Trek5000 Frame Failure?

[TomP]

Greetings to Tech group,

Here's the deal.

The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
crashed.

About a month ago the bike started creaking
when standing on the pedals. Particularly
the right side pedal

Long story short: Something is coming
unglued(?) literally in the front down tube.

Anyone else here on the Tech group had a
similar experience? Did Trek "step up" and
do the right thing?


--
Tp,

-------- __o
----- -\<. -------- __o
--- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
-------------------- ( )/ ( )
-----------------------------------------

No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

 

[[email protected]]

TomP wrote:
> Greetings to Tech group,
>
> Here's the deal.
>
> The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> crashed.
>
> About a month ago the bike started creaking
> when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> the right side pedal

Sounds like a not entirely tight crankarm, or maybe bottom bracket that
has worked itself a little loose. The sound of a failing carbon frame
sounds much more like a crash. Tighten the crank bolts and look for
cracks in the frame while you're at it, but my money is on loose crank.

Joseph

 

[Bruce Gilbert]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> TomP wrote:
> > Greetings to Tech group,
> >
> > Here's the deal.
> >
> > The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> > The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> > crashed.
> >
> > About a month ago the bike started creaking
> > when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> > the right side pedal
>
> Sounds like a not entirely tight crankarm, or maybe bottom bracket that
> has worked itself a little loose. The sound of a failing carbon frame
> sounds much more like a crash. Tighten the crank bolts and look for
> cracks in the frame while you're at it, but my money is on loose crank.
>
> Joseph
>

Back around that time, Trek had quite a problem with the bottom bracket
aluminum shell becoming unbonded from the lug. I had a few frames that did
just that. They always fixed it at the factory in short order.

By all means pursue the other poster's advice and check the bottom bracket
tightness and then the crankarm first. If that does not remedy the problem,
have a Trek dealer inspect the bottom bracket shell as it was a problem in
the past and they should be knowledgeable of the diagnosis path.

Bruce

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> crashed.
>
> About a month ago the bike started creaking
> when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> the right side pedal
>
> Long story short: Something is coming
> unglued(?) literally in the front down tube.
>
> Anyone else here on the Tech group had a
> similar experience? Did Trek "step up" and
> do the right thing?

Bring the bike into a dealer and have them check it out. It's possible, as
another poster mentioned, that you could have a bottom bracket disbond,
something that we'd see once in a while on pre-1998 frames (when they
changed the design; the original design was one in which the bottom bracket
cups could press against the carbon fiber as well as the frame, while the
later design eliminated this by extending the aluminum part of the shell
outward a bit from the bottom bracket, eliminating this issue).

As for stepping up to the plate, Trek is the very best in the business in
that regard. If it's a legit warranty, you'll be very well taken care of.
The only possible hitch, as with virtually all bike warranties, is that the
warranty is for the original owner only.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[Colin Campbell]

TomP wrote:
> Greetings to Tech group,
>
> Here's the deal.
>
> The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> crashed.
>
> About a month ago the bike started creaking
> when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> the right side pedal
>
> Long story short: Something is coming
> unglued(?) literally in the front down tube.
>
> Anyone else here on the Tech group had a
> similar experience? Did Trek "step up" and
> do the right thing?
>
>
> --
> Tp,
>
> -------- __o
> ----- -\<. -------- __o
> --- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
> -------------------- ( )/ ( )
> -----------------------------------------
>
> No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...
>
>
>
A friend had one of Trek's very early lugged carbon frames (before
OCLV). It failed, and they replaced it with an OCLV frame. Later,
there was a problem with that replacement, and he got another OCLV
frame. They even asked him what color he wanted, and when he asked for
a color that was standard on a 5500 frame, they said OK, so long as he
promised not to put the 5500 decals on it.

So, I would expect that if you have a frame problem, Trek will be happy
to make you happy.

 

[TomP]

Thanks Joseph,

That was the first thing I did, followed by removing, inspecting and
lubricating the head set, handle bars and stem.


[email protected] wrote:

> TomP wrote:
> > Greetings to Tech group,
> >
> > Here's the deal.
> >
> > The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> > The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> > crashed.
> >
> > About a month ago the bike started creaking
> > when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> > the right side pedal
>
> Sounds like a not entirely tight crankarm, or maybe bottom bracket that
> has worked itself a little loose. The sound of a failing carbon frame
> sounds much more like a crash. Tighten the crank bolts and look for
> cracks in the frame while you're at it, but my money is on loose crank.
>
> Joseph

--
Tp,

-------- __o
----- -\<. -------- __o
--- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
-------------------- ( )/ ( )
-----------------------------------------

No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

 

[TomP]

Thanks Bruce,

The noise can be reproduced with the bike stopped by applying torque to the
down tube.

When I apply torque to the frame by pressing the right crank pedal toward the
left. I can feel and hear the down tube make snap, crackle and popping sounds.

Bruce Gilbert wrote:

> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > TomP wrote:
> > > Greetings to Tech group,
> > >
> > > Here's the deal.
> > >
> > > The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> > > The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> > > crashed.
> > >
> > > About a month ago the bike started creaking
> > > when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> > > the right side pedal
> >
> > Sounds like a not entirely tight crankarm, or maybe bottom bracket that
> > has worked itself a little loose. The sound of a failing carbon frame
> > sounds much more like a crash. Tighten the crank bolts and look for
> > cracks in the frame while you're at it, but my money is on loose crank.
> >
> > Joseph
> >
>
> Back around that time, Trek had quite a problem with the bottom bracket
> aluminum shell becoming unbonded from the lug. I had a few frames that did
> just that. They always fixed it at the factory in short order.
>
> By all means pursue the other poster's advice and check the bottom bracket
> tightness and then the crankarm first. If that does not remedy the problem,
> have a Trek dealer inspect the bottom bracket shell as it was a problem in
> the past and they should be knowledgeable of the diagnosis path.
>
> Bruce

--
Tp,

-------- __o
----- -\<. -------- __o
--- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
-------------------- ( )/ ( )
-----------------------------------------

No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

 

[TomP]

Thanks Mike,

I am the original owner and have a reciept from the now defunct Cycle
Connection, Torrance,CA.
So yes, I am hoping Trek will step up. In speaking to their "in house rep" it
appears that I will have to up grade(?) to 1-1/8" head set and steering stem.
Shame to as the head set has only about 4k miles on it.

I'm 90% certain that the problem is in the down tube, not the bottom bracket.
But hey, either way if Trek does something, anything, I will smile about the
outcome.


Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> > The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> > The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> > crashed.
> >
> > About a month ago the bike started creaking
> > when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> > the right side pedal
> >
> > Long story short: Something is coming
> > unglued(?) literally in the front down tube.
> >
> > Anyone else here on the Tech group had a
> > similar experience? Did Trek "step up" and
> > do the right thing?
>
> Bring the bike into a dealer and have them check it out. It's possible, as
> another poster mentioned, that you could have a bottom bracket disbond,
> something that we'd see once in a while on pre-1998 frames (when they
> changed the design; the original design was one in which the bottom bracket
> cups could press against the carbon fiber as well as the frame, while the
> later design eliminated this by extending the aluminum part of the shell
> outward a bit from the bottom bracket, eliminating this issue).
>
> As for stepping up to the plate, Trek is the very best in the business in
> that regard. If it's a legit warranty, you'll be very well taken care of.
> The only possible hitch, as with virtually all bike warranties, is that the
> warranty is for the original owner only.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

--
Tp,

-------- __o
----- -\<. -------- __o
--- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
-------------------- ( )/ ( )
-----------------------------------------

No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

 

[TomP]

Colin Campbell wrote:

> TomP wrote:
> > Greetings to Tech group,
> >
> > Here's the deal.
> >
> > The bike: 1996 model Trek5000 (OCLV)
> > The use: 50,000 + miles, has never been
> > crashed.
> >
> > About a month ago the bike started creaking
> > when standing on the pedals. Particularly
> > the right side pedal
> >
> > Long story short: Something is coming
> > unglued(?) literally in the front down tube.
> >
> > Anyone else here on the Tech group had a
> > similar experience? Did Trek "step up" and
> > do the right thing?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Tp,
> >
> > -------- __o
> > ----- -\<. -------- __o
> > --- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
> > -------------------- ( )/ ( )
> > -----------------------------------------
> >
> > No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...
> >
> >
> >
> A friend had one of Trek's very early lugged carbon frames (before
> OCLV). It failed, and they replaced it with an OCLV frame. Later,
> there was a problem with that replacement, and he got another OCLV
> frame. They even asked him what color he wanted, and when he asked for
> a color that was standard on a 5500 frame, they said OK, so long as he
> promised not to put the 5500 decals on it.
>
> So, I would expect that if you have a frame problem, Trek will be happy
> to make you happy.

I'm looking forward to the outcome.

Thanks for the reply Colin

--
Tp,

-------- __o
----- -\<. -------- __o
--- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
-------------------- ( )/ ( )
-----------------------------------------

No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

 

[Tony Raven]

TomP wrote on 18/06/2006 15:24 +0100:
>
> When I apply torque to the frame by pressing the right crank pedal
> toward the left. I can feel and hear the down tube make snap,
> crackle and popping sounds.

You will get the same noises with a slightly loose bottom bracket cup
when you do that.

--
Tony

"Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using
his intelligence; he is just using his memory."
- Leonardo da Vinci