Intermittent creak

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
User avatar
foxyrider
Posts: 6044
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by foxyrider »

landsurfer wrote:Change your shoes !!!

My creaking and ticking issues disappeared when i changed my shoes for a new pair .... infuriating is not the word !!! :roll:


I solved a creak by tightening the already tight cleat bolts!

Anyhow, any ideas why I have a squealing disc brake when the pads and disc are not in contact? Bring back rim brakes please!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
vandjq
Posts: 120
Joined: 16 May 2007, 11:30am

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by vandjq »

My creak came from my Brooks B17 leather saddle. You're not supposed to tighten it up, but I didn't have any choice as it was driving me mad. :(
User avatar
RickH
Posts: 5834
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by RickH »

foxyrider wrote:Anyhow, any ideas why I have a squealing disc brake when the pads and disc are not in contact? Bring back rim brakes please!

If it isn't the pads there must be something making contact with the disc. Is the calliper straight? it could be catching on the edge of the slot. Is it the metal springy bit (that pushes the pads back onto the piston)? If that has got bent or out of line it can make contact with the disc.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by mercalia »

I had such a creak and in the end found out it was the bolts/interface that connected the rings to the cranks. I took all apart and lubed them with grease then tightened them up again. problem solved
Phileas
Posts: 414
Joined: 18 Feb 2009, 6:12pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Phileas »

So I replaced the Exzentriker BB with a traditional square taper BB (and chain tensioner) and the creak seems to have gone, although I've only ridden for about 15mins.

I'm still puzzled by the noise. Apart from the initial intermittency, it was a also a "long" creak i.e. the creak seemed to last for a significant portion of each pedal stroke, with several clicks, a bit like when you pull up an old floorboard but not quite as loud.

I realise that by replacing the BB I haven't eliminated the chainring bolt interface as a source of the creak :oops:
Brucey
Posts: 44523
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Brucey »

or where the pedals fit into the cranks?

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phileas
Posts: 414
Joined: 18 Feb 2009, 6:12pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Phileas »

But wouldn't a similar noise on both pedal strokes tend to eliminate chainrings and pedals?
Brucey
Posts: 44523
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Brucey »

Phileas wrote:But wouldn't a similar noise on both pedal strokes tend to eliminate chainrings and pedals?


not always; a single pedal can make noise as it is loaded and unloaded, and if you unload one pedal as you load the other, it isn't obvious what is going on unless you are able to make the noise pedalling one-legged. Also chainring interfaces are loaded on both pedal strokes.

It can be so awkward to find out what is causing creaks that I recommend to anyone trying to find the origin of a problem that they do things one at a time.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marcus Aurelius
Posts: 1903
Joined: 1 Feb 2018, 10:20am

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Marcus Aurelius »

Q.R. Skewers and / or Thru Axles are a good source of mystery creaks. give them a good coating of grease and check the springs at the ends.
Phileas
Posts: 414
Joined: 18 Feb 2009, 6:12pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Phileas »

So...at the weekend I put the Exzentriker back on the bike to give it a second chance.

The creak seems to be returning. It’s worse after the bike has been warmed up in the bike shed at work - so far there hasn’t been much noise in the morning.

When it was off, the bearing cartridges looked very clean so I’m assuming they are not the source of the problem (its only done about 1000 miles). I noticed quite a bit of play in the plastic bushes between the spindle and bearings which wasn’t there when new.
Marcus Aurelius
Posts: 1903
Joined: 1 Feb 2018, 10:20am

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Marcus Aurelius »

Try putting lube on the points where the spokes cross over each other.
dragonrider
Posts: 95
Joined: 21 Jun 2011, 10:17pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by dragonrider »

Not strictly cycling related but a funny story about creaks being transmitted from a totally different place from where they actually originate.

I had a newish Rover 820, yes this is quite a few years ago. All Autumn and winter there was a terrible creak and rattle from the front suspension. Both me and the dealer were driven nuts trying to find it. Spring arrives, open the sunshine roof, creak and rattle disappears!

Good luck on tracing your creak.
Phileas
Posts: 414
Joined: 18 Feb 2009, 6:12pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Phileas »

Thanks.

I put a new chain on last weekend (KMC S1) and turned the chainring and sprocket round (I had to grind a spline off the freewheel body). Although I don’t believe this was the source of the problem I’ve had only hints of a creak so far this week.

As I said, it seems to be partly temperature dependent and I’m expecting the full creak to return but we’ll see.

Another thing I noticed last week was that the creak seemed to be linked to the right side only but from memory the original issue was on both sides.
gregoryoftours
Posts: 2234
Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by gregoryoftours »

foxyrider wrote:Anyhow, any ideas why I have a squealing disc brake when the pads and disc are not in contact? Bring back rim brakes please!

Sometimes the rotor can contact somewhere even when it really doesn't look like it is, but if definitely not could it possibly be dry hub seals squeaking?
Brucey
Posts: 44523
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Intermittent creak

Post by Brucey »

IIRC if you use a singlespeed conversion on a shimano-style freehub, the lockring needs to be PFT (or thereabouts) to stop the sprocket from moving around. This movement gets worse if you run with the chain set pretty tight, BTW.

The normal thing to do is grind the spline on the sprocket if you turn it round. If the sprocket came off with a load of black crud at the interfaces between the sprocket and spacers, or spacers and splines/lockring, it suggests that the sprocket might have been moving around before.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Post Reply