Worn shaft on Ultegra chainset

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AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Regarding the recent Shimano recall on Ultegra and Dura Ace chainsets.
Unfortunately l have four chainsets that are potentially affected by the recall, but yesterday that figure was reduced to three.
But not due to the recall, just good old wear and tear.
The chainset in question was fitted in 2012 to a Ridley Triton, that bike covered circa 90k miles before the frame snapped on the drive side rear dropout. The same chainset was then fitted to my current Kinesis T3 frame, this has now covered 33k miles, and touch wood is still going strong.
But the bike in question started creaking yesterday when applying effort out of the saddle. Thinking that it may be recall related, when l got home the immediate plan was to strip out the chainset to conduct a closer examination.
Prior to its removal l noticed that there was slightly more "play" between the chainset shaft and the bottom bracket bearings. My intial thought was maybe one of the bottom bracket bearing had disintegrated, which wouldn't be the first time.
However, on removal both bearing were perfectly okay, it was the groove worn the chainstay main shaft that was the issue. It's hard to tell from the photo but the wear on the shaft is really quite bad, but only on 75% of the circumference, the other 25% of the shaft has zero wear. Which maybe suggests that it's worn due to the load being applied unequally on the pedals?
Which l guess after covering around 130k miles l've certainly had my monies worth.
Plus, l also don't recall ever replacing either of the chain rings during that time? 🤔

20231017_062823.jpg
 

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Interesting post and I'd concur with your thoughts - shame it's died but as you say that's some decent mileage; especially if you've not replaced the chainrings through all that time!

As you've probably surmised that damage looks like a combination of corrosion and abrasion; since the crank axles shouldn't turn within the bearings I'd argue it was (in principe at least) preventable if the water could have been kept out.

Could be that the wear location is directly related to crank orientation relative to pedal loading; or alternatively could correlate with where the axle sits when the bike is stored (the assumption being that the water would gravitate towards the bottom of the bike, corroding the lower-most extremities of the axle.

Where is the worst of the corrosion relative to the crank arm on that side?
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Where is the worst of the corrosion relative to the crank arm on that side?
On the opposite side to the other crank arm if that makes sense, see attached which might explain it better?
20231017_095229.jpg



Or maybe the threaded bottom
bracket shell is not perfectly aligned or the faces have not been machined parallel to each side?
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
As you've probably surmised that damage looks like a combination of corrosion and abrasion; since the crank axles shouldn't turn within the bearings I'd argue it was (in principe at least) preventable if the water could have been kept out.

It's a Hope bottom bracket, so the shaft is surrounded by a plastic tube with O rings at either end where the shaft sits against inside the two end caps.
So the ingress of any water is very slight l would have thought?
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
Do you have a good relationship with your LBS ? Could still be worth getting it inspected and if it fails the crank test you woul be in line for a replacement
 

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Cool, ta.

Evidently the sealing wasn't that good as that damage at the NDS clearly has a large component of corrosion from the pitting and discolouration :sad:
 

Jameshow

Veteran
Perhaps it identifies as a BB30!!
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Do you have a good relationship with your LBS ? Could still be worth getting it inspected and if it fails the crank test you woul be in line for
Unfortunately it's not the most scientific test, as all they do is look at it. If it looks okay it will either be marked as a "pass" or what dealers are tending to do is mark it as "inconclusive". Because if they mark it as a pass and it then fails, the onus has now been put on the dealer. Hence why they are being marked as "inconclusive".
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Cool, ta.

Evidently the sealing wasn't that good as that damage at the NDS clearly has a large component of corrosion from the pitting and discolouration :sad:

I agree, but it clearly wasn't being drowned in water as the rest of the shaft is untouched. The other end of the shaft is also corrosion free.
 
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AlanW

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
I have now replaced the chainset with a "spare" one that l had, it was fitted to a titanium frame till the frame snapped. But it had only done a few thousand miles, so like new really. 😉
Been out this afternoon and the difference is quite staggering to be honest. It's not till you replace a worn component that realise just how bad it actually was!
The whole drive chain and feel of it is so much more positive, it's also sharpened the gear changing back to how it should. I was wondering why changing to the lower gears was a bit slow, l can only put it down to the play in the shaft causing the chain rings to go ever so slightly out of alignment when under a lot of load. But what ever the reason, it's all good now 😁
 
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