suggestions for cause of front wheel noise

[yello]

I'm getting a intermittent noise from the front wheel... somewhere, no idea exactly. It's a creak then click, almost as if it's a load bearing noise... but it isn't! It's not regular nor on every revolution but it is getting worse, i.e. more frequent and louder. There are no loose spokes and nothing obviously (visually) wrong with the rim. The wheel spins freely with no noise if spun by hand.

The noise is definitely from the wheel. I swapped wheels with another bike to ensure.

The wheel has a shimano dynamo hub. I've greased the bearings (on the one side that you can) and that seems to have made it better though there is still some noise. That worries me as it points to a problem with the hub!

If the rain holds off, I'll go out for a couple of hours for some further diagnosis but I suspect it's still there. Anybody got any ideas?

 

[ColinJ]

I did a quick Google and came up with this from one of the notes in the Shimano dynamo hub documentation:

• If the front fork end is severely out of parallel, deformation of the hub axle may cause noise from an obstruction inside the. hub dynamo to be generated. ...

Doesn't sound likely though.

 

[spandex]

It might be the spokes? if you pinch two spokes to see if they rub if so just drop of chain lube will do it.

 

[yello]

Cheers Colin, I reckon that's worth checking out. I do now recall reading it in the tech specs when I was looking for the servicing info...

just as well one of us is paying attention!

Edit: I've just seen your advice too Spandex, I'll check that out too.

 

[yello]

Solved!

The greasing of the one side of the hub obviously helped but the noise started to get worse and, last Sunday, I decided I could ignore it no longer. I checked spoke tensions and they were good. So I decided that I had to pull the dynohub (a DH-3H71) apart, despite Shimano's advice being that it was NOT serviceable. I searched and found the following...

http://trinitybicycles.com/shimanodynohuboverhaul.php

...using those instructions, I carefully pulled the hub apart and found the drive side bearings were shot. A set of 22 new ball bearings set me back a massive €1.60 and the entire job took maybe an hour. That was it - job done!

Chuffed, I am!