M530 SPD Spring Tension Bolt broken

[pwu]

Since the day I got them M530 (new about 3 years ago) the left pedal tension wouldn't adjust on one side, now I know why. I took my pedals off to add some grease (clean as a whistle inside) and removed the clipping mechanisms to clean them when I discovered the broken bolt.

The original bolt seems to be unavailable to buy anywhere, its a left hand threaded m4 bolt with a smaller than usual head with a collar. I managed to coble together a makeshift replacement with a normal right hand threaded m4 bolt and a square washer and marked the dodgy side of the pedal with a reflective red sticker. I tested it with an old shoe and it did work fine but its at a minimum tension.

is there a source of this bolt I haven't found, or will this road spd spring tension bolt work? https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/pedals-clea ... y45f04000/

[Brucey]

I can't see your photos and you don't say what model pedals you have either.

So I'm not much help am I....?

But if you can't get hold of the right part new, an old pedal could be robbed for spares...?

cheers

[Brucey]

Ah new information, PD-M530, and I can see your pictures now too.

As well as the bolt linked to there is a shiny one listed by SJS too. IIRC the LH thread is the same and with the correct 'nut' part and a little modification (shortened and possibly altered in the head too) it might be made to work. However it is arguably academic; none of these parts are currently in stock.

If anyone has a scrap pair of PD-M520 pedals they will have the correct parts in them; I think they are the same as PD-M530.

cheers

[Shreds]

Shimano built in obsolescence strikes again.

Three years is no life at all.

Whilst Shimano might be the branded market leader, there are better engineered and longer lasting solutions out there in the market that have far longer service lives.

[reohn2]

Shimano built in obsolescence strikes again.

Three years is no life at all.

Whilst Shimano might be the branded market leader, there are better engineered and longer lasting solutions out there in the market that have far longer service lives.

I beg to differ.
I have four or five pairs of M520's that are more than ten years old and still doing sterling service over many,many thousamds of miles,a couple of pairs of M424's over five years old still working as new,and one pair of M724's that are 20+ years old still in good condition.
In fact I've never broken a pair of Shimano SPD's though I've worn out the bindings on a couple of pairs
IMO SPD M520's are one of Shimano's most durable sucess stories and that's saying something as they make some pretty good kit.

[Brucey]

Shimano built in obsolescence strikes again.

Three years is no life at all.

eh? OP says pedal was faulty from new.....FWIW I've seen this bolt broken a couple of times but only when it was turned very hard in the wrong direction. If purchased 'new' and cheap via the internet they might have been mail order returns or something, or perhaps slipped through the QA net in the factory.

Whilst Shimano might be the branded market leader, there are better engineered and longer lasting solutions out there in the market that have far longer service lives.

FWIW I have tried to wear out more than one set of SPDs and failed. I've also examined and used lots of other pedals and I have found them nearly all to be flawed in both conception and execution. You can tell me of the 'better engineered' pedals and I might well be able to tell you things about them that you didn't know.

I have concluded that shimano pedals are very well engineered by any standards and for the money they are pretty much unbeatable. If you buy PD-M520s for example you can be a lazy so-and -so and just use them until they fail and it will still be cost-effective. If you are prepared to do some maintenance then they will last for many tens of thousands of miles.

cheers

[Redvee]

If anyone has a scrap pair of PD-M520 pedals they will have the correct parts in them; I think they are the same as PD-M530.

cheers

That would be me. I'll see if I can dismantle the pedals to make postage cost cheaper.

[Brucey]

In fact I've never broken a pair of Shimano SPD's though I've worn out the bindings on a couple of pairs...

my most worn SPDs manifested jaw wear to the point that eventually even new cleats were shorter than the distance between the jaws, and were loose enough to make clicking sounds. However I found it was possible to grind a little from the 'stopper(s)' for the rear jaw so that this compensated for the wear. They really are 'the thing that wouldn't die'....

cheers

[reohn2]

In fact I've never broken a pair of Shimano SPD's though I've worn out the bindings on a couple of pairs...

my most worn SPDs manifested jaw wear to the point that eventually even new cleats were shorter than the distance between the jaws, and were loose enough to make clicking sounds. However I found it was possible to grind a little from the 'stopper(s)' for the rear jaw so that this compensated for the wear. They really are 'the thing that wouldn't die'....

cheers

That's the same as mine,I didn't bother trying to fix them just accepted at £20 a pair the bindings were worn out and replaced them,the old ones had seen a lot of work though.

[Jdsk]

It's possible to get M4 left-handed screws. Could the collar and head then be fettled appropriately?

Jonathan

[toontra]

Decathlon are doing 520's for £20 at the moment, which is a good price these days - cheapest alternative is around £30.

I've bought a couple of spare pairs, although as has been said these things seem to last forever. I use them on all my bikes including road - easier to clip in and much easier to walk normally with MTB shoes.