I just assembled my Phil & Teds Vibe stroller and the front wheel is very stiff. It doesn't castor very well making it difficult to turn the stoller. (and no the front wheel lock is not engaged) We have tried some silicone based lubricant but it hasn't made much of a difference. Has anyone else had this problem and can you suggest something else to try? Will it loosen up with use?
Hello,
We had the same problem when we bought our Dash, 2 weeks ago.
When we compared it to an other Dash from one of our friend it was unbelievable. We exchange our wheel and we undersatood that the problem wasn't the wheel but where you put the wheel.
We cleaned it and removed the excess of paint with a light sand paper.
The result was magical, now it works really well, we can turn just with one finger.
Hope that helps.
We have the same problem with our vibe and it's been a good 3 months we've been using it regularly at the malls and such. It's becoming such a pain that sometimes i end up just carrying my 2 little ones instead of embarrassing myself at the mall with a $800 dollar piece of ****.
I wanted to give it time before investigating further but now i see that it's just not us only experiencing this issue. It's very frustrating at times to the point i wanted to just want to toss it out but my wife have been keep in-lined that we should look and see if others are having the same problem. I wish I had stuck with buying the side by side double babyjogger instead of this iron of junk.
So for those looking and researching of buying what was said to be the Rolls Royce of strollers, don't waste your money on a Phil & Ted. Just buy other models and make. The P&T vibe is a great idea but I don't think it they did a great job testing it.
Buyers beware this stroller for us is a $800 piece of junk in my car trunk and that's where it's been the last couple of weeks.
Go to Phil and Ted's website. Click on the "support" tab at top of page. Once on the support page, type in "Vibe front wheel" in the search field. The first support-related question that comes up is about the Vibe's sticky front wheel. The answer to the question provides a link to a pdf file on how to take off the front wheel and clean the wheel housing. I did this and it worked like a charm. My front wheel no longer sticks, wobbles, or pulls to one side. The only thing I did that they don't mention is lubricate the inside of the wheel housing with grease. Not sure if lubricating is recommended, but it worked for me. It is recommended to take the front wheel off and clean (and lubricate?) the wheel housing every few months to keep it swiveling well. Nice thing is that you can save the pdf file to your computer in case you forget what to do.
I have the VIBE and had the same problem with front wheel sticking and making it hard to turn and then once you manage to turn, the wheel would not go back to the middle. I took the wheel assmebly appart and the problem is the plastic ring that is located on the stroller and is where the wheel assmbly goes into. You get to it by taking out the plastic foot cover (2 screws underneath) and once you do that you can see the plastic ring. You take it out with a screwdriver. What I did then i sand it down a bit (I noticed it was too tight). Make sure you dont overdo it as it is meant to reduce vibrations. I put the ring back and now it works very well.
Yatzmail your post made me laugh. I agree that the P&T Vibe is a piece of junk and have had nothing but problems with ours since we bought it too. We practically drained our savings account to pay for it and its a joke of a thing. Have had it fixed twice but the problem keeps coming back. Front wheel locks up and makes it impossible to steer. Have told everyone I know to stay away from Phil&Teds!
Same problem with the wheel here. I got a call from my wife last night that she was so fed up with it that she had just abandoned the thing in the mall parking lot! I convinced that that was a rather expensive waste, luckily it was still there for her to put in the car for me to deal with. (Obviously no one even wants a free one!) I guess we'll stick to the bugaboo and convince the 2 yo to walk.
I would not recommend buying the Phil and Teds Vibe. We have had the same problem with steering. My wrists hurt after a short walk and I look like a mad women trying to negotiate the pram with my two kids in it. It has been a complete waste of money sending over $1500NZ with various attachements. Why should we have to sand down parts, take them apart when we have spent so much money on a product - it's unexceptable. The front wheel should be replaced at P&T expense - no questions asked.
We have the same problem...we purchase the vibe in sydney and now live in france and it is impossible to use it in the streets and even the shopping centers as it steers to one side and doesnt turn properly!!! it is under warranty but dont know were to take it in france????
Here's the best fix: return or resell!!!
louise_ferno, you should definitely contact Phil & Ted's online and ask them if and where they have authorized dealers in France. They replaced the front wheel on mine...although I still sold it right away and bought the Baby Jogger City Mini (so much more convenient and easier to use - not to mention a lot cheaper!).
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SOURCE: PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT WHEEL OF PHIL AND TEDS VIBE
Spray it with some synthetic lubricant. I was about to toss my P&T over the bridge until we picked up a can for less than $5 at the local hardware - it rolls good as new. Occasionally (especially after a rainy day) I'll pull the whole front wheel off, wipe down the inside of the tube, and spray both surfaces & allow to dry before replacing.
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Thanks for answering, but no the front wheel assembly came put together and there is no pieces to tap down unfortunately. Any other ideas?
I have the same issue... I was thinking of just greasing it but I was curious what other people are seeing...
I have the same problem and it's making me not like this stoller.
I have the same problem and for $700 I shouldn't!
My front wheel wobbles terribly when I walk "briskly". Anyone have this problem?
My Phill and Ted Vibe front wheel shakes badly and has some resistance. The problem becomes worse the faster I walk.
Just assembled our new vibe. I noticed the front wheel is stiff when swivelling by hand, first test on our wooden floor and you can still feel stiffness, you really need two hand to turn (unlike our moutain buggy urban - top excellent). If wheel is not facing exactly where is should be to move off you feel a judder as it reluctantly swivels back round! Very disappointed I thought it was a manufacturing defect but now I see others have same problem I'm not so sure.
If anyone get info from P&T pls post. I'm calling my supplier tomorrow.
We have the phil and teds dash stroller and the front wheel often goes into wobble mode. Hope someone will find a solution for this.
We were thinking of getting the vibe, but when comparing it to the mountain buggy urban jungle we couldn't help but noticing how much lighter the last one steered. Obviously this has the do with the front wheel swivel mechanism turning heavy. The sales rep's explanation was that this was common to all new phillandteds' and would get better after time. We haven't made our mind up yet (we have still a couple of months), but I intend to go to the shop again and apply some grease on the groove in the axle. I noticed the axle goes smooth all the way in until it's nearly at the top and thus the pen is slipping in the groove; that's when it starts to turn heavy.It strikes me a bit odd that P&T would leave something like that to chance, because I've noticed they've also went throug trouble of including a ball bearing at the bottom.
Cheers, Gunther, Belgium
I have the same problem with the front wheel wobbling, making the stroller (and my baby) shake incredibly hard when I start jogging.
How was the front wheel assembly put together? Does it have little caps that you are supposed to tap down with a hammer?
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