Got a new Anthem X a few weeks ago, and when it was delivered there was a detectable bit of play in the lower shock bushing. Now I know I should have sent it back, but frankly I thought it would just be easier to pop a new BETD eye bush in there. I’ve just taken it apart though, and there’s not one to be seen, it looks like the shock runs directly on the pivot bolt.

Is this normal? My thinking is that there should be one there to protect the eye on the shock from wearing.

If this is correct, it’s not a great piece of design and the slack can only be due to the manufacturing tolerances on the shock eye and/or bolt being wrong or at least at either extreme of their range.

nooooo there should always be something pressed into the eye. if ridden like that it’s most likely ovalised. then i’d be asking for a new shock..

Thing is though, there really is no room for a pressed in bush, the bolt is a good, (well not that good, or there would be no play!) fit through the shock eye.

there has been a few threads recently about the antem bikes and play at the rear recently. From memory there is not a lower shock bush which seemed odd to me. However there have been a number of people saying it is really important to have that lower bolt done up tight. Also the bolt needs to be loctite together which it is often not from manufacture.

ignore smiff, doesn’t sound like he’s seen an Anthem before.

They do indeed come with only 1 bush (top), the lower eyelet runs straight onto the shaft.

Mine took over two years before there was any play there though, and that was just the bearings wearing out. If it’s gone after two weeks then get it back to the shop (after making sure that the lower shaft is tight)

Kaesae to the forum please, paging Kaesae…

I took one apart and it had no lower bush either. But it also had no play.
I also have blue lipstip thread locked all the bolts firmly. IMO if new – seek a return.

ignore smiff, doesn’t sound like he’s seen a bike before

The shaft of the shock is pinched between the two spacers which in turn run on 2 bearings in the frame (just as last gen of fsr’s do).
Whip the chainset off and torque up the shaft that runs through the lower link/shock.It’s not unusual for them to come loose from new.
This will be covered under your new bike check/service from where you purchased it…

Ah, thanks all. The bolt was done up reasonably tight, and there is some threadlock compound in there. I’ll put it back together, properly tightened up, (anyone know what the torque setting should be off hand before I google it?) and contact the shop if it doesn’t improve.

This is poor design though, I’m tempted to get in contact with BETD, it’d be easy to improve.

edit – one of the disadvantages of getting bikes cheap of t’internet is it’s a right ballsache to get that 6 week check done, a 240 mile ballsache in this case. Ah well, win some loose some I suppose.

k my bad, yeah never seen that arrangement. must make offsets impossible too?

For anyone searching in the future, this may help. Pinched from an MTBR forum

This is poor design though, I’m tempted to get in contact with BETD, it’d be easy to improve

I suspect they will tell you it IS the better way of doing it!!

I’d rather have a 50p, easily swapped plastic bearing between the expensive shock and the aluminium bolt than the current arrangement.

You’re a bike mechanic aren’t you Rorschach? The current design definately IS the better way for you! 😉

Oh aye, and there’s still no improvement now it’s back together. 🙁

The bolt does’nt touch the shock (well it should’nt anyway!).
Bums…Is the movement definitely at that end of the shock?Have you checked all of the other pivot bolts?Seems unlikely (but not impossible) for the bearings to have failed so quickly.
Puzzled I am.
This is why you buy local 😉 (sorry)…

The bolt does’nt touch the shock (well it should’nt anyway!).

how so? Bolt seems to be an interference fit to me? Considering you’re clamping the shaft on the outside of the link (not the frame), it would have to be bending the link and the frame in order to put sufficient force on the shock.

Loco (of shock tuning fame) had team bikes that wore out the shaft before having any trouble with the shock itself.

Movement is definitely at the bottom of the shock, I can feel it clearly when picking up the back of the bike if I have my finger in the gaps.

Though I’m calling it a bolt your description of the shaft running through the pivot and bearings is spot on, and it really is a pretty loose fit in the shock eye even when out of the bike.

No need to apologise for pointing out the value of buying local, I’m generally in agreement with your view unfortunately the value of an 800 quid discount outweighed it this case.

I’ll let you off…this once 😉
Beats the sh1zzle outt a me (without the touch feely hammer thing).
You might try seeing if where you bought it from will re-imburse the cost of taking it too your nearest Giant dealer for them to have a prod.I know we’ve done it before in similar situations.

Do a search, I posted about this exact same problem last week.

I’ve got a 2011 Anthem X2 which I bought about 6 months ago but has seen little use until recently. Play has developed very quickly in the bottom pivot bolts.

Just this evening I have been sorting it out.

TO do that though you have to remove the drivetrain to get proper access to the drive side bolt, its not just a matter of tightening the none drive side. As to what torque, well I did it hand, that feels pretty secure tight.

Oh and thats where the fun started with mine. Some d!ck had over tightened the plastic cap insert on the left crank arm that is used to set the pressure on the BB. I had to cut a divot in the tool that removes the cap and then, put a screw driver in it and then wack it with a hammer to get the cap to even move!

I had previously just thought the drivetrain was stiff becauase the free hub was stiff or some thing… turns out the cranks were on way too tight 😈

Did you buy from Pedalon ? Thats where I got mine from with the same suspension problem and way overtightened crank arms!

I’ve got a new Anthem X1 29er that had the same issue after a month/60 miles.

No bushing and a clunk when lifting by the saddle – the bottom pivot bolt was very loose and tightening it up solved the problem. Fortunately on mine I didn’t have to take the crank arm off, could get a allen key in between the chain rings. It is only a 5mm allen on the chain ring side and a 6mm on the other side.

Funkydunk. Yeah, I got it from Pedalon, Hmm, that’s a bit of a coincidence. I’m going to ring them tomorrow and see about Rorschach’s suggestion, but did you talk to them before taking it apart yourself? I had no problem getting the crank off luckily.

Seems like it might be a common problem, and if it’s affecting some from new, perhaps more will develop as they age. I’m definitely going to talk to BETD/Goldtec about to see if they are interested in developing a solution. I’ll start a new thread if there are any developments.

“did you talk to them before taking it apart yourself?”

I didn’t to be fair. I got the bike August last year, but nearly as soon as I got it I had Pneuomonia which has kept me off the bike until Jan/Feb.

I considered contacting them but figured 1. They wouldn’t beleive me the bike hadnt been ridden in months. 2. I live in Bradford and it would be more trouble than its worth getting the bike back to them.

I assume the pivot issue is a Giant factory one, not a supplier one as I cant imagine they put the rear end on… although I agree its the shop that should sort it out.

FunkyDunc, wanted to e-mail you, but there’s no address in your profile so I hope you see this.

I spoke to PedalOn today, they were most accommodating, talked through the issue for ages to understand the problem, even put a mechanic on when the websales lad was getting a bit confused. I have to send them a picture and some details and rather than getting me to just send the whole thing back they are going to talk to Giant and see if they can get me a shaft/bolt sent to change out. Weren’t at all bothered that I’d had a go myself, which I thought they might baulk at. It may be worth giving them a shout if my experience is anything to go by.

He also asked me had I been e-mailing them a couple of weeks ago, now I assumed that was you, but it would appear not so it looks like there’s three of us at least. Hopefully they’ll want to sort out what may be a common problem.

tthew – thanks for the update.

I checked the suspension again last night. I wasnt been very descriptive about the pivot bolts that were loose on mine. On the diagram on mine it was actually the pivot marked ‘P’ to the bottom left of the bottom bracket shell.

I took the bolts out completely last night, and pulled the sleave out that runs comepletely through from one side to the other. There didnt appear to be any damage or signs of wear, however the now exposed bearings were a bit dirty, I assume where dirt had got in from the bolts not being tight.

I will email Pedalon just to let them know, does make you wonder if there quality control was a bit lax on a batch of Anthems…

This has got to be more than coincidence as I bought an anthem x5 and rode it for 2 months and got the same play/ loose bottom shock bolt! I also bought the bike from pedalon! They told me this is normal after bedding in! The thing that’s annoying me is I rode my last bike (specialized fsr xc pro) for 4000 miles everyday for 5 years and didn’t have to tighten one bolt! This is my first giant bike and so far I’m really disappointed with the reliability! Now wishing I didn’t sell it!

The bike has now also developed a clunk noise when I flick the bike from one side to the other and I’m not sure what it could be? Any ideas? It’s also started chirping like a bird occasionally very loudly! After only 3 months and 300 miles of riding!

The lbs tthew took his bike to was actually the shop where I work…spooky co-incidence or what!!!
On inspection one of the spacers which pinch the shock is about 1.5mm shorter than the other.No matter how tight you were do the axle up it will never clamp the shock between them (it should be a right game getting the shock in even without the axle in place).
There must have been a bad run of these spacers that have made it to the assembly line.No biggy as I’ll speak to giant warranty and they’ll bung some in the post.

Had a look at my bike tonight. I’ve tightened bottom bolt to shock but think I might of found why the bike clunks when flicking bike from one side to the other! The bottom bolt/ bush is fine but the top bush has a gap to one side and not matter how hard I tightening it, it won’t close the gap!! Any ideas around this apart from some type of washer/ shim? Or an email to giant I suppose! bloody bike…. Dread to think what it will be like after a few more miles!

Rorschach – could you give more of a description as to what you mean by the spacers. Do you mean the black cyclinders that go either side of the bottom of the shock that hold it centrally? 3 days ago I made sure everything on mine was tight, and after doing 30 moles on mine yesterday it was all loose again.

Which year models are people having problems with? Mines a 2011 frame. Pedalon said to me they had only seen problems with 2010 frames previously.