Mag wheels: Update

[GreasyChris]

So since the day I got this bike from Walmart there have been times when the bike just hasn't felt right while riding. At first I thought it was the stock rigid forks. The ride was horrible and scary at anything above 25km/h, I replaced those with a set of top gun suspension forks and all was good for about a month and then at about 55km/h a violent vibration in the front and the forks appeared to be coming apart, I managed to quickly stop without s**tting my pants, checked every thing and it appeared tight. Rode the bike home and it was fine. Double checked everything is tight and secure, go out again and at about 55k the same thing. Ride home again and its fine. Remove forks,take apart forks lubricate and and grease the s**t out of them. Re install forks, order new triple tree forks and head set. Bike rode decent while waiting for new forks but I would occasionally feel a jerk in the steering while cornering.
New forks and headset arrive and I install. My first clue should have been how easily the old cups came out and how easily the new ones went back in.
Today I brought the bike to work and put the cups back in with loctite retaing compound and then used the hydraulic pipe expander to expand the cups into the head tube they are in there nice and tight now and one with the head tube. Put everything back together tonight and its rides perfect. I even managed to clip a few potholes at high speeds and it held together and seems great.
Inside the head tube you could see where they ground the seam of the head tube off the tube and I think they removed too much causing the bearing cups to wander.

 

[CrazyDan]

The head tubes might have actually expanded slightly from where the cups press in. I hope it's not why, that would be a weak headtube with potential to harm you in the future. Remember, stretching is the beginning with metal fatigue. As metal gets bent and reshaped, it grows weaker, unless you re-add carbon into the mix.

 

[GreasyChris]

The head tubes might have actually expanded slightly from where the cups press in. I hope it's not why, that would be a weak headtube with potential to harm you in the future. Remember, stretching is the beginning with metal fatigue. As metal gets bent and reshaped, it grows weaker, unless you re-add carbon into the mix.

The head tube looks ok other than what appeared to be excessive grinding in side the tube to remove part of the thick seam. It's definately not something you want to break while your riding. I'll definately be keeping a close eye on it that's for sure. Im never afraid of wiping out, I'm afraid of getting run over after wiping out.

 

[gary55]

I wonder if you could put some bar stock inside the area of the cup that goes into the head tube then use a chisel or center punch to displace the metal enough to create a tight fit? Kinda like knurling valve guides only different. Thought about it inside the head tube, but then thought which way would be easier and cheaper to replace if I screwed it up.

 

[gary55]

One thing I've noticed about wheels is it's kinda like oil. Everyone has their own preferences. These are the only mags I have had experience with and I don't care for them at all. To much flex for me. Maybe some of the higher end ones are better constructed, but I'll stick to my Rhino lites and some good ol DT Swiss spokes.
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[GreasyChris]

I wonder if you could put some bar stock inside the area of the cup that goes into the head tube then use a chisel or center punch to displace the metal enough to create a tight fit? Kinda like knurling valve guides only different. Thought about it inside the head tube, but then thought which way would be easier and cheaper to replace if I screwed it up.

You could probably knurl the headtube to make the cups tighter,or they should do like the do with engine bearings and be able to get larger cups sizes in increments of. 010 on the pressed in end. Lucky I work in a garage that has a pipe expander for doing exhaust and that it goes down to 1" pipe. I'm pretty sure the cups are never coming out again. If and when it needs new cups it's going to need a new bike lol.

One thing I've noticed about wheels is it's kinda like oil. Everyone has their own preferences. These are the only mags I have had experience with and I don't care for them at all. To much flex for me. Maybe some of the higher end ones are better constructed, but I'll stick to my Rhino lites and some good ol DT Swiss spoaks.

That's the truth. I like the looks of the mag wheels and they spin really true. They are an improvement over the stock wheels that came with the bike but they do have a lot of flex in the rim, no argument there. My biggest pet peeve with the mags is I can't put a multiple speed hub on it just freewheels and there's no dishing the rim. Oh im sure I'll splurge on a nice set of spoked rims so i can use a multi speed freewheel. Lol I know which one you recommend.

 

[inspectorcritic]

You got to tighten your axle maybe had mine come lose went nuts thinking it was flat tire or something.
But s**t I just came out of thunderstorm like water up to the hubs and I notice that too wind blew and I about blew over with it and those were spokes not cogs.