Cannondaleriders

Yesterday I went out to my grandpa's farm to get some riding in before dark. I started off tearing down my new practiced track. I crossed the creek, hit a jump, made few sharp turns, then I starting looking for the trail. I just made the trail and I couldn't find where it went in this section. As I'm cruising along where I thought it was, all of a sudden I see a deep ditch. I hit the brakes and just sort of laid the front wheels in with minor speed. My bumper hit the other side but in no way did it throw me forward. I managed to save a wreck. As my bumper hit the other side, I heard a pop. I looked down at my front right wheel and it was almost touching the fender. I looked at the left front and it looked fine. I thought I broke it but it just popped out. So I guess now I have to get a new battery AND new ball joints...if I can. Are the ball joints in the 03 arms replaceable? I heard a long time ago that they weren't but after looking at them last night they seem to be replaceable.


So...go straight to blackwidow for these?

Blackwidow has them, I believe all 4 balljoints for $100. Mine are getting sloppy, I need to replace them soon...

What I don't get is that they weren't really that sloppy.

Jess,

Ask Cord or Brad @ Black Widow why. I believe he said something like the holes that the joint mount in are out of round on some bikes and it causes the joints to pop out in certain scenarios. The fix is to have a machinist make the hole round, or something like that.

Talked to Cord today. New ball joints on the way. Although we didn't discuss the reason for popping out.

the hole in the ball joint was out of round...i didnt think u could machine that...wouldnt you have to take the ball joint apart?....mine did this too...replaced all 4 and no problems since....

That's good news! I hope mine doesn't have anymore problems either. If it happened 2 minutes earlier, I would have been lying on the ground waiting for someone to find me.

The hole in the a-arm, not the ball joint. They were probably laser cut at the factory and the jig could have had an issue.

Hey Jess, man your were lucky.
I had one pop out on me in a MIdSouth. Lucky it was muddy and I was running up hill. THose handle bars are sure good for keeping from being sent air born. LOL The bad part was it was about 1 mile from the finish and I was running 2nd in the class.

That one item that I keep a close eye on anymore when I run the stock a-arms.

Get that thing running and lets try and get together sometime.

Later.

Yes very scary.I agree also some of the A-arm holes are either out of round or too tight for the joint.I am going to try reaming then honing mine next time.Those BW joints are the way to go either way though.Carbon fibre in them for better wear.