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Seeking advice on my busted-ass bike

ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Hi guys.

I bought this bike brand new back in August - http://www.pinkbike.com/u/buttersnz/album/Corratec-Opiate-FX/

I'd only ridden it a handful of times by November, when the rear shock stopped holding air http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/11595242/

This was sorted under warranty - rebuilt with new seals etc and I was back in action by early Dec.

During my first proper ride in mid Dec, upon landing a small jump (about 10' long) the entire rear suspension assembly collapsed when the sleeve/tube that mounts the shock to the rocker snapped. When this tube snapped, the top of the shock was forced through the suspension rocker, bending the mounting tabs outwards and scratching the top of the shock as it was pushed through http://imgur.com/a/RT5vP

I let the retailer know - he suggested that the shock had failed, and asked me to send the shock back to him for evaluation. He contacted the frame manufacturer and they sent out a new rocker under warranty - Great!
However, he sent the shock on to DT, who looked at the shock and said it is working fine, and there is no warranty as it is accident damaged - because of the scratch caused by the suspension collapse. They are now asking $250 for their trouble. The retailer called me and said I have to pay that.

My question is, why should I have to pay anything when a $7k RRP bike designed to compete in the bloody Mega avalanche, that was sold with a 6 year warranty, has a catastrophic suspension failure within 3.5 months of purchase after only 20 or so rides?

Who is responsible for that shock mount snapping?

The retailer has told me that the bike company are hard to deal with and he highly doubts they will offer any further help after replacing the rocker, so I am on my own basically.

I am f*cking fuming.


Thoughts? Anyone who has had a similar predicament?

Cheers
 
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ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
I did. It's a simple matter of tightening bolts on each side. I'd kept everything together in one connected piece so there was no way of putting washers etc in the wrong place.
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Yes good point. I checked that - tighten to 9.8nm from memory. I don't know how I would prove that though
 
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ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Thanks. He is trying his best for me but is being met with coarse resistance from DT. During our most recent conversation I reminded him that the shock had only just been rebuilt before the failure. He didn't know that (thought that shock was another customer) and said he would call them right away and bring that up. I hope to hear back early this week but want to be prepared to argue my case.
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Part of me thinks that since the frame manufacturer has seen all the evidence (photos etc) and accepted liability and replaced the rocker under warranty. They should absorb costs for damage to the shock and replace that too, as it can't be their fault but also DT's fault.
 
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Pesqueeb

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,300
16,740
Riding the baggage carousel.
You might bring up the fact that you had to send to DT what was essentially a new shock for leaking seals. I'd be willing to speculate that they have no way of proving that that's not the reason the shock failed. Extra stresses being applied and what not because of DT's faulty build.
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Now that is the sort of advice I was hoping for! That will be my approach from this point and will bring that up when I talk to the retailer next. Awesome
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
The more I think about it the more that makes sense.

The slow way it was losing air before it was sent off for repair (the first time) meant it had bottomed out a few times, sending jarring impacts through the suspension. That could have seriously fatigued and weakened the part that snapped.
 
pinkshirtphotos

pinkshirtphotos

site moron
Jul 5, 2006
4,836
543
Vernon, NJ
10 feet it was not designed around 3 meters it was, or is that metres? I would give up the marm and pile your load in the fox shock company I'll watch the day their brand has reputation more propionate then DT Swiss, the wheel manufacture.
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Pink, it's a $7k AM bike. I think small jumps are a realistic expectation. It wasn't a 3m/10' drop, that's the distance the jump covers. Flat ground, small double. No drop - could just have easily been a rock garden for those forces.

If $250 and sheer principle isn't worth fussing over in your opinion, then i want to live on whatever planet you're on.
 
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ocelot

ocelot

Monkey
Mar 8, 2009
395
10
Canadastan
It doesn't make senseI at all for DT to charge you $250 for an inspection. Is your bike shop communicating with the service center/distributor in NZ or DT directly? If it's the former, try to escalate it to someone at DT...
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
ocelot said:
It doesn't make sense at all for DT to charge you $250 for an inspection. Is your bike shop communicating with the service center/distributor in NZ or DT directly? If it's the former, try to escalate it to someone at DT...
Click to expand...
That's right, it's the service center for DT in NZ - not DT themselves. That sounds like a good option man, how would I do that?
 
pinkshirtphotos

pinkshirtphotos

site moron
Jul 5, 2006
4,836
543
Vernon, NJ
It's hard to talk straight from their point of view with the idea law is breathing up their neck, that bike shop must have its own rock garden. Was there not a thread on how gardens are illegal?
 
Pesqueeb

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,300
16,740
Riding the baggage carousel.
"Please, no hate". Ugh, you go straight to hell.

My brother was killed in the Moutua Gardens protest. My uncle lost an arm in the 1981 Spring Bok-choi Riots. My sisters were arrested and thrown into prison, without trial, by a police-led mob after they were discovered re-potting gardenias. Every day I live in fear, alienated by my community for having relatives marked by the Green Thumb. I envy the dead.
Click to expand...
:rofl:
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Thanks for all the help. I'll give the retailer until the end of the week and then start my own approach.
 
buildyourown

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
Are you new to bikes?
I've broken new parts that were only hours out of the box and gotten a big FU from the company. Warranties aren't worth shit unless the company really wants them to be. Spec has a lifetime warranty? Just kidding? That only applies if you never ride the bike. It's right here in our fine print...
Unfortunately, nobody is going to own this one. It's not DTs fault. The shock didn't fail. Im kinda surprised you got a new rocker for free.
 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Update:

Retailer called - said DT won't honor the warranty but he will return the shock as is (apparently only cosmetically damaged) and give me $100 out of his own pocket for my trouble. He suggested I then get a metal fittings company to put a bolt though the assembly so this doesn't happen again (the tube that snapped is hollow and thin). I mentioned that I need to find new bushings that hold the shock in place so he gave me DT Swiss (Sheppards) phone number and a direct dial to the guy he has been talking with because in his words "They claim it's not their item, so do Corratec - there's f**k all I can do".

I call the guy. Immediately it's obvious he doesn't understand the series of events that led up to the bolt snapping (thought we were saying the shock had failed twice etc) and in the end he wants to talk to an engineer about the possibility of it breaking due to the fatigue from the shock bottoming out the first time it was repaired (but he seriously doubts it would have). He also denies that the tube and mounting hardware is DT Swiss, so I sent him links for DT genuine shock bushing kits. I can't place the manufacturer of the thin tube, but I told him I would be happy if they simply returned the shock and provided me with new shock bushings so I could fit it. I don't want the retailers $100.

So I've now emailed the frame manufacturer. Explaining events so far, thanking them for the rocker and asking them to help me sort things out. I have no idea what will happen now, as I wait for replies from both Corratec and DT Swiss.
 
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ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Update:
Corratec manufacturer replied, they are checking with their service department to see if they have the spares i need, also confirmed once more they are DT Swiss parts. Nice people to deal with.

DT agent replied, said the part that broke is not DT but he will forward all information on for DT to deal with. I let him know not to get too hung up on who makes the bolt, as it still broke thanks to the shock failure.

I have identified the part as a pivot bolt/axle. It fits inside the rocker arm bearings and holds the shock bushes in place.

Also, i just bought a near new monarch plus RC3. Upgrade!
 
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ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
176
10
Update #2

Corratec are sending me the parts I need to fix the bike. DT Swiss agents still have the shock and will return it once DT Swiss has decided what they will do re warranty on the shock. It looks like I'll be up and riding again within a fortnight anyway, so that's good.
 
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