Loose Edson 40" Wheel Hub

[Steve Sayian]

I noticed last year that the spokes on my Edson wheel were loose at the hub.  This caused the wheel to come in contact with the engine control panel at the base of the pedestal.  I spoke to Edson and they said that when manufactured, the spokes are pressed into the hub and then welded to the wheel. 
Over time the spokes loosened up in the hub causing the wheel to 'rock' fore and aft when holding it.  The welds at the rim of the wheel are fine.  I took the wheel down to Edson in New Bedford, Mass and and they welded each of the six spokes.

Don't know if anyone has also encountered this problem.  I imagine that any reputable specialty welding shop can cure the problem if your not close to an Edson dealer.  They charged me $79.00 for the welds.

Steve

[Jon Schneider]

I'm actually amazed that they charged you, even though it's eight or so years old.  Just think, if it were a Garhauer wheel (not that they make them), the repair or replacement would've been free.  The fact that they charged you says a lot (and not good).

[Fuzzy]

I agrree with Jon.  Welds should never fail if done correctly so this should not be
a "past the warranty" situation and a repuable company would have re-welded at
no cost.

Larry

[Steve Sayian]

I guess I wasn't clear in my original post.  The spokes going into the hub were not welded, they were pressed in.
I thought that they might have been attached using screws from the inside of the hub, but that wasn't the case either.
Not trying to defend Edson charging me, but I'm the one who requested it be welded.

Steve

[Tom Lanzilli]

I had a problem with the brake handle which separated from the rod; in this case Edson also originally pressed the two together.  I talked to Edson and they welded the two back together at their cost.  I have found Edson to be extremely helpful in a few separate cases where I needed help.

[Jon Schneider]

Thanks Steve; that makes sense, though I can't imagine what else they could've done to fix this, and I think eight years is too little time to get out of a wheel.  So I still think they should have been responsible for fixing it.  To Tom's point, however, I too have found their customer service reps to be very helpful, which is why I'm surprised that they didn't fix this problem gratis.