Squeaky Rear Mudguard

[Plax]

Please help me before I become a Bonj convert and throw my mudguards in the bin .

I have an Ultra Galaxy with SKS guards. The back one has always made a bit of a squeaking noise and it has started to really wind me up. I've tightened every thing up. No joy. I have electrical taped & squished the bracket that holds the guard to the bike (you know where it attaches to the bike by the brakes). It worked very briefly but has now returned to squeaking. Anyone got any more ingenious ideas before I go mad.

 

[betty swollocks]

Are the squeaks random or regular?
If the latter: is the revolving tyre rubbing on the mudguard anywhere? Can sound very much like a squeak if just touching. A bit of judicious bending of the mudguard stays will sort this.
If the former: no suggestions if, as you say, you've tightened everything, other than spray all the bits that secure the mudguards with wd40 or similar. Don't get any on the rims or brake blocks though!!
Lastly: are you sure it's the mudguards?
Let us know how you get on

 

[Amanda P]

Is this a squeak in time with the wheel rotation, or a rattley squeak from vibration?

As this is a tourer, here's one idea: some rear racks have stays that run close to one of the pairs of mudguard stays. The two may touch, rattle or squeak on one another. You can't easily separate them, so bind them together with tape or something. (Fixed an intensely irritating squeaky rattle on my Galaxy).

SKS guards have the metal strappy bits to which the stays attach rivetted on. The rivets can come loose, so that the rivet or the metal bit can move relative to the mudguard. Result: squeaking.

You may be able to tighten the rivet by removing the mudguard from the bike, resting the rivet head on something firm and judiciously clouting the other end of the rivet with a hammer. I say judiciously because if you miss and hit the mudguard you may shatter or crack it.

Or drill out the rivet and replace it with a new pop rivet or a nut and bolt. (Lower risk, but requires pop rivet and tool to fit it).

Alternatively, ride along wearing an Ipod or singing loudly so that you can't hear the squeaking... (Everyone thinks you're nuts for cycling anyway, right?)

 

[betty swollocks]

Good suggestion from Uncle P about the rack/mudguard stay proximity.

 

[Plax]

Yes, it's definitely the mudguard as I took everything off the bike. I still haven't put the rack back on yet, so that definitely isn't contributing.

I'm pretty certain it is coming from the area that Uncle Phil mentions - the metal strappy bit. I've taken this metal bit off and wrapped it in electrical tape and then reattached to muguard and squished it on with pliers. Then re-attached to the bike making sure it was on really tight. It stopped squeaking for a couple of miles and is now back with avengance.

None of the mudguards are touching the tyre (I've used the bending mudgard method on the hybrid).

 

[Amanda P]

It'll be that rivet for sure, from what you say. That particular type of plastic (I think it's high-density polystyrene) is particularly squeaky.

When you wrapped tape around it, you probably immobilized the squeaky joint, but sticky tape being what it is, it will have come away from the moving parts and allowed the squeaking to start again.

If you can't or don't want to tighten or replace the rivet, you could try some epoxy introduced into the cranny between the strappy bit and the mudguard. Probably best to do this with the mudguard off the bike and the relevant part of it laid flat on a bench or table. Then the epoxy can't trickle away from where you want it and make a mess. Use tape to stop the mudguard falling over while it sets overnight.

(Moulton mudguards, especially front ones, are particularly prone to this problem. The jiggling is worse on a suspended small wheel, and everything works loose).

 

[bonj2]

The time wasted on it could be better spent doing something far more productive like, I don't know - baking a cake, say.

 

[betty swollocks]

Shut up bonj
Another good suggestion from Uncle P.

 

[Amanda P]

And a fine one from Betty.

 

[Amanda P]

The "shut up bonj bit", that is.

 

[TheDoctor]

I quite like the 'baking a cake' idea myself.

*greedy*

 

[Amanda P]

So, Plax, did you fix it?

 

[Plax]

So, Plax, did you fix it?

Nope, still squeaked, and to wind me up even more one of the rear metal stay things kept popping out. I couldn't tighten the little screw up anymore, and my usual fall back of electrical tape failed to work.
So to spare my sanity I have removed the mudguards and resisted the temptation to stamp on the rear one.

I should get away with being mudguardless for the interim (although I feel quite naked without them!) as the weather is nice. I can use the old hack if it's raining.

So I'm comtemplating possibly investing in some new mudguards, any suggestions of squeak free mudguards for 700 x 32 tyres appreciated!

 

[Plax]

Well, haven't got any new mudguards, but took a trip to Tesco's today so needed to put the pannier rack back on. Decided to see if the front mudguard would fit on the back. Funnily enough after a bit of tweaking it did, and doesn't look too silly either. Obviously it's a lot shorter so time will tell how effective it really is. It should at least stop me getting too much spray up my back or all over my Barley. The most important thing to note is it DOESN'T SQUEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course now I don't have a mudguard on the front. I'd have thought you'd get the most spray & risk of getting dirty from the back wheel? If the going gets tough I'll have to think of something enterprising or resort to spending some money on new guards. One Of the lads from work actually made a mudguard out of a cider bottle, so that is always an option I suppose!

 

[Joe24]

Cant you just sprey wd40 or other oil in the bit thats squeeking and see if that stops it?
Or just shove on one of those big mountain bike mudguards you get. Im going to have one of those on my crappy fixed.
Infact, just get rid of that Galaxy, all mudguards will squeek and get a fixed or one of these bad boys:

Think bout it, very little maintenence, the Dutch dont seem to maintain them at all, so they wont be any noise.
Sorted!