Drop outs wearing out!

[The Bung]

Hi all, a newbie on this site, and a few days after signing on I have my first major bike issue in many years. And an odd one (at least for me and my mechanic. Maybe some of you guys can shed some light on the problem.

 

 

 

So here it is. I have been riding a Merida Mission 2000D for a few years. Stock standard. I'm a keen rider but not manic. I don't fiddle with my bike. Got my setup sorted a few years back and have stuck with it. Works well for me. The bike goes back to the shop I bought it from when it needs some real work. Do all basic tweaking and minor servicing myself, but if it needs anything vaguely difficult it goes home to mama. So nothing untoward. I ride a fair amount. Have done epic and a couple of sani's on the bike. Attakwas and the usual rides. Nothing spectacular.

 

 

 

To date the bike has been brilliant. Solid and reliable. A while back I noticed that the rear tyre was getting close to the right chain stay. Lots of views were expressed including a bent frame and incorrect dishing. I had recently had a new rim put on the bike. Finally, a buddy of mine pulls the wheel off and discovered that the skewers were wearing away the drops outs - including the hanger. The one side was wearing faster than the other and so the wheel is now skew. I bought my first mountain bike about 20 years ago, and nothing even close to this has ever happened. I haven't done anything different!

 

 

 

So, check out the photo's and can any of the guru's out there give me some pointers? Merida are looking at it now, but I suspect they're going to say it's not their problem...

 

 

 

Views?

 

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

Skewer jamb nuts have to be harder than the drop-outs to prevent wheel slippage. Your photos show, what seems to me, like fretting damage. In other words, the wheel continuously moved in the dropouts. I think it is the result of your skewers not being tight enough in the first place, allowing the wheel to move.

 

Skewers have to be so tight that the lever leaves a white mark in your palm when you close it.

 

Tip: Resize your photos in a photo editor to no more than 450 pixels wide. that way we can see the entire picture in the frame and don't have to scroll up and down and left and right to read the text.

 

 

[The Bung]

That was my first port of call and I did think about it long and hard - and checked the way I went about clipping the wheel in, but really can't see anything wrong. I have changed the way I do things - most recently I had a Kona Kula for four years and a Giant 890 (or similar!) for about four years and didn't have any issues similar to this. Not sure what I'm doing differently/wrong!

 

 

 

You could well be right, but seems odd that has happened on this bike and not the others.

 

 

 

PS Thanks for the tip on photo resizing. The newbie will listen and learn!

[techguy]

Don't stress too much, I agree with Johan, But the frame is still rideable...

[Fleming]

Has the bearings in your rear hub ever seized? Looks to me like the axle has been rotating in the frame.

[Matchstix]

I resize my fotos of 640x480 to 512x384

first time I see something like this.

what skewers do you use?

 

[The Bung]

Hi All

 

 

 

Not sure what skewers I'm using, but they came standard with the bike. Never had issues with them coming loose or falling out or similar - which I've heard other bikes having problems with.

 

 

 

My hub has never seized - as far as I know I'm still on my second hub since new. Will have to check.

 

 

 

Frame is still rideable but only marginally - there is less than half a centimetre clearance between the tyre and the chainstay . Need to replace the hanger and will then find that I have a bit of a problem - worn out on one side and not the other!

[The Bung]

Again, thanks for the comments and inputs. Cytek (Merida agents SA) are convinced that Merida will not warranty the bike, but have provided me with a replacement rear section for my bike, so will be up and running next week. Kudo's to them. They didn't have to do it, but suggested it as an option.

 

 

 

I will now ensure my hands bleed when I put my wheels on!