Superstar hubs / wheelset issues ?!?!

Neal_

I can understand your annoyance but bearings are a wear and tear component and the issue with the front hub could only have been resolved with them if you'd queried it shortly after you received the wheels. I bought SSC wheels because my cup and cone bearings in the rear hub of my old wheels were knackered due to my own negligence meaning I needed a new hub but more realistically a whole new wheel. One of the main benefits for me of SSC wheels (apart from the price) is the cartridge bearings meaning they can be easily replaced when they're knackered rather than ruining the whole hub. I wouldn't assume the bearings that come with the wheels are top quality but when they wear out I can choose between cheap ones for £7.20 a set, middling ones for £25ish a set or top quality ones for £50ish a set (prices from AK Bearings)

Also what does a warranty card do? If it's for proof of purchase it will be in your order history on their website?

Servie guide etc below

Rear hub service guide

Hub bearing list

Front hub info

Rear hub info

supersonic

and the issue with the front hub could only have been resolved with them if you'd queried it shortly after you received the wheels

Exactly this I am afraid. You rode it knowingly with a fault that you identified, for 8 months!

Northwind

Bearings are always a wear and tear item, unless you buy a Marin anyway. They need to last a reasonable time, and tbh this isn't so unreasonable- a better wheelset would probably last longer, but then you'd pay more.

£20 is a good price for replacement... TBH they'll most likely be more cheapo bearings which won't last long, unless they're choosing to offer the repair at cost/below cost. But it's still reasonable (£20 would buy you 1-and-a-half SKF bearings at normal public, small volume rates! never mind fitting)

I think you need to chalk this one up to experience, you could probably have got a better result had you acted faster but this still isn't a bad one, just not great.

R0B75

I have a similar issue with a set of superstar built wheels. I bought a set of Stans Flow on Switch Evo hubs back in October and the day they arrived I mailed Superstar informing them of a small amount of lateral play in the front wheel, the back is fine. Took them on 1 ride that same week and they seem ok to ride but were then cleaned and put away from winter till now. No other wheelset have had play like this, its definitely not flex.

Built up a new bike with this wheelset over the last 2 weeks and the play is still there and they are still only 1 ride old. I'm reluctant to use them now so I've mailed Superstar again today (from their original reply) and await a response. Hopefully they will just agree swapout the front wheel, but we'll see. Not had any issues with SS service yet.....

mattyboy199

Exactly what mine did first ride and play, thought it was the quick release couldn't possibly be my brand new wheelset. Remove and reinstall all seems fine then the play reoccurs

good luck with your warranty !

stubs

I dont mean to offend but what are you guys doing you get a brand new wheel its obviously not right, yet you do nothing for months then expect Superstar to replace under warranty.

Come on you have rights but surely you have to do something as soon as you find a fault.

I am having trouble with my car and have a courtesy car at the moment because I got a new clutch fitted and something felt wrong on the first drive. I wouldnt like to have driven the car for months and then gone back and whined that the clutch pedal felt funny. The garage would likely have told me tough you drove it for months you pay for the new slave cylinder. As it is I am getting a brand new complete clutch assembly and new master cylinder paid for by the nice people at LUK clutches.

mattyboy199

Stubs i think thats an uffair comment, Superstar have a duty of care to ensure the products they sell are fit for purpose, i believe my front wheel wasnt. I didnt return the units straight away becuase 1. i wasnt sure there was a problem 2. i wasnt aware the bearing were not covered under warranty (as an example my car suffered from corrosion & it was under a 12year warranty i did nothing about for a year & still covered, difference is i wasnt covered with the wheels & i didnt know about it).

The bearings are the ony moving part what else could possibly go wrong ?
the wheels become out of true ? (SS repsonse would be they have been abused)
the free hub is not funtioning correctly ? (SS repsonse this is wear & tear)
a spoke has snapped ? (SS repsonse would be they have been abused)
even the anodised finish is not under warranty ?

whats left ? the rims & nipples ?

Your 2 year warranty is actually a 2 week warranty.

bails87

matt: You have statutory rights, that are probably better than what's covered under the warranty.

You should have informed SS straight away when you thought there was a problem with your brand new wheelset. As far as they know, you're 20 stone, you've been doing 200 miles a week for 8 months, the bearings have inevitably worn and now you want a replacement.

They've offered to do it cheap, accept it, write it off as a 'live and learn' thing: next time there's problem with something brand new and expensive, don't sit on it for ages.

cooldad

mattyboy199 wrote:

The bearings are the ony moving part what else could possibly go wrong ?
the wheels become out of true ? (SS repsonse would be they have been abused)
the free hub is not funtioning correctly ? (SS repsonse this is wear & tear)
a spoke has snapped ? (SS repsonse would be they have been abused)
even the anodised finish is not under warranty ?

whats left ? the rims & nipples ?

Your 2 year warranty is actually a 2 week warranty.

Except you don't know what their response would be, so this is all supposition, hence worthless.
But you seem to be thinking that a warranty is the same thing as a service contract.

benpinnick

Buy cheap, buy twice

bails87

benpinnick wrote:

Buy cheap, buy twice

Not really.
This was "buy once, notice a problem, don't report it, wait 8 months, demand it's sorted, get offered a cheap fix, moan about it".

Not quite as snappy, I'll admit that...

stubs

mattyboy199 wrote:

Stubs i think thats an uffair comment,

Sorry but I think it was a fair comment. £20 to fix the problem is pretty good I reckon most firms would have told you to do one or pay full whack to sort. You do have rights but you have to do certain things to be in the right, waiting 8 months then complaining and then going on a forum to moan without giving the company the chance to sort it isnt doing it right I am afraid.

ps: I blame Wiggle

R0B75

Got my wheel sorted by Superstar today and its now spot on. Didn't cost me anything and also got a nice discount on another item I needed.

mattyboy199

wheels arrived back yesterday yet to test them out, i imagine the rear will be fine, its the front i m more concerned about.

mattyboy199

so had the bike out on 2 rides since the wheels have been back one on the road the other road / canal. Much to my suprise there is side to side play in the front wheel. Back to superstar it goes.

Northwind

What did they say was the cause last time?

mattyboy199

They didn't they just replaced the bearings

supersonic

ANd is definitely not a fork/axle issue?

mattyboy199

I used qucik release fork there was play I switched to thru axle (maxle) and there's still play