crack in carbon or just paint

[fred72]

I just want some more op's before I send this off to the manufacturer. This is on the drive side rear seat stay. The first picture is 5/09 and the second 11/09. Thanks for any help. I aready went to the dealer and he had the sales rep come by and he said it was just paint. This is a full carbon frame with AL dropouts.

[hokoman]

can't help you with the paint/crack question... but what kind of skewer cog setup is that? i use a pedros and it sucks.

[fred72]

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=ChainGrip&vendorCode=BBB&major=6&minor=6

[veggieburger]

Sales reps are not engineers. I would send it away, just to be safe, especially if it's getting close to the end of the warranty period. What brand?

[fred72]

spec. s-works tarmac

[lhuerta]

regardless of whether it is a crack in paint, the epoxy or an actual structural crack, the frame should be replaced because nobody can actually tell if its a crack unless they peel the paint/epoxy or put it through an x-ray machine. It is cheaper for the manufacturer to simply give you a new frame rather then go through the steps mentioned above. If in fact it is the paint, they will most likely repaint the frame and use it as a refurbished warranty replacement for the next guy, but in the interim you need to get a new replacement frame.

I would email the pics directly to Specialized and work directly with a factory rep. If you reply on your dealer to be the middleman it is going to take you much longer.

Good luck

[Pete Serotta]

when in doubt send it back.... better to be safe for **** happens :crap:

[aosty]

Difficult to tell especially in those photos.... any sign of movement if you try to "twist" the rear wheel?

P.S. Nice dummy axle!

[StephenCL]

It looks to me like it is where the rear dropout insert ends stops inside of your seat stay. If you look at your most recent picture you can see the faint outline around the side of the tube. Also, if it was paint, it would not be widening without stress....

Send it back for sure!

Stephen

[nahtnoj]

regardless of whether it is a crack in paint, the epoxy or an actual structural crack, the frame should be replaced because nobody can actually tell if its a crack unless they peel the paint/epoxy or put it through an x-ray machine. It is cheaper for the manufacturer to simply give you a new frame rather then go through the steps mentioned above. If in fact it is the paint, they will most likely repaint the frame and use it as a refurbished warranty replacement for the next guy, but in the interim you need to get a new replacement frame.

Good luck

+1 on the above, and my vote is crack.

"Just paint" is a cop out. There is an underlying issue that is causing the paint to crack.

[fred72]

There is also a dull sound around the area when i tap it with a quater and it seems to be getting bigger as of the pic's I took today

[Louis]

he had the sales rep come by and he said it was just paint. This is a full carbon frame with AL dropouts.

I would ask exactly how he was able to tell this just by looking at it.

Must be one heck of a sales guy.

[Peter P.]

Well, it IS at a location where there would be stresses. From your May and November photos, it doesn't look like the "crack" has propogated any. Lennard Zinn recommends tapping the area with a quarter to see if it makes any unusual sounds. Fortunately, you have the other side to compare it to.

Demanding that it be replaced when there isn't compelling evidence ain't gonna fly, in my book. You COULD mark the edges of the crack with a magic marker and watch to see if the crack lengthens beyond the end marks. You could also trace the crack with a light colored marker or nail polish. Any movement of crack would cause the nail polish to crack, meaning the crack is malignant.

Armed with evidence from the above test would bolster your case, and would likely make itself apparent long before the joint failed altogether.

[Lifelover]

My guess is that it's just in the paint.

Try to break it with your hands. If it is a structural crack, you should get some kind of flex/movement.

[1centaur]

IMO, the tactic should be to send pictures to the manufacturer and write an e-mail "for the record" so they know this potential liability is sitting out there being watched and the evidence shows they were aware of it. Their corporate wariness should cause them to take action rather than let the potential problem sit there in the very wide open. That's assuming you get the picture to someone with a brain and some experience - an average clerk might not have the corporate protection gene. You should feel free to copy in this thread so they can see the comments of the potential "jury." If there is a failure to respond, just forward the thread to the manufacturer once a month or so with updated pictures so the trail of evidence builds. This may not be fair in the sense that it might actually be a paint problem, but it ought to be effective in getting resolution.

[soulspinner]

+1-excellent response.