BB creaking
- Thread starter NRSracer
- Start date
Posted by KonaDude on 11-16-2001 12:11 AM:
I suggest...
...trying tightening the crank arm onto the BB. Often creaking can be caused by the crank moving a bit on the spindle. Don't ride it if you can avoid it 'till you tighten this up, as the crank may be loose and that could destroy it.
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K.D.
Posted by ridemonkey on 11-16-2001 12:15 AM:
Ugh the dreaded mystery creak.
Start by tightening the crank bolts, then the chainring bolts. If that doesnt work its time to take the cranks off and inspect the BB and determine the bearing condition.
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Posted by oldfart on 11-16-2001 12:30 PM:
If its a new bike you should bring it back to the shop for a look see. But if you want to do it yourself then check all the fasteners. You might want to remove them all and grease them up because they are not usually done from the shop. Current thinking on the square bb's is to "lightly" grease the flats. Splined are greased too. Anti-seize is better. Check to make sure the pedal threads were greased too. And if all that does not do it, pull out the bb and grease that up.
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see ya
Posted by gravity on 11-17-2001 06:38 AM:
disassemble, degrease, regrease and reassemble everything TIGHTLY and chances are you've fixed it. if not, something is screwed. "everything" means pedals, BB, crank arms, chain, cassette, derailleur and anything else on the drivetrain other than rims, spokes n tyres. although i doubt its your hubs somehow, check em anyway.
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Posted by thatoneguy on 11-17-2001 11:35 AM:
I agree
Grease everything. That way youll know its right. Another thing you might check is your pedals to see if they are bent...
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Posted by Brian HCM#1 on 11-18-2001 11:21 AM:
I would check the cranks first, but from my experence its probably the BB shell was installed without any grease in the threads. That will creek everytime.
I suggest...
...trying tightening the crank arm onto the BB. Often creaking can be caused by the crank moving a bit on the spindle. Don't ride it if you can avoid it 'till you tighten this up, as the crank may be loose and that could destroy it.
__________________
K.D.
Posted by ridemonkey on 11-16-2001 12:15 AM:
Ugh the dreaded mystery creak.
Start by tightening the crank bolts, then the chainring bolts. If that doesnt work its time to take the cranks off and inspect the BB and determine the bearing condition.
__________________
Posted by oldfart on 11-16-2001 12:30 PM:
If its a new bike you should bring it back to the shop for a look see. But if you want to do it yourself then check all the fasteners. You might want to remove them all and grease them up because they are not usually done from the shop. Current thinking on the square bb's is to "lightly" grease the flats. Splined are greased too. Anti-seize is better. Check to make sure the pedal threads were greased too. And if all that does not do it, pull out the bb and grease that up.
__________________
see ya
Posted by gravity on 11-17-2001 06:38 AM:
disassemble, degrease, regrease and reassemble everything TIGHTLY and chances are you've fixed it. if not, something is screwed. "everything" means pedals, BB, crank arms, chain, cassette, derailleur and anything else on the drivetrain other than rims, spokes n tyres. although i doubt its your hubs somehow, check em anyway.
__________________
Posted by thatoneguy on 11-17-2001 11:35 AM:
I agree
Grease everything. That way youll know its right. Another thing you might check is your pedals to see if they are bent...
__________________
Posted by Brian HCM#1 on 11-18-2001 11:21 AM:
I would check the cranks first, but from my experence its probably the BB shell was installed without any grease in the threads. That will creek everytime.
BTW - izzit splined or square?
There was also an article on the web somewhere . . . either that guy with a beard's place (sheldon grown?), or Bicycling mag's site, or Park tools.
I'll look for it.
I think Bicycling magazine had a quick snippet about this months ago - lemmie check.
There was also an article on the web somewhere . . . either that guy with a beard's place (sheldon grown?), or Bicycling mag's site, or Park tools.
I'll look for it.
I think Bicycling magazine had a quick snippet about this months ago - lemmie check.
1. remove BB.
2. chase threads. if you don't have a thread chaser or are afraid of messing it up (which is easy to do ie mess up your BB permanently), clean the f*ck out of your threads with as much degreaser and air as possible. use lots of toothpicks (the round ones work best) and get the threads as shiny as possible.
4. then, get your hands on some ti-prep by finish-line. its not cheap, but it works great for BB's, headset cups, stems (both at the steerer tube and bar clamp), seatpost rails, setpost clamp, sex lube (if your really desperate). its an anti-seize compound that contains soft metal and paste.
if its not your BB, it could be your cranks (as mentioned above) or pedals. most crank manufacturers don't recommend that you use lube when putting cranks on the spindle, but if both are of dissimilar materials (aluminum crank, CroMo spindle) then lubing would stop the metal from freezing together. however, if the components are cheap, then you might start stretching metal from overtightening cuz the crank might go on too far.
stop riding your bike in the salt if you live near too much snow (like Canada).
2. chase threads. if you don't have a thread chaser or are afraid of messing it up (which is easy to do ie mess up your BB permanently), clean the f*ck out of your threads with as much degreaser and air as possible. use lots of toothpicks (the round ones work best) and get the threads as shiny as possible.
4. then, get your hands on some ti-prep by finish-line. its not cheap, but it works great for BB's, headset cups, stems (both at the steerer tube and bar clamp), seatpost rails, setpost clamp, sex lube (if your really desperate). its an anti-seize compound that contains soft metal and paste.
if its not your BB, it could be your cranks (as mentioned above) or pedals. most crank manufacturers don't recommend that you use lube when putting cranks on the spindle, but if both are of dissimilar materials (aluminum crank, CroMo spindle) then lubing would stop the metal from freezing together. however, if the components are cheap, then you might start stretching metal from overtightening cuz the crank might go on too far.
stop riding your bike in the salt if you live near too much snow (like Canada).
thanks everybody, took everything apart, put a $hitload of grease on everything after cleaning everything with half a bottle of pedro's bio-degreaser, and while i was at it, i fixed all the other crap that wasn't working right.
I'm productive when i'm sleep deprived(i had been awake for around 36 hours when i did it.
I'm productive when i'm sleep deprived(i had been awake for around 36 hours when i did it.
Dont grease tapperd bb's only ISIS, grease the BB threads, that shut mine up. As for KonaDudes comment about pulling the cranks closer, yeah to some extent that works but if its a tappered you can pull them too far, ISIS you cant, you DONT want to pull tappered in whenever you hear a creak because chances are its not the crank on the spindle its the threads. Thats a quick way to ruin a set of crank arms.
