Gatekeeper is getting very rough

I know this should be in the How was your ride thread, but I wanted to bring this up. I went to the park today 7-14, and rode gatekeeper twice. each time I rode it, the wheels seem to be making the ride more rough and very uncomfortable. This happened for most of the ride, even in the keyholes. I rode in the 3rd row then in the front. Both very rough. Is there a way park operations can "tweak" this problem and have the manufacturer come to check this problem out? It seems unusual for a brand new B+M coaster to be running like this. Raptor is a tad rough, but it's also almost 20 years old.

I think I posted on Media Day, it was as smooth as glass. I rode maybe a dozen times that day. Since then, I've been on it countless times. I have to agree, a roughness has emerged, especially in the outer seats. My last ride, last week, was especially rough...row 6 or 7 left outside seat. I hope it was just a wheel thing. I'm going to CP tomorrow(looking at the time, later today), so I will do some further independent testing. And riding Millennium Force:-)

Honestly have not noticed a difference from the first time I rode it opening week to yesterday.

55 rides later i also see the roughness coming out. I posted this in a differrent thread but i find the jackhammer seat on this ride to be row 7 left side outside seat. After riding in that seat i had to go ride something else lol.

On July 5th i was finally able to try out the left side, front seat that i wasn't able to during media day. This was a different GK from media day! It was running fast, with some air on the camel back and had some good forces! Now the block brake just needs to grab less so that helix and air bump can do their things!

But, on July 7th, i rode on the left back seat. Felt just like media day. Kind of on the slow side and bumpy. Different wheels....different train then 2 days earlier, i do not know, but there was a very noticeable difference in ride experience!

t2fastspin said:
I think I posted on Media Day, it was as smooth as glass. I rode maybe a dozen times that day. Since then, I've been on it countless times. I have to agree, a roughness has emerged, especially in the outer seats. My last ride, last week, was especially rough...row 6 or 7 left outside seat. I hope it was just a wheel thing. I'm going to CP tomorrow(looking at the time, later today), so I will do some further independent testing. And riding Millennium Force:-)

Yes, I rode it on opening day and it was smooth. But maybe the trains are all different. You guys sure have ridden it a lot, wow. Is there a way B+M can come to inspect this problem? it seems to be the wheels. I really wanted to love this ride, and I don't want it to be a "skip it" coaster like I do with corkscrew because it's too rough. :(

Hey corkscrew needs some love too :P

^ I took my 6yr old daughter on Cork Screw for the first time, on July 7th! She said she liked it!

I haven't noticed in increase in roughness, but it does seem to be running a little faster now.

Went to the park on 7/13. Rode the back left and second to back left, both times in the outside seats within a span of 15 minutes (FastLane+). The first ride was very rough, lots of vibration at the bottom of every element. Second ride was equally as rough, same deal with tons of vibration at the bottom of every hill. After both rides I had a splitting headache and realized I could not possibly ride it again if I wanted to enjoy the rest of my night at the park. I loved every other bit of the ride, but this issue really puts a damper on my excitement for re-rides.

Each time I've ridden Gatekeeper, it's been smooth as glass. Maybe this is just how the ride is breaking itself in. ;)

I find the ride much rougher if you sit in the outside. This might be obvious to most people lol

On some rides it's glass smooth and on other rides I've experienced that annoying vibration/roughness, especially in outer seats. Are the other wing rider like this?

I haven't noticed this vibration, but it could be that some of the wheels are causing this vibration. That would explain why only some people notice it. I usually site back seat, outside, left and it is very smooth.

If some rides are rough and some smooth sitting in the same seat, doesn't that indicate an issue with a specific train? Maybe one or two of the trains have defective/worn wheels?

I wouldn't call it roughness, more than an uncomfortable sensation to the top of your head (at least in my experience). I have not had a brain aneurism, but it is how I imagine one feels. So uncomfortable that I don't feel the need to ride her again, and that makes me sad.

The roughness of this ride would most likely stem from the wheels only, unlike X2 for example where the rack/pinion assembly rotating the seats would cause more vibration issues along the course. Even so, X2 is the most insane ride anywhere and I didn't mind the pure aggression of that beast. Anywayyyy :)

Gatekeeper though is just a large cantilever on both sides of the train. Any vibration at the base would be amplified along the beam (to the outer seats). So if you have a bad wheel, the outside seats will feel it most. Same goes with any other B&M, as the outside seats are usually rougher than the inside seats. Look at the moving examples on this page:

http://coep.vlab.co.in/?sub=34&brch=101&sim=956&cnt=1808

Just picture the left side of the beam the fixed end (or where the train arm bolts into the main frame). The right side, would be the outside seat. This is exactly why the outer seats see more vibration. My theory, as the wheels get worn they give off slight vibrations at faster speeds and heavier loads... This frequency is shared with the cantilever beam supporting the seats causing a much rougher ride. This style would be more sensitive than traditional types of coasters.

The wheels just need some TLC!

What about the temperature? Wouldn't that be a difference in how the ride performed between May and now? I don't doubt that the ride is getting rougher (I wouldn't know, I haven't ridden it since the beginning of June) because that tends to happen as rides age and things get worn. I remember my first ride on MF where I couldn't believe how smooth the ride was, only for it to be a little shaky by the end of its first season.

GK's vibration is something I've noticed since day one. I'm not a big fan of the outside seats because of it.

~Rob

The temperature between media day and the last few times I have ridden it have been near the same (70's or 80's).

Rides get rougher as wheels wear, along with the springs inside the spring-loaded assemblies. I don't think GK would have much of an issue with that after only a few months. I really think it is just wheel related.

The arms have been designed (or should have) for infinite cycles in terms of fatigue. Any less, you would be looking at a terrible failure otherwise at a random moment years down the line. I am sure B&M had this covered, as it is relatively common sense in engineering with something like this.

Again, I think it is just wheels... They are wearing a bit causing some vibration that transfers to the outside seats. You can HEAR this just by watching the ride. It even sounds different from media day. I pointed this out last time I was there watching the ride. Thankfully my ride was not too bad, it was still quite smooth where I rode.

Diamondback went through this as well, though it took a couple years, not a couple months. That's one ride that went from smoothest-ever buttery goodness, to headache maker. Not really, cause it's still comparatively smooth, just not like it used to be.