Yet another creaking BB question!

[Yellow Saddle]

Hi,

Up to a point you are right, but it must be down to wheel design because my wheels are only 250 road miles old (on a 140 MTB !! )

All the spokes are perfectly tight and the wheel is running perfectly true. The spokes do seem very tightly pressed together and when sqeezed do suddenly break past any muck build up and 'twang'. No, my wheels are not covered in mud.

I'm only offering this as a 'maybe', as the sound is the same. The other option is the fixing point of the spoke on the hub. Being straight pull, there is a flat part of the spoke that contacts. Maybe that point may benefit from a 'spot' of grease. That would mean removing one spoke at a time, not a fun job, so I'll leave that option till last :-)

Well, point me to the point where I go wrong.

Show me a picture of the QR skewers on those wheels.

 

[Sunbeam]

Sorry, I don't understand your question?

It's not the DT Swiss QR axle, as I've cranked it up quite a bit more, no movement there.

I'll report back after a spoke clean and grease tomorrow or Monday :-)

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Sorry, I don't understand your question?

It's not the DT Swiss QR axle, as I've cranked it up quite a bit more, no movement there.

I'll report back after a spoke clean and grease tomorrow or Monday :-)

Weak/poorly designed QR skewers don't exert enough clamping force on the rear axle to prevent movement. This movement, however small, usually makes a cracking sound when pedaling. This is very typical of cheap, open-cam QRs and so-called "upgrade" lightweight expensive QRs.

Hence me asking to see a picture of the QR. But, if you say it isn't that....

 

[Sunbeam]

Problem solved, it was the spokes rubbing and making the noise.

I spread each point where they crossed with a tyre leaver, gave a wipe with cleaner on a rag and put a spot of grease on the contact point. This will wear off and collect dust, but it was only to see where the problem was. I'll just have to make sure this point is well cleaned each bike wash going forward.

This is my QR a DT Swiss 148x12 boost, all tight and greased up, no creaking from here.

I hope this has helped somebody as creaks are anoying!

Rob
:-)

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Problem solved, it was the spokes rubbing and making the noise.

I spread each point where they crossed with a tyre leaver, gave a wipe with cleaner on a rag and put a spot of grease on the contact point. This will wear off and collect dust, but it was only to see where the problem was. I'll just have to make sure this point is well cleaned each bike wash going forward.

This is my QR a DT Swiss 148x12 boost, all tight and greased up, no creaking from here.

I hope this has helped somebody as creaks are anoying!

Rob
:-)

Thanks for reporting back. It's nice to know you got a good result.

 

[jowwy]

Problem solved, it was the spokes rubbing and making the noise.

I spread each point where they crossed with a tyre leaver, gave a wipe with cleaner on a rag and put a spot of grease on the contact point. This will wear off and collect dust, but it was only to see where the problem was. I'll just have to make sure this point is well cleaned each bike wash going forward.

This is my QR a DT Swiss 148x12 boost, all tight and greased up, no creaking from here.

I hope this has helped somebody as creaks are anoying!

Rob
:-)

its NOT the spokes, its the QR skewer......why don't you listen and not find out the answers yourself and then don't post on here and prove them wrong. you do know thats not allowed???

 

[jonny jeez]

Cheap skewers with open cams can't put enough clamping force on the rear wheel to stop it from fretting in the frame. A good skewer has three features:

1) High tensile steel skewer.
2) Enclosed cam
3) Steel biting teeth.

A good example of these is anything made my Shimano or Campag. Bad examples are older Zipp (perhaps newer ones but I can't vouch for that) or any other cheap wheels. You'll recognise the one-piece lever and cam that works on a flexible nylon pad. They also have fake teeth in that the grip interface is aluminium. It has to be harder than the frame to work.

Rear wheel creaking can be instantly cured by fitting a Shimano skewer. Unfortunately they weight 3 grams more than "racing" skewers and discerning customers sneer at them.

This.

It was the problem with my creakiy wheel/bb/crankset...which were all replaced in vain.

 

[Sunbeam]

Sorry Jowwy if I have broken the rules and offended you in the process :-(

I can honestly say that after doing the spoke thing I have no more creaking. If you do not belive me you are more than welcome to come to my house and ride my bike, I live in Cwmbran South Wales.

Sorry to anybody else I have offened in finding the problem with my bike.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@Sunbeam It's not you @jowwy is having a go at. You haven't got a QR skewer so it can't be that; but if you had . . . Go out and enjoy the ride.

 

[jowwy]

Sorry Jowwy if I have broken the rules and offended you in the process :-(

I can honestly say that after doing the spoke thing I have no more creaking. If you do not belive me you are more than welcome to come to my house and ride my bike, I live in Cwmbran South Wales.

Sorry to anybody else I have offened in finding the problem with my bike.

not far from were i am currently sat then - and as per @Ajax Bay it wasn't you i was posting about. Maybe you need to read the post again and see the sarcasm within it

 

[Sunbeam]

Sorry, I read it 5 times and my wife did as well.

I guess that's forums for you.

Never mind, my bike is quite and I'm off to Cwmcarn tonight for some cross country action :-)

 

[jowwy]

Sorry, I read it 5 times and my wife did as well.

I guess that's forums for you.

Never mind, my bike is quite and I'm off to Cwmcarn tonight for some cross country action :-)

I'll explain

Someone kept on saying that it was a qr problem of not being tight enough, even though you stated it was.....

He then stated it was still the qr skewer, you proved him wrong and i sarcasmly suggested that you shouldnt prove him wrong as hes never wrong

Do you get it now lol

 

[Sunbeam]

Is all cool

 

[nickyboy]

Bit of a thread hijack....

So I took my creaky BB to the LBS and they've looked at the BB itself, pedals, seatpost...all the usual stuff

They were getting another bike in with the same crankset as mine so they swapped them over and, hey presto, the creak went. Ergo, it is something to do with the crankset. Now they are suggesting that (a) It isn't likely to be fixable and (b) It is probably a precursor to a total failure ie a crank breaking off....some intial failure of the bond and/or a fatigue crack that isn't visible

Any thoughts? I can get a new crankset fitted of course but am reluctant to do so if not really necessary.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Bit of a thread hijack....

So I took my creaky BB to the LBS and they've looked at the BB itself, pedals, seatpost...all the usual stuff

They were getting another bike in with the same crankset as mine so they swapped them over and, hey presto, the creak went. Ergo, it is something to do with the crankset. Now they are suggesting that (a) It isn't likely to be fixable and (b) It is probably a precursor to a total failure ie a crank breaking off....some intial failure of the bond and/or a fatigue crack that isn't visible

Any thoughts? I can get a new crankset fitted of course but am reluctant to do so if not really necessary.

Cranks often creak where the steel shaft is pressed into the aluminium spider. RaceFace cranks did that quite frequently.
It wont fail as it isn't a crack, just a loose spline fitting.