Zipp Dust Cap - A Concern?
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Iron Dan posted 29 weeks ago.
That would not concern me at all. It seems like a pretty easy fix and the problem is not a structural problem. A little piece of metal is just rattling around and you just need to fix it back in place. You might even be able to get a lot better deal on a set of wheels that do rattle because people might stay away from them. Zipp has been known to make a good product so it would not concern me at all.
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kylie posted 29 weeks ago.
It would concern me a bit -- the part is there for a reason, and with it looser my initial thought is that as a dust cap perhaps it wouldn't have kept dust out. I don't know if that is what it does, or if that is reasonable, but just what comes to my mind. Perhaps find out from Zipp what the part does, and how important it is (I wouldn't want to spend money on race wheels with a hub of gunk and bad bearings).
As far as people spending $$ and not taking care of it, it honestly doesn't surprise me. Looking around at a race I can usually spot a number of $$ bikes with really dirty chains, or other minor but overlooked care issues.
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Iron Dan posted 29 weeks ago.
I should probably try to clarify what I was trying to say in that the problem does need to be fixed if you get a set of wheels that has a noisy dust cap. The dust cap is there to act as a seal for the bearings and it will need to be reseated to ensure that no damage or further damage is done to the bearings or hub. If the dust cap is designed correctly, even if it ratttles a little bit it should still act as a decent seal and keep a "majority" of contamination out. I would not spend top dollar on a used set of wheels that has a rattle, but if you could get them for a great price, it would be worth your while in my opinion.
If the bearings are bad, bearings are relatively cheap and the potential savings on a set of wheels would, at least for me, outweight the possibility of having to replace a set of bearings. However, I am also in the bearing business and I am able to get ahold of bearings at a great price so this could be influencing my decision somewhat. Good luck with your shopping.
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UFTriGator posted 29 weeks ago.
^Plus, if they're bad, you have a good excuse to upgrade to ceramic!
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-Matt
Not fast enough.
I have been looking at wheels lately; used and new. On the Zipp 404s in both used and new categories I am not sure whether the loose dust caps on the Zipp hubs should be a concern. The used set that I could buy have a front dust cap that is so loose that I can hear it when taking a short spin around neighborhood streets. Looking at new ones it seems that the looseness is still there, but is a little less noisy.
The Zipp site has the following to say about this issue:
My dust caps rattle on my Zipp hubs how can I fix this?
The carbon dust caps are held in place on the axle cap by a couple of rubber grommets. The reason they are making a racket is that this grommet has come unseated and is allowing the cap to move freely. To fix find a couple of 5 mm allen keys and insert one into each axle cap on the hub (where the quick release runs through). Work these wrenches against each other (standard right hand thread) to loosen one end cap. Remove the axle and reseat the grommet against the back of the dust cap. You may even want to put down a bead of super glue or quick set epoxy behind the grommet to ensure that it does not move again. Allow glue to dry fully, reinstall axle, torque end caps to 55 in lb (88 in lb rear) and go ride.
My question is whether this is a concern on either a new or used set. It is a bit sketchy that after forking over all the $$ to get what are reportedly such great product that you would have to go through this effort and hope it doesn't make noise or worse cause some sort of failure.
Opinions are invited on this topic. FWIW - I am also considering wheels from other manufacturers in my research so I am not seeking information about which brands folks recommend (plenty of other posts covering that). Just looking for specific thoughts on this issue with the Zipp build.
Thanks!!