By Ken (Charleston, SC) on (Aug 10, 2009)

Comments: I extensively researched the various types and brands of elliptical trainers to find one that was compact, stable, contained quality/sturdy components and would be operationally quiet. My research led me to the NordicTrack A.C.T. I was somewhat concerned when I read the various customer reviews suggesting problems with a banging/clunking noise when the pedal arms moved either forward or rearward, but felt that maybe these complaints were simply the result of incorrect owner assembly. I, therefore, ordered the elliptical in June and it arrived in less than 10 days. Assembly was not complicated and took about two hours. Unfortunately, I immediately experienced the banging/clunking noise being reported by other owners. I traced the noise down to excessive play in the sideways movement of the right pedal leg (key number 8 in Exploded Drawing B on page 26 of the users manual) on the collar of the adjustment arm (key number 27). This portion of the elliptical came fully assembled by the factory (see step 4 on page 7 of the assembly instructions for installing the right handlebar leg). The right pedal leg is a part of this factory assembled group of parts and a malfunction could not have been the result of my assembly process. I called NordicTrack customer/technical support and explained my observations to them. They agreed that my observation was the potential problem and indicated that they would send me a series of parts for that area of the elliptical and would schedule a service representative to install the parts. It took an excessive amount of time (about 3 weeks) to receive the parts, but upon their arrival the service representative immediately arrived to make the repair. The repair representative (Gary) was knowledgeable, neat and meticulous. After disassembly of the right pedal leg and adjustment arm, he determined that the collar of the adjustment arm on the replacement sent by NordicTrack was about an eighth of an inch shorter than the one installed by the factory. This accounted for the sideways movement