

Thanks,

definitelymaybe

interesting... i picked up a pair of m505s cheap off of craigslist as i wanted to try fixed+clipless (i'd ridden clipless on a mtb years ago).

for the past week or so i'd noticed a slight whirring sound from the pedal/bb area when i was mashing, but have since realised that its quiet when i cruise.

i'm pretty sure its not the bb (new campy bb that was deadly silent and still feels silky smooth)... makes me wonder if i need to swap the pedals to see.

the spds were in reasonable condition, and i wasnt thinking that they'd last forever but i was hoping that i'd at least get a summer out of them. that way id know whether to upgrade or buy another set of clips and straps.

i'm just wondering if an undamped/unshocked road bike on rough(ish) roads ridden hard (by a bmxer) would expose the pedals to some extra stress that shimano hadnt predicted. wheres your commute from/to in vancouver? some of the cycle routes aint exactly fresh blacktop!

either way they shouldnt be failed this quickly...

LóFarkas

C'mon! Even relatively ****ty parts are worth the trouble, and 540s are pretty damn good pedals. (Or so I thought...)