Creaking Crank ??

[oliglynn]

Took delivery of my new allez elite the other day, very pleased apart from after 10 miles or so of riding I started to notice a creak on the cranks when I pedalled hard.

Narrowed it down to the left crank arm (noise only occurs when pushing on left pedal), but not sure what's causing it? Could it be bolts not tightened properly or something more serious? I don't have a torque wrench to test bolt tightness

 

[palinurus]

Unlikely to be serious, guaranteed to be really annoying. Might mean a pedal needs a little bit of tightening or something. If you bought it locally I'd take it back in. Does it creak when you stand on the pedals too?

 

[John Ponting]

I've never actually had a torque wrench with cycle settings in 40 years even if it is the correct way but a normal socket does the job.

Either take it back to the shop (not so easy if buying on interwebthingie) to have it removed and refitted and/or go to the shop and buy a crank remover for your chainset. Remove, clean, refit. Unlikely to be the last time you need to use a crank remover. Get a pedal spanner while you are at the shop - unless your pedals are alen key'd.

Pedal spanners last forever - my Campag spanner was bought in 1982.

 

[palinurus]

Good pedal spanners last forever. Crap ones last until the first stuck pedal you try them on.

 

[oliglynn]

I got the bike from a shop over an hour away (by c*r) so can't just drop it back in unfortunately.

I've had a little play about with it since posting and it seems that when the bolts are loosened off the creaking stops, so perhaps the bolts were over-tightened. (alan key type)
A sticker on the crank recommends 12-14NM torque, which if i'm not mistaken is not particularly tight, so I guess they could quite easily have been over tightened.

This being my first road bike I'm not too sure on how the crank fits onto the shaft, but as the arm felt secure even with the bolts loosened I guess there must be something else in there holding it on. I'll just have to guess at what 12-14NM feels like when I re-tighten!

 

[Steve Austin]

its likely to need greasing. the splines on external bottom bracket cranks need greasing or they will creak forever!
its quite normal for new bikes to have been assembled with no grease. its a fiarly simple job to remove the arm and grease, but you'll need a little tool to tighten the arm cap.

its all on here
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=122

 

[oliglynn]

Righty ho, cheers! I've just been out for a little 32 mile ride to check it out, and though it's a lot lot better there's still a very slight creak, so will get some grease on it when I get a tool for the cap.

 

[battered]

12Nm is a 12N force on the nd of a 1 metre long spanner, or 120N on the end of a 10cm spanner. 1N is the force a 100g weight (a medium apple) exerts under gravity. So 12Nm is 12kg on a 10cm spanner, it's tight enough.

£15 buys adecent torque wrench, choose alow range one for bike maintenance as the big ones are for cars and don't do low range. Alternatively use a spring baggage weigher and a tape measure, and calculate the torque required with a calculator.

 

[Barbidoll]

I spent 2 months trying to find a creaking noise coming from my pedals/crank only to find that it was actually coming from my SPD shoes...!!! Now before i go out i give the cleats and and the sole around the cleat a light spray with WD40 and hey presto no more creaking!!!!!