kronin323
Font of Useless Knowledge
Dead Horse #4 - x-metal flex couplers, is the need for a tuneup a design flaw?
No. It works as designed.
The flexing of R1s causing the lenses to crack is a design flaw. The Half-X spring hinges being prone to breaking is a design flaw.
But Oakley needed a way to provide flex in an otherwise rigid frame, and the way they did it with the R1 cracked lenses. So they designed the flex coupler. And they knew it would be a wear item; brake pads on your car wear out and need to be replaced, is that a design flaw?
One could argue that it's poor design because it's not user serviceable. Like the Mars C-clips are poor design because they're a pain in the ass. But if it works as designed, it's not a flaw.
And by the time they got to the XS they made it user serviceable, too, assuming you could find replacement coupler rubber.
No. It works as designed.
The flexing of R1s causing the lenses to crack is a design flaw. The Half-X spring hinges being prone to breaking is a design flaw.
But Oakley needed a way to provide flex in an otherwise rigid frame, and the way they did it with the R1 cracked lenses. So they designed the flex coupler. And they knew it would be a wear item; brake pads on your car wear out and need to be replaced, is that a design flaw?
One could argue that it's poor design because it's not user serviceable. Like the Mars C-clips are poor design because they're a pain in the ass. But if it works as designed, it's not a flaw.
And by the time they got to the XS they made it user serviceable, too, assuming you could find replacement coupler rubber.