Odd Sound. Please Help.

Jason27 · Apr 17, 2011

Hi everyone.

I have an odd sound coming from my hub motor. I have a golden motor kit and when I spin the front hub motor it sounds like there are rocks moving around inside. It's not the spokes. I checked them and they seem tight. The sound just started happening. Is it to keep riding? What could it be?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

Jason

auraslip · Apr 17, 2011

Ooooh.
Don't ride it. Especially if it's a front motor. I've heard stories of the magnets coming loose and it could potentially cause the motor to lock up.
Unless some one can offer a different hypothesis, I would open up the motor and inspect it.
It's fairly easy, but it can seem daunting. Search around for info about opening hub motors.

karma · Apr 17, 2011

i agree don't ride it. could also be you sealed bearings are contaminated or pitted :wink:

time for a overhaul..

Jason27 · Apr 17, 2011

Could it be a ball bearing or something?

karma · Apr 17, 2011

could be only way to tell is to remove the hubmotor pull the side covers off look for loose magnets rubbing on the stater.
and spin the bearing's with your finger. bearing's should be smooth with no side play :wink:

Jason27 · Apr 17, 2011

I will probably just send it back. I am new to ebiking. The noise sounds like rocks or marbles inside the hub.

auraslip · Apr 17, 2011

For the good of the community make sure you find out what was wrong with the hub. It would be a very big deal if they were selling motors that could potentially lock up.

neptronix · Apr 17, 2011

Jason27 said:
I will probably just send it back. I am new to ebiking. The noise sounds like rocks or marbles inside the hub.

See what it costs to ship it back.. hopefully the cost is not astronomical.

Too bad your had to be introduced into the world of eBiking with a motor that is not known to be reliable. ( either that or it is luck of the draw, some are built on a friday, some aren't ).

IMHO replace it with a cell man kit, ebikekit, or amped bike kit motor. They are a great deal and much more reliable.

I agree, don't ride it anymore, it is likely that a magnet is bouncing around.. or part of a magnet..

Jason27 · Apr 17, 2011

I am going to contact golden motor tomorrow about the rattling noise and send the hub back.

I just got this kit too. I only rode it twice and it started making this noise.

John in CR · Apr 17, 2011

I'd just pop it open, unless the return is local. Popping a side cover is less hassle than a return. Something loose rolling around sounds more like a piece of aluminum or a bead of solder, ie something non-magnetic. Loose magnets or other big problems would be more of a grinding sound. Definitely don't ride it until you inspect it.

If you decide to open it. On one cover put a mark and a corresponding mark on the magnet retaining ring that also has the spoke flanges. One the other cover put 2 marks. That's so you know which cover matches which side and which bolt holes to line up. Hubmotor covers are often slightly off, but are cut to center properly in one orientation. The magnetic gap tolerances are so small that installing the cover differently ends up with magnets rubbing the stator. Marks eliminate the trial and error or reassembly.

John

Jason27 · Apr 18, 2011

OMG I just took apart the hub. It was a broken spoke not a ball bearing that was causing the rattling sound. The spoke metal piece got caught up in the wheel.

I assume a bad ball bearing would have had a noticeable difference.

Thank you all so much for your help!

karma · Apr 18, 2011

yes a bearing or magnet problem would have different sound all together.

good you found it.

one thing to note. on my last goldenmotor i was snapping spokes every month :mrgreen:

so you will get a lot of practice re-lacing your wheel. :wink:

Jason27 · Apr 18, 2011

Why do they all of a sudden break...? Are they cheap spokes?

karma · Apr 18, 2011

just your Standard Low tensile strength spoke. they snap off at the head or eyelet. or at the nipple. but than again this was some years back so hopefully thay made some changes to there wheel building practices :wink:

most hubmotors are like this. so most of the members build there own with higher end spokes different lacing Patterns ect.

cheers

auraslip · Apr 18, 2011

Protip - run fat tires at low PSI to cushion your wheel and ride.Maxxis hookworms or the cheaper and equivalent cst cyclops.

neptronix · Apr 18, 2011

One thing that the seller of the hub motor + wheel combo will not tell you is that hub motors beat on spokes pretty bad. They are also typically machine built with some imperfections. If you don't true an electric bike wheel occasionally, you could really damage it badly.

Odd Sound. Please Help.

Jason27

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Jason27

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