TrekJapan

Somebody asked me the other day how I liked the front suspension hub on my Dahon Jetstream XP. I think I was pretty middle of the road. Didn't like it, didn't hate it.

I'd like to revise that statement. I hate it. Since that post I hadn't given it two thoughts. I also felt like something on the front end had too much play in it though. After finding a manual for the bike and looking at it and doing some google searches I then went and looked at the bike. Sure enough, the front hub is loose and has a millimeter or so of lateral play. I took off the end caps and it's not the caps. The whole inner surface moves side to side. A lot.

The only reason it seemed to move a millimeter was because of the brake pads holding it back. I've now decided this isn't safe and the best course of action for me it just to replace the wheel with a Kinetix Comp wheel that I just ordered from Dahon.

I don't care enough about that suspension to try to repair it or replace it with anything other than a regular wheel. No other bike I have has front suspension (except my mountain bike) and I just won't miss it.

Thumbs down.

John

chagzuki

I can't see how it could avoid lateral play given the design.

brakemeister

time to get in contact with Pantour and get new bits and pieces for the hub

thor

BruceMetras

Good luck with that... perhaps the most unresponsive company I've ever dealt with.. many, many unanswered emails through the years.... I ended up making proper fitting bushings for my hub on a Uni-mat lathe..

TrekJapan

Without any actual experience I'm going to agree with what BruceMetras says. I did quite a bit of research yesterday on the hub and company. Their web site is Grade A Awful. Their manuals worse.

I think the elastomers are too weak for my weight as well. The brake pads really slide way down the hub, a scary distance when braking.

My solution is simple. A regular wheel. I don't need any front suspension on a bike I ride in the street.

John

Fear&Trembling

John, I had the similar problems with the Pantour suspension hub. IMO, a wider tyre at lower pressure is a lot less troublesome/expensive.

somnatash

You probably made up your mind anyway but did you know that there are two different elastomers for different weights? I have read that, if using the too soft, the hub gets damaged, resulting in the symptoms you described.