Evo 4.0 Swingarm and Dropout Separated

[AZK2]

I'm not sure if it's completely broken, but the aluminum dropout on the drive side of my Evo can wiggle and I can see an open crack moving between the carbon and the aluminum.  I didn't go so far as to take the deraileur cable out to see if I could completely remove the dropout.  Should I be concerned or keep riding on it?  How common and available are the aluminum swingarms?  Has anyone gotten a replacement from K2?

Thanks for any help!

[GaryF52]

Yes, you should be concerned.

Fortunately, this topic has been well covered on this forum and is easily fixed.  

Do a search of the tech forum for 'epoxy dropout'.  You'll find several threads with the info you need.

[numbnuts]

Seems to be a common  problem. It happened to me last year and K2 replaced on warranty via a bike shop in Asheville where I was going to visit a month or so after  i noticed the problem. Both the bike shop and K2 were incredible in solving the problem at no cost to me[ I bought the wrench a six pack], even though the shop was no longer a K2 dealer and I did all my contact with them over the phone. They had been a K2 dealer and therefore were very familiar with the problem, having replaced nearly all the carbon swingarms of the 4.0's they had sold in the past. I somehow ended up with a alum swingarm + disc adaptor, and I still have the original carbon s/a. The bike looks cool with a bright yellow s/a exactly like the Evo's in that old cranked vid, my wife still thinks that's me in that vid [yes she knows sweet f*^$ all about mtb'ing!].



While I was waiting to visit the USA I glued the dropout back with  2-part epoxy, the stuff available at gas stations and hardware stores in little packs, it worked great.



Try and contact K2 direct [use link on this site for customer service] and also visit a local K2 dealer if you have one and ask them to help. My Evo was over a year old so I thought warranty wouldn't apply but the guy in the LBS said it is a lifetime warranty. In the meantime glue back and keep shredding [smiley=nod.gif]

[Simon]

As mentioned it is common but also a very easy fix,first remove your dropout if its tight just keep wiggling it it will come out,clean up the inside of the s/arm and the dropout,you don't need to remove all the old epoxy resin,de-grease and rebond back in with a high strength 2 part epoxy resin,on a rear dropout I always refitted the wheel and secured it before the epoxy started to cure (ensure you have the s/arm in a position so as the weight of the wheel does not try to pull the dropout back out)this ensured the dropout is in its best alinement,I left the wheel in until the epoxy was completly cured,for a front dropout I refitted the s/arm to the frame while it cured to also aid alinement.
Simon