Chinertown
Chinese Carbon MTB => 29er => Topic started by: Remedy 7 on September 19, 2022, 07:29:17 PM
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I recently had a desire to build a mid travel trail bike to offset use of my LCFS947 that’s become a purpose built park bike.
I ordered the frame 6 days ago and it arrived to my door in the US today. Amazing turn around time for LightCarbon.
The frame was packaged nicely, unfortunately that’s where the nice things stopped.
I’ll preface this with I know what to expect when it comes to quality control and overall fit and finish when it comes to these frames. My 947 was purchased second hand and was in even better condition than this “new” frame I’ve received.
The biggest most glaring concern is the lower eyelets that mount to the top of the shock body are uneven, and the carbon that encases them is just poorly finished. The bearings inserted into them done seem to align either.
There was a chip in the epoxy where the rear triangle banged into the front, not the biggest issue because it’ll happen on the trail but still a bummer. Which the motion of the triangle feels “springy” like if I push it through it’s range of motion it wants to spring into place almost.
The headtube is best put… janky… it’s sharp around the inner opening. Seems to be either delaminating or other.
All that said I’m sure LC will handle this the right way as I’ve had good experiences with their customer service so far.
Assuming they don’t want it back I’ll still build it up but my confidence will be greatly diminished.
I’ll updated this post once I have feedback from LC. The parts list I’ve compiled is pretty exciting!
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Wow.. those are pretty bad.
That's worse than the rear seat stay pivots of my LCFS947 when it first arrived. It looked like someone blindly took a dremel tool to shave off a few mm's...
Good thing is that LightCarbon made it right and sent me a new piece, even though I had to pay for shipping. Hopefully they will do the right thing and get you covered, completely.
(https://i.imgur.com/JIfrt5Fl.jpg)
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Wow.. those are pretty bad.
That's worse than the rear seat stay pivots of my LCFS947 when it first arrived. It looked like someone blindly took a dremel tool to shave off a few mm's...
Good thing is that LightCarbon made it right and sent me a new piece, even though I had to pay for shipping. Hopefully they will do the right thing and get you covered, completely.
(https://i.imgur.com/JIfrt5Fl.jpg)
Ouch! They already replaced the seatstay under warranty on the 947 so I’m sure we can come to some agreements on this one.
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We have seen positive feedbacks for 958.
This one looks pretty bad tbh, even unacceptable for me. However i'm pretty sure that they will correct this..
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We have seen positive feedbacks for 958.
This one looks pretty bad tbh, even unacceptable for me. However i'm pretty sure that they will correct this..
I saw the same feedback which I why I pulled the trigger over the AM831.
So far LC has assured me it’s fine and don’t seem to want to take action. If it was just one thing I would but it’s a list of issues that may or may not be safe. Looking at the lower bearings for the shock they don’t even look like they could be pressed out. I’ll give them time to correct it but telling me it’s no big deal is not cutting it.
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Well, I wasn't expecting that answer but at least they did. Nevertheless that doesn't change the poor finish and I'm saying poor because of generosity.
Maybe consider inspecting the connection more closely and figure if it is safe and only visual.
I know some retailers do some sort of money back for visually challenged product.
Well if it is not safe or you don't feel it's safe and maybe more issues appear, keep us updated so we all know what to expect.
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It’s honestly probably not bad, just from a visual it’s like night and day bad compared to my 947 and I’ve beaten the piss out of that thing. I’d be happy with partial refund or a new front triangle. But we shall see.
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Update - LC will be providing a new front triangle to make this all good.
Lots of parts arriving today so I’ll build it as a mock up for now.
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Good to know that they pulled through!
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Update - LC will be providing a new front triangle to make this all good.
Lots of parts arriving today so I’ll build it as a mock up for now.
Here we go, customer satisfaction. Why not all the companies do that?
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Here we go, customer satisfaction. Why not all the companies do that?
It’s not that hard! Glad to be going back in the right direction.
Here’s a quick mock-up. Testing out some colors. None of which are the final choice.
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Red is pretty bold but with the right tone it would be a beast.
Good blue shade is hard to pull off and they age poorly imo.
White gets dirty pretty quickly.
Purple is also decent royal purple color is my fav..
But if you find a place like this, (autobody shop & painting) you can basically perfect your own shade.
It doesn't cost much but it worth a lot. You don't need more than 6-7 ounces anyway.
They start with a color and add flavor until you are satisfied, metallic particle density, pearlescent white for the effect, etc.
Good luck with the paintjob.
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Update - LC will be providing a new front triangle to make this all good.
Lots of parts arriving today so I’ll build it as a mock up for now.
Who paid for shipping?
Good to hear they have stepped up and will be replacing it, bad to hear they let it leave the factory in that condition. They do still seem to be top of the pile when it comes to customer service though.
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Had troubles finding anyone close by wiling to do a bike. So I’ll be doing it myself.
I’m between these shades now. Considering the fork is bronze/brown I feel like I’m limited on colors that will contrast nicely.
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Who paid for shipping?
Good to hear they have stepped up and will be replacing it, bad to hear they let it leave the factory in that condition. They do still seem to be top of the pile when it comes to customer service though.
LC is taking full ownership which includes shipping it to me.
I will also give credit where credit is due, my LCFS947 was bought second hand, they continued the warranty to me when they didn’t have to and I’ve used that once to replace a creaky seat stay on that bike.
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LC is taking full ownership which includes shipping it to me.
I will also give credit where credit is due, my LCFS947 was bought second hand, they continued the warranty to me when they didn’t have to and I’ve used that once to replace a creaky seat stay on that bike.
That is great.
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I was a big DengFu fan and then ordered a 947 from LC as DF didn't have what I wanted. I have now ordered a 958, 2 918's and one of their gravel frames for friends and myself. I have been very impressed with their customer service on a bunch of little things like random questions and a few frame issues. Everything was worked out quickly and to my satisfaction.
Her is my 958 and 947
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I was a big DengFu fan and then ordered a 947 from LC as DF didn't have what I wanted. I have now ordered a 958, 2 918's and one of their gravel frames for friends and myself. I have been very impressed with their customer service on a bunch of little things like random questions and a few frame issues. Everything was worked out quickly and to my satisfaction.
Her is my 958 and 947
Looks great man. How do you compare the ride between the two?
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Looks great man. How do you compare the ride between the two?
The 947 is very much an enduro frame. I live in a flat state so only had it out a few times to one of 2 lift served parks in the state. It soaked up everything I threw at it with ease. Very impressed with how well it did. Hoping to get it out west and take it on some serious downhill. We don't have anything that is long enough to push suspension or brakes. The 958 has really shocked me. Rides and handles like a 100-110mm bike bit of things get rowdy I have the extra travel there. I think the 34mm chassis fork makes a big difference. My normal XC bike is a 100mm with 32mm stanchions and the extra stiffness is noticed right away. They are definitely two different tools for 2 different jobs. But very happy with both.
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The 947 is very much an enduro frame. I live in a flat state so only had it out a few times to one of 2 lift served parks in the state. It soaked up everything I threw at it with ease. Very impressed with how well it did. Hoping to get it out west and take it on some serious downhill. We don't have anything that is long enough to push suspension or brakes. The 958 has really shocked me. Rides and handles like a 100-110mm bike bit of things get rowdy I have the extra travel there. I think the 34mm chassis fork makes a big difference. My normal XC bike is a 100mm with 32mm stanchions and the extra stiffness is noticed right away. They are definitely two different tools for 2 different jobs. But very happy with both.
Great to hear it! My 947 has been a park weapon all year and it just keep crushing anything in its way. Excited to get my 958 going to see the difference.
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Rear shock came in today (RS Deluxe Ultimate). Mounted with shiny new hardware from Offset Bushings.
Honestly is a pain in the ass to mount. The shaft with the bushings had to be FORCED into the the pivot . Likely from too much black protective coating. Will sand that down and make the proper size when I take it apart for paint.
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Some more mock up shots while I wait for the remainder of parts. Then to tear it down for paint. Decided on Ceramic from Montana Gold.
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Day one of paint. Underestimated how much I’d need. Project will resume Monday.
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New front triangle is ready to ship. Much more satisfied with the finish of the lower pivots.
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Last day of painting. Going to give it a day or so to fully cure.
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Last day of painting. Going to give it a day or so to fully cure.
Whats your procedure for clear coat? wet or dry?
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Whats your procedure for clear coat? wet or dry?
I used SprayMaxx 2k clear. I shot one coat then wet sanded 800 grit. Then did a heavy coat and let it cure for 24 hours. I could have gone heavier in some spots but from 5ft away the bike looks great and that’s all I was really going for.
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I used SprayMaxx 2k clear. I shot one coat then wet sanded 800 grit. Then did a heavy coat and let it cure for 24 hours. I could have gone heavier in some spots but from 5ft away the bike looks great and that’s all I was really going for.
Looks good from afar, but far from good? ;)
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Looks good from afar, but far from good? ;)
Spot on. Lol.
Getting closer. Ordered a dropper remote incompatible with my post and I need longer shift cable. But it’s 90% there. I will say the clearances on this frame are TIGHT. Putting it back together was hell and I definitely scratched the paint. Luckily in places you can’t see when it’s together. Cable routing isn’t bad, the dropper being the worst to maneuver.
Also waiting on longer riser bars but apparently the train they’re on has mechanical issues. So maybe I’ll button this up in about a week.
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Spot on. Lol.
Getting closer. Ordered a dropper remote incompatible with my post and I need longer shift cable. But it’s 90% there. I will say the clearances on this frame are TIGHT. Putting it back together was hell and I definitely scratched the paint. Luckily in places you can’t see when it’s together. Cable routing isn’t bad, the dropper being the worst to maneuver.
Also waiting on longer riser bars but apparently the train they’re on has mechanical issues. So maybe I’ll button this up in about a week.
I know that feeling, it was quite hard time to assemble again. I actually mentioned that if i recall correctly. Damaged the paint as well, nothing serious but still worth mentioning. It will be chemically bonded in weeks during this season. No frame protection yet!
I used SprayMaxx 2k clear. I shot one coat then wet sanded 800 grit. Then did a heavy coat and let it cure for 24 hours. I could have gone heavier in some spots but from 5ft away the bike looks great and that’s all I was really going for.
My paint guy found this totally unnecessary. I also made a research and went with the less time consuming 3 layer clear coat.
Base coat
30mins
Clearcoat
10mins
another layer
10mins....
I'm pretty sure your method is better with frame tight clearance since it has thinner coating overall.
Let us know the close up results under daylight :).
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I know that feeling, it was quite hard time to assemble again. I actually mentioned that if i recall correctly. Damaged the paint as well, nothing serious but still worth mentioning. It will be chemically bonded in weeks during this season. No frame protection yet!
My paint guy found this totally unnecessary. I also made a research and went with the less time consuming 3 layer clear coat.
Base coat
30mins
Clearcoat
10mins
another layer
10mins....
I'm pretty sure your method is better with frame tight clearance since it has thinner coating overall.
Let us know the close up results under daylight :).
Here’s a little peek. I built it using a few parts off my 947 while I wait for some last minute stuff. Going to give it a shake down at the park tomorrow.
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Here it is all built up. Survived a day at the park and I quite like it.
More to come.
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Couple more shots
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remedy7, so you know, next time you paint, montana gold wet sands pretty nicely. You could've knocked down that texture that those Montana cans give before going to the spraymax top coat
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remedy7, so you know, next time you paint, montana gold wet sands pretty nicely. You could've knocked down that texture that those Montana cans give before going to the spraymax top coat
You’re absolutely right and I did. I used 400 grit between coats of primer. 600 on the first and second coats, 800 on the third. One coat of sanded clear with 2000 and then one more coat of clear untouched.
All that said I rushed it due to increasingly cold weather and more so since this isn’t the front triangle I intend to use for long as it arrived with defects. I’ll spend more time on the new one now that I have a good hang of the technique.
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Update **
Bike is currently broken. Made it three laps down the mountain at my local park and on the final lap the lower mounting bolts sheared off into the shock. I thought at first maybe they didn’t get torqued and fell out but no. It’s a shame I’m having these issue because I do enjoy the bike as a whole.
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Update **
Bike is currently broken. Made it three laps down the mountain at my local park and on the final lap the lower mounting bolts sheared off into the shock. I thought at first maybe they didn’t get torqued and fell out but no. It’s a shame I’m having these issue because I do enjoy the bike as a whole.
:o :o
You installed the shock, did you find trunnion side especially tight?
Compared to 947 trunnion bolt seems longer for the 958 also not supported enough?
It was almost impossible for me to install the shock without loosing linkage bolt for 947.
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It wasn’t particularly tight by any means just a pain to actually mount due to very tight clearances. But it was torqued to 9nm a little less than the recommended 10nm but that’s what I use on my 947.
In comparison the 947 shock mounting is far easier to maneuver.
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Update **
Bike is currently broken. Made it three laps down the mountain at my local park and on the final lap the lower mounting bolts sheared off into the shock. I thought at first maybe they didn’t get torqued and fell out but no. It’s a shame I’m having these issue because I do enjoy the bike as a whole.
Wow! So both screws tore, that's got to be a lot of force to sheer both screws like that. Do you think everything will be fine with new screws?
Perhaps one screw sits slightly higher and takes more force? Then, when one snaps the other does too?
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Perhaps one screw sits slightly higher and takes more force? Then, when one snaps the other does too?
That’s precisely what I think happened. If you look at the earlier post this frame had questionable mounting holes upon receiving it which I brought up to LightCarbon who tried assuring me it’s fine. Luckily I pushed for a new front triangle which looks better. New boots are also different than the first set. So we shall see.
Also im not super heavy with riding weight at about 190.
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Quick update.
Bike is back together. LC is making me new shock mounting bolts (out of steel this time).
I did have a spare set of aluminum that came with the warrantied front triangle so I mounted my shock and took it back to the park.
Really got the suspension dialed in and this thing absolutely rips. It’s a super playful, nimble frame. The suspension feel in the rear is super predictable and ramps up nicely.
I even lent my 947 to another rider who had interest the frame.
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Quick update.
Bike is back together. LC is making me new shock mounting bolts (out of steel this time).
I did have a spare set of aluminum that came with the warrantied front triangle so I mounted my shock and took it back to the park.
Really got the suspension dialed in and this thing absolutely rips. It’s a super playful, nimble frame. The suspension feel in the rear is super predictable and ramps up nicely.
I even lent my 947 to another rider who had interest the frame.
Remedy can I just get you to clarify for me?
Did you paint the new front triangle or is that the original triangle that has been painted and that the bolts have broken on? If it is the original at least it is a good sign that the carbon didn't fail around those bearings.
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This is what I named Test Frame 1 (TF1) for the same reason you ask for clarification lol. The replacement front remains on my wall unpainted. Will get around to that off-season, plus have some design in mind on TF2.
The bolts that came with TF1 were not marked with torque specs. The ones that came with TF2 are marked just like they are on my 947. I mentioned this to Wendy and the engineers confirmed it was likely a batch issue.
So as of current I am riding TF1 with TF2 bolts. Torqued to 9.5nm. Haven’t checked since this ride but will update if they’ve become loose.
Frame around the bearings is still solid with no damage other than scratched paint.
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Frame around the bearings is still solid with no damage other than scratched paint.
That is good to hear particularly given the condition of the carbon around those bearings in the first pic of the first post.
Sounds like LC are doing all the right things around warranty obligations and looking after their customer so big thumbs up for LC on that front.