I am still running my KTM Action Macina 29 hardtail MTB, having now completed around 6.7K miles, and broadly it is still a great ride. However for the last 6 months or so I have been experiencing a loud clicking noise coming from the front of the bike, and I am scratching my head as to what it might be.
The click happens if I sharply apply the front Shimano disk brakes at speed. At first it occurred to me that the pads, which are worn but still have some bite left in them, might be pulled sharply forward by the disk, yanking on the thin metal clip around them. However, I find that if I carry my bike down stairs, the click sometimes happens as the front forks bounce, without the brakes being applied at all.
I've tried wobbling everything, and can't feel that anything is loose. I've tightened the head bolt with an Allen key, no play there. I believe inside the front fork tube there is something to adjust at the top, just under the headset, and I think I have a tool somewhere that adjusts this. What does this do, and could that be worth tightening? I may have to purchase another tool (long Allen?) but happy to do so if it might help.
I've noticed as well that at the top of the forks, as they join into the frame, have some signs of rust. However they still have a satisfying bounce to them, in either lockout mode (Martin at On Bike showed me last year that they can even be inflated using a special pump - you learn something every day!
). So whilst the forks seem to my untrained eye to be in good nick, I'd be willing to replace them if they might be on their way out.
Thanks for any ideas you can provide! Next I might try taking out the front brake pads and clip, and see if I can bounce the front around to see if the click can still be replicated. It can be quite intermittent, and needs sharp action of some kind to get it produced.
The click happens if I sharply apply the front Shimano disk brakes at speed. At first it occurred to me that the pads, which are worn but still have some bite left in them, might be pulled sharply forward by the disk, yanking on the thin metal clip around them. However, I find that if I carry my bike down stairs, the click sometimes happens as the front forks bounce, without the brakes being applied at all.
I've tried wobbling everything, and can't feel that anything is loose. I've tightened the head bolt with an Allen key, no play there. I believe inside the front fork tube there is something to adjust at the top, just under the headset, and I think I have a tool somewhere that adjusts this. What does this do, and could that be worth tightening? I may have to purchase another tool (long Allen?) but happy to do so if it might help.
I've noticed as well that at the top of the forks, as they join into the frame, have some signs of rust. However they still have a satisfying bounce to them, in either lockout mode (Martin at On Bike showed me last year that they can even be inflated using a special pump - you learn something every day!
). So whilst the forks seem to my untrained eye to be in good nick, I'd be willing to replace them if they might be on their way out.Thanks for any ideas you can provide! Next I might try taking out the front brake pads and clip, and see if I can bounce the front around to see if the click can still be replicated. It can be quite intermittent, and needs sharp action of some kind to get it produced.
