# Easton EC90 Aero/ Bad ceramic bearing



## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

I lunched a bearing in my new rear wheel. First ride, had about ten miles on it.
I stood up to climb a steep hill in very high gear trying to get a feel for the flex in my new frame. Heard a loud clanking sound followed by a gritty sound. Thought I might have gotten a small stone in between the chain and sprocket. Stopped to check it out but couldn't really find anything. Gritty sound was still there but sounded better after spinning the cranks around a bit. I kept going only to find out when I got home it was the bearing in the free hub that went bad. All I can figure is one of the ceramic balls shattered on the inner bearing of the free hub. The bearing is definitely gone, the inner race is loose and it has gritty feel to it. The rest of the bearings seem fine.
I will contact them Monday. Hoping I won't have to send it off to summer camp.
Definitely a buzz kill on the new bike experience.
Just glad I have other bikes to ride.

Anyone else have problems with Easton wheels?
Kind of ironic since the ceramic is supposed to be more durable.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

zipptrek said:


> Kind of ironic since the ceramic is supposed to be more durable.


More "durable" in what way? Your ceramic bearing failed in exactly the way ceramic bearings fail when they do fail.

The question being, was the a manufacturer defect, or did you, or someone else do something to the hub? Because normally those ceramic balls will only fail like that if you put them under a hammer.

Steel ball bearings don't shatter. So you could call them "more durable". But steel will deform under a high enough load, whereas ceramic won't it will eventually shatter.


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## ssauter (Aug 1, 2007)

I have yet to see a hybrid ceramic bearing that is more durable than a good steel bearing.


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

I bought the wheels on Ebay at a significant discount. $1100. They were brand new and came in a Easton box with all the papers, skewers, valve extenders and brake pads.
I know the seller did change the free hub from Shimano to Campy. It all seemed fine when I got them. Everything spun freely. I was comparing them to my Zipp 303's for the spin factor. The Zipps have almost no stiction and the Eastons where very comparable, just slightly more. Nothing at all to be concerned with. Just a little tighter on the rubber seals.
I mounted the cassette and torqued it to specs. Saw no difference in the spin resistance after mounting. I would think if there was a problem with bearing tension I would have felt it.
The main wheel bearings have a preload adjustment. The free hub just mounts with an end cap on the axle. Again if there was an issue with clearance I would think the free hub would have been hard to freewheel.
No hammering involved on my end, LOL

I thought the ceramic bearings where supposed to be more durable in terms of longevity.
I never considered they could shattter. Live and learn I guess.
Maybe it is just a fluke and the ball that shattered had an air bubble in it.
I am a clydesdale at 200lbs and was really pushing hard in the wrong gear to be climbing.
Just testing out the flex in the new frame. Never thought I would break something.
I'm certain there are pro riders that can put out more power than me.
Maybe pro's don't ride ceramic?
Easton says there are no weight limits on their wheels.

Should be an easy fix, just replace the bearings and clean out all contaminated grease from the pawls.
I will probably try the ceramic again. Assuming Easton will warranty the bearings and replace with the same. They claim they are grade 3 ceramic. I did my home work before buying the wheels. Talked to Easton on the phone first, as long as I have a receipt they will warranty them he said. We will see. No reason to think they won't except the fact I got them on Ebay but I told them that on the phone.

If it happens again I will go back to steel.


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

*Update on warranty*

Finally got things straightened out with Easton.
Thay wanted me to send the wheel in for repair. I wanted them to send me a replacement free hub with new bearings in it. After some back and forth on the phone they are sending a new free hub, free hub seal, grease for the pawls and a bonus upgrade for the preload adjustment, all for free. All I had to do is pay for upgrade shipping to next day air. Now I will have my wheel back for the awesome weather coming this weekend here in NH. Yay!!!!
Hopefully it will be fine from now on............


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## timaplin (Jan 16, 2009)

how'd they go after you replaced the bearings?


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## hawksup (Sep 10, 2009)

I had same problem with my 3month old Easton EC90 SL carbon clinchers!
Also heard a loud "clank" noise while pedalling one day, ignored it and it eventually went away!
After a while I started getting a very irritating creaking noise which I first thought was my BB, then my carbon cranks, then my read derailler hanger and then evertually discoverd it was my bearings in my rear wheel hub.
I was rather dissapointed after spending so much money on "Quality" wheel and ceramic bearings.
Easton agreed to repair wheel but replaced bearings with normal steel bearings. They said that they're having an issue with the ceramic bearings world wide.
I want refund for my cermaic bearings or find me ceramic bearings that work!!


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

timaplin said:


> how'd they go after you replaced the bearings?


They have been going well since. The new preload adjuster holds well. It has a rubber 
o-ring in it to keep it from loosening. The original one you could turn by hand and it loosened on it's own. Now I need a 19mm cone wrench to adj. which is fine because it doesn't need adjusting very often.
I never did get my next day air from Easton. The new freehub didn't show up for a week and half.
To be fair I did get one sooner from the seller on EBay. I had contacted them both and when I didn't get anywhere right away from Easton I had the seller send me one. I was ready to just buy a new one just to get riding again.
So I sent the new one I got from Easton back to the seller.
Easton was also supposed to give me a return envelope to send back the bad one, I never got that. When the freehub from Easton didn't show up next day, I tried emailing and calling to find out why, I got no response to any of them.
It just showed up one day, wasn't impressed with the lack of communication.
Maybe he had talked to the seller and knew I already got one. IDK
But then why would he still send one??
I was in no hurry to send the bad one back, but I should get around to it.
in case something else goes wrong.


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

hawksup said:


> I had same problem with my 3month old Easton EC90 SL carbon clinchers!
> Also heard a loud "clank" noise while pedalling one day, ignored it and it eventually went away!
> After a while I started getting a very irritating creaking noise which I first thought was my BB, then my carbon cranks, then my read derailler hanger and then evertually discoverd it was my bearings in my rear wheel hub.
> I was rather dissapointed after spending so much money on "Quality" wheel and ceramic bearings.
> ...



I just got a new freehub with bearings in it, I don't know for sure if it has ceramic or not. I assumed they were.
I know Enduro has ceramics to fit the R4 hub, not sure if they are having issues too. I thought about getting a set just in case. Also thought about getting steel ones too. I'll probably just wait and see how long these last.

Did they upgrade your preload adjuster?


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## hawksup (Sep 10, 2009)

My preload adjuster is always lose!! I tighten it before EVERY ride and its lose by the end of EVERY ride.
You say yours has a rubber o-ring? Is this the new easton modified version or is this something you added??


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

hawksup said:


> My preload adjuster is always lose!! I tighten it before EVERY ride and its lose by the end of EVERY ride.
> You say yours has a rubber o-ring? Is this the new easton modified version or is this something you added??


 It is an upgrade that I got from Easton, when I talked to them about the bearing issue he offered to send the upgrade for the preloads. Both front and rear hubs get a new adjuster.
You just unthread the old one and thread on the new one. It goes on hard and actually took off a little sliver of the o-ring when I put it on. I tried greasing it first to get it slip over the axle, but I think it is a harder plastic/rubber o-ring and it just cuts it's own thread as you put it on. You need a 19mm cone wrench.

I used to adjust mine every ride too. I thought it was a bad design the first time I adjusted it. I was like, if I can turn it by hand while the skewer is tight, how is it going to hold while riding.
I wonder how many other people out there have to adjust every ride and don't even know there is a fix for it.
Plus I don't imagine riding around after it loosens is good for the bearings.
I think they should do a recall.


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## hawksup (Sep 10, 2009)

does i look the same or are there visible differences?? Can you take some pics for me so I can show my bike mechanic!
Thx for all the info.


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## rwhsurf (Mar 15, 2009)

Thanks for the time with this issue. I too have a set or EC90 sl wheels. I am sort of a newbe at any sort of bike maintenance. However, I have had my rear cassette come loose and pinch the chain between my lowest gear sprocket and frame a few times. Is this the same issue with the preloader?
I now check the sprocket between every ride. Thanks.


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

hawksup said:


> does i look the same or are there visible differences?? Can you take some pics for me so I can show my bike mechanic!
> Thx for all the info.




They are basically the same. Front just has a square spot for the wrench and the rear has a groove that creates a flat spot for the wrench. 
I attached pics.
I'm sure if your LBS called Easton they would know exactly what I'm talking about.
Talk to Scott in wheel service.
WHEEL SERVICE 
1-800-347-3901
Tech Department (5177)


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## zipptrek (Jun 16, 2002)

rwhsurf said:


> Thanks for the time with this issue. I too have a set or EC90 sl wheels. I am sort of a newbe at any sort of bike maintenance. However, I have had my rear cassette come loose and pinch the chain between my lowest gear sprocket and frame a few times. Is this the same issue with the preloader?
> I now check the sprocket between every ride. Thanks.



That sounds more like a derailleur adjustment, if the chain is getting between the cassette and frame. The limiting screw should keep it from going down that far.

I don't see how that would happen even if the cassette lock ring did loosen up.
In case it is loosening,
Use a torque wrench on the lock ring, the torque spec should be printed on the ring.
I used to just tighten them by feel, then I got a torque wrench and was surprised how tight the spec is. A lot tighter than I used to go.

I don't think it is related to the preload adjuster.


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## lucaluca (Aug 31, 2010)

hi i'm italian biker
i have big big problem because i demolished a bearing cassette in the areo ec 90

i don't find it
please give me a adress email to buy it

thank you in advance
ciao
luca


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## blr33439 (Sep 2, 2010)

Ceramic has a couple advantages: reduced weight and reduced friction. 
Reduced weight: saves as much as 65 percent weight over steel for the parts that are replaced with ceramic.
Reduced friction: smoother and harder surfaces than steel. However, if using ceramic and steel such as hybrid bearings, the advantage is very minimal.

Now the down side:
Ceramic is more brittle than steel. I have had several catastrophic failures while testing full Si3N4 ceramic bearings. Also they are much, much more expensive than steel.

Overall, ceramic is more expensive than steel with a slight performance advantage in limited situations, such as full ceramic bearings in the absence of shock loads. If the shock load goes above the limit of the ceramic bearing >> catestrophic failure.

Last note: Ceramic bearings save up to 40g using full ceramic bearings in road wheelsets. Just go with good steel bearings and train more.


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

zipptrek said:


> They are basically the same. Front just has a square spot for the wrench and the rear has a groove that creates a flat spot for the wrench.
> I attached pics.
> I'm sure if your LBS called Easton they would know exactly what I'm talking about.
> Talk to Scott in wheel service.
> ...



On the front hub does the end cap on the side where the adjuster goes, does it unscrew? Or it just pressed in place? When i went to un-screw it the other side unscrewed haven't been able to get this side to come off. 

thanks


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