Older Santa Cruz Hecklers - exploding suspension?

UH DH

I've been looking around and can't find anything, so asking.

On the suspension of Santa Cruz Hecklers, you have the swingarm, and where it pivots, you have a sort of pinch-bolt on each side. In the past year, both of these pinch bolts have had the heads explode off leaving the rest of the bolt stuck in there. Both have gone on easy sections of gentle uphill, so not at a point where there should be tons of pressure going through that area.

Is this a flaw on older Santa Cruz frames? I'll admit I've never heard of something like that, but it's weird that both of them have done it now.

rockmonkeysc

Never heard of it. Loads on pivots can be pretty high while climbing, you are effectively pulling the rear wheel in towards the cranks so the chain stays are in compression.
It will be possible to extract the screws, there are various extractors to use depending on what's there to remove.

Penylope

What year frame is it?
I remember there being an issue with the swingarm itself failing on '07/'08 frames, but it didnt happen to mine, as it came with an updated swingarm.

Google is your friend though, this thread here may shed some light on your problem, again, depending on what year frame you are running.

paul.skibum

I had a 2001 Heckler until the beginning of summer - I had it for a few years and didn't have the problem you mention - in fact I had no service issues with the suspension at all - never even touched it.

Could be overtightening of the bolts causing them to weaken?

UH DH

Turns out there's a chance it might be an 06 or 07 frame, most likely 07 though.

I doubt Santa Cruz are still replacing the exploding rears, so I'll just have to sort something else out.

sofaboy73

never heard of the problem. i had a heckler in it's ast incarnation for about 5 years and never had to touch the pivots or bearing once. my dad had the veriosn before that for c 8 years and i think the sum total of his maintenance on the supsepsnions was replacing some bushings.

where the bolts over tightened?

worth giving SC a try, i always found the aftersales service good

rockmonkeysc

Santa Cruz are really good for support. I'm sure they will at least give advice.

paul.skibum

UH DH wrote:

Turns out there's a chance it might be an 06 or 07 frame, most likely 07 though.

I doubt Santa Cruz are still replacing the exploding rears, so I'll just have to sort something else out.

Its not the frame that's exploding its a bolt in the frame - remove it or get it removed and replace it. Find out the correct torque and do it up to that extent - I still think it was over tightened and weakened as a result.