New Ksyrium Front Wheel - Can't Make it Quiet!

cgfw201
cgfw201 Posts: 680
edited November 2016 in Workshop
Got a new Ksyrium Elite S front wheel 6 weeks ago to replace the old one that had done 7000 miles and the braking surface was totally dead.

On the first ride, a horrendous howling noise started from the front wheel after around 40 miles which sounded like metal-on-metal. Tried loosening & tightening a few things on the ride, and nothing worked.

Got home, took the hub apart and looked for grit or something in there, and found absolutely nothing.

Worked ok for a week or so, then the noise came back on another ride.

Repeated the process and took to LBS who also couldn't find much wrong or explain where the noise was coming from.

On Saturday, a new almost thumping noise started from the front wheel which felt like there were rocks in the wheel. A bit alarming.

Once again this week I've taken the whole wheel apart, all bearing covers are immaculate, hub covers etc all clean and nothing that looks like it should make any noise.

I've searched and found a lot of people who have had similar noises, however the fixes described haven't helped me here, and now with two LBS at a loss to explain the noise, I'm not sure what to do.

I've emailed ChainReaction (where I purchased it from) to see if I can have a replacement.

Anyone got any other tips as to what it could be or if I'm missing something obvious?

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    At a guess, it's the hub cover (bearing preload), which is smooth, but once you clamp it with the QR it becomes a bit stiff. Try unscrewing a quarter of a turn and see if it disappears
    left the forum March 2023
  • buckmulligan
    buckmulligan Posts: 1,031
    This isn't exactly a new phenomenon with these wheels and I'm surprised Mavic haven't addressed it yet. The metal-on-metal scratching sound that you hear is the hub cover rubbing against the hub body (see picture below), I had it periodically when mine were new, especially so when riding in wet and muddy conditions where grit can find its way in there, but also in perfectly clean dry conditions.

    hub_zps2d3707fe.png

    This can be caused by them being over-tightened, so as Ugo says, you can try loosening it off a bit with the little plastic Mavic tool (once it's fitted to the bike and with the skewer done up) or better yet, take it apart again and put some thick grease under there if you haven't done so already (I used Park Tools Polylube 1000). This might not be enough to solve the problem and if you have to loosen it off so much that you're getting lateral play at the rim then obviously that's no good.

    I've heard of some people who experienced this with brand new wheels, took them apart to find that there was some raised plastic lettering on the under-side of the hub cover, which they then sanded flat and that cured the problem. Personally I just greased mine up and rode around on them for a few weeks and whatever was rubbing eventually wore down to the point where it wasn't making a noise any more!

    There are some previous threads on this issue if you have a search, but rest assured you're not the only one to experience this. Good luck!
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680


    Yeah had read both of those prior to posting.

    It could be those letters.

    In terms of greasing, exactly how much and where should I be putting it?
  • buckmulligan
    buckmulligan Posts: 1,031
    I just smeared a bit on the inside of both hub covers:

    mavic-road-hub-cap-ke-201727-en.jpg

    I'd put a decent amount on there, not a super-thin layer but not great big dollops of it that are just going to squeeze out and gunge up the spoke holes when you tighten it all up. As I said I used fairly thick grease, if you use something like a wet chain lube it might not last very long.

    Hope that helps!
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    LBS have sent it back to Mavic in France for warranty replacement.

    Anyone got any idea how long I'll be without a wheel?
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    cgfw201 wrote:
    LBS have sent it back to Mavic in France for warranty replacement.

    Anyone got any idea how long I'll be without a wheel?

    Didn't the bike shop say? Do they have one you could borrow while it's gone? Know any other rider who could lend you a wheel?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    ...a three week long wheelie? :-)
    left the forum March 2023
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    Shop's lent me a replacement whilst the duff one is with Mavic which is nice. They reckon a week, I suspect more like two or three...
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    GAH. Winter's back and with it is the horrible front wheel screeching noise. Time to take the wheel apart and lube it up again. Terrible design for this to have happened in 3 consecutive Mavic Ksyrium Elite front wheels!
  • Yeah, it's definitely a "feature" of these wheels.

    As I said before, it's almost certainly grit and dirt getting under the hub covers. I grease mine up with Park Tools Polylube 1000 and it's pretty good at keeping the squeaking at bay. It usually pops up first on climbs where the wheels are flexing more and then I know it's time for another regrease. If it gets really annoying I spray it with my water bottle, but that's usually only a very temporary fix.

    Having said that, I can't remember the last time I had it, so maybe it's cured itself for good now!