[DH Dad]

I've used many different setups on my 2001 RFX over the 6 seasons I've had it:

Shimano XT splined
North Shore + Truvativ ISIS
North Shore + Race Face FR ISIS
Diabolus
Shimano Hones

Everyone of them, after a few months of riding, creak aweful. With the Diabolus and North Shore ISIS a new BB or external bearing cup would solve the problem for another month or so, with the Hones I think it's from where the spindle presses into the drive side arm but I'm not 100% certain. Something's got to last better though.

BTW, I use my RFX for XC so it does a lot of climbing and that's where I get the most creaking. The Hones have held up superbly on my DH bike.

 

[Supa8]

Hope you are healing up! I had this on my Heckler with a few cranksets.
Not sure if you had the BB chased and faced? It cured it when I had the Heckler.

 

[Frorider1]

shimano saint cranks are awesome, try them out.

 

[Monkeybidnezz]

Have you tried the silicone tape at the bb interface. I haven't tried it myself, but have heard this helps.

 

[Kntr]

shimano saint cranks are awesome, try them out.

He wants a set of cranks that do not creak. Saints make a lot of noise... at least evey pair I have heard where I live.

Just take everything apart and regrease, often.

 

[Big B]

I use the plumber's tape (silicon) on my old '03 Giant AC'1 with North Shore cranks, and it usually gets me through a season. I grease the BB and use the tape.

 

[DH Dad]

Thanks everyone, I'll try the white silicon tape. Already tried greasing the hell out of it with no success.

 

[mack]

Sounds like your BB is shot, not your cranks. Try teflon tape, but the noise is probably coming from a shot BB and not from the cups or cranks.
Put in a new BB and if the noise is still occuring it could be your bushings or bearings on your rear suspension.

edit: Are all your old canks swedged out, or is the spindle hole still intact?

 

[spacemanspiff06]

sitck with the hones, get your BB faced and chased, andbe sure that the creak isn't coming from else where on your bike. (pedals, seatpost, pivots, du bushings, chainring bolts, ect.) if it still creaks sending it off to shimano will fix it, but be warned, they (and ups) had my saints for 2.5 months.

 

[keen]

Your frame needs a chase / face or installation error could be a factor - too many cranksets there to be @ fault.

 

[monchichi8]

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[skinny mike]

for all you suggesting shimano cranks, they end up creaking after you smack them on rocks enough because the spider is pressed on.

 

[pdawg]

I like the external BB cup design on Shimano Hollowtech and Race Face X-type. They seems to hold up really well to the elements. Should the need arise, they are easy to replace and not overly expensive.

Last creaking I found ended up being from my pedals.

 

[particle bored]

DH Dad,

the fact that you have tried 5 or 6 different setups indicates that it's not the crank & BB, but rather the installation method OR the BB shell needs to be faced to make it square.

Creaks and clicks come from small movement. Usually it's something loose. Or it can be from a BB shell face being unsquare.

 

[gemini2k]

He wants a set of cranks that do not creak. Saints make a lot of noise... at least evey pair I have heard where I live.

Just take everything apart and regrease, often.

I second that, 2 of mine have, plus one of my friends . But they still rock

 

[SkaredShtles]

You could always just live with the creaking.

 

[Zark]

Grease every interface in the area. Chainring bolts/tabs are often the source of the creak.

 

[Kntr]

for all you suggesting shimano cranks, they end up creaking after you smack them on rocks enough because the spider is pressed on.

The cranks are awesome till the spider loosens. I have had 4 friends with the Saints and all creaked after about 1 month...... at the spider. IMO the pressed on idea is terrible. I like them solid like RF.

Out of the 4, 3 had them warrantied and all 3 creaked again. No thanks. Ill pass.