creaky front end

[jonny jeez]

My chainrings have started to make a God awful noise, a mix between a creak and a salvo of clicks on the rotation of the crank arms.

I have tried tightening the ring nuts, not easy in a suit and tie but I just couldnt face the prospect of a ride home whilst sounding like I was wrestling with a deck chair.

Still creaking.

So, should I deal with this, or leave it to the shop.

I guess I need to strip down the rings, crank arms and bottom bracket. I have limited tech knowledge and can happily take on most items of general service (Cables, pads, calipers, indexing,) with efficiency, which is to say that I think I do as good a job as the shop...but this feels a little more "specialist". I may need special tools.... a crank puller, a bottom bracket tool, a torque wrench? and also may need my wits about me looking for spacers/,rings... etc (according to google!...I actually have no idea where/what these are).

I am not tight and am happy to pay for stuff but like the feeling of being capable and expanding my understanding of my bike (I am very attached to her)...is this just something that is worth leaving to the pros?

If I buy the tools, I am unlikely to use them again for years.

I am also worried I shall stuff up something serious whilst fulfilling my egotistic ambitions to grow my shop knowledge. Or am I being a wuss?

Help?

PS, I cannot find a step by step video of the removal of a tiagra crank arm set, rings and bottom bracket...which would give me confidence to crack on I think...tools dependant.

 

[e-rider]

don't forget to check the pedal bearings as these are often to blame. Also, could be the headset if it's worse when riding out of the saddle.

 

[jonny jeez]

don't forget to check the pedal bearings as these are often to blame. Also, could be the headset if it's worse when riding out of the saddle.

I've isolated it to the front end. The noise continues when I ride no handed, so not bars or headset...and out of the saddle, no not seat or post.

I can make it creak when stationary by just loading pressure on the pedal, so am certain it is the crank end if the bike, that or my frame has cracked and is twisting....unlikely.

Also, it just sounds like it is clearly coming from the cranks\rings.

But, back to my point...should I attempt this or leave it to the pros?

 

[mjr]

Depends on the bike and how difficult it is to work on. Can you make it creak by loading pressure on the end of the crank arm? That would probably rule out pedals. Any trigger (crash? rainstorm? knocked-while-parked?) that started the creaking?

 

[jonny jeez]

Depends on the bike and how difficult it is to work on. Can you make it creak by loading pressure on the end of the crank arm? That would probably rule out pedals. Any trigger (crash? rainstorm? knocked-while-parked?) that started the creaking?

Not tried the pressure without pedals..good shout, although incan isolate a noise from pedal creak (ongoing) that is "in addition" to this...its a really pronounced noise that is getting worse.

Bike is only 4 years old and in good nick so I expect it is fairly easy to work on.

Nothing has happened to cause this, its been getting worse over time so I suspect its a wear issue.

So likely loose rings, cranks or blown bracket.

Not sure I want to attempt that myself, am worried ill screw up something fundamental like a thread to the frame or something. Sorry very little knowledge of this.

 

[Globalti]

Is it a BB30 bottom bracket? If it is, your noise is caused by the alloy BB axle flexing microscopically inside the bearing inner races. The cure is to take it out and smear Bearing Fit compound on the interfaces. But usually the BB30 creak starts within a couple of weeks of starting to ride the bike.

If you think it's the rings, try spraying WD40 on the areas where the rings contact the spider and on the bolts and nuts. If that silences them, that's your answer.

Are you sure the frame isn't cracked?

 

[mjr]

Bike is only 4 years old and in good nick so I expect it is fairly easy to work on.

I think newer bikes are getting more awkward but it depends what it is.

@Globalti's suggestions are good but I prefer GT85 to WD40 because WD40 residue on chainrings annoys me.

 

[jonny jeez]

Is it a BB30 bottom bracket? If it is, your noise is caused by the alloy BB axle flexing microscopically inside the bearing inner races. The cure is to take it out and smear Bearing Fit compound on the interfaces. But usually the BB30 creak starts within a couple of weeks of starting to ride the bike.

If you think it's the rings, try spraying WD40 on the areas where the rings contact the spider and on the bolts and nuts. If that silences them, that's your answer.

Are you sure the frame isn't cracked?

Thanks, will try some spray lube to isolate\eliminate the ring nuts.

On the frame question....no, I'm not. I notice that when stationary, if I cause the creak with pressure on the pedal/crank arm, that the rear stays offer a good deal of "spring" or flex.

It looks equal each side so I am confident its just standard frame flex...but you have made me worried now.

Frame anxiety aside, the sound seems to come from the front, not the rear...although of course cracks can appear anywhere.

I shan't be sleeping well tonight now.

 

[jonny jeez]

Is it a BB30 bottom bracket? If it is, your noise is caused by the alloy BB axle flexing microscopically inside the bearing inner races. The cure is to take it out and smear Bearing Fit compound on the interfaces. But usually the BB30 creak starts within a couple of weeks of starting to ride the bike.

If you think it's the rings, try spraying WD40 on the areas where the rings contact the spider and on the bolts and nuts. If that silences them, that's your answer.

Are you sure the frame isn't cracked?

Thanks, will try some spray lube to isolate\eliminate the ring nuts.

On the frame question....no, I'm not. I notice that when stationary, if I cause the creak with pressure on the pedal/crank arm, that the rear stays offer a good deal of "spring" or flex.

It looks equal each side so I am confident its just standard frame flex...but you have made me worried now.

Frame anxiety aside, the sound seems to come from the front, not the rear...although of course cracks can appear anywhere.

I shan't be sleeping well tonight now.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Headset,perhaps? Check bolt tightness, maybe even check with a torque wrench per manufacturer specifications.

 

[Levo-Lon]

+1 on the bb
also you may have now got a liittle wear in the chainring bolts.
do they rotate? Or are they good and tight..
new bolts are a cheap replacement as is the BB if your ok with these on the replacing stakes..

 

[jonny jeez]

Ok, so I dove in and whipped of the crank arms (easier than I expected really) and the near side bottom bracket bearing has a graunch to it.

whipped that off to and replaced with a new relatively cheap shimano one...to test really. also stripped down the chain rings whilst I was there, replaced one nut that I rounded a little taking off and greased it all before rebuilding (including the nuts and bolts).

all back together...but, the front mech no longer lines up with the chain rings, I guess the new BB is thinner than the old, so I am now resetting that.

Before I do...is this usual, should I expect to retune the front mech to meet the chainrings?

J

 

[Gravity Aided]

New BB may have a different spindle length, and there are a plethora of them out there. 2 factors to measure for-shell length- the BB shell sans cups, and spindle length. You could try resetting FD, or get another BB if that doesn't work out.

 

[jonny jeez]

New BB may have a different spindle length, and there are a plethora of them out there. 2 factors to measure for-shell length- the BB shell sans cups, and spindle length. You could try resetting FD, or get another BB if that doesn't work out.

AH, nope have found the problem...it was a, er...user error.

can you guess what it was, ill give you a hint. i have rebuilt the chainrings to find the source of the creak.

 

[Svendo]

Is it a BB30 bottom bracket? If it is, your noise is caused by the alloy BB axle flexing microscopically inside the bearing inner races. The cure is to take it out and smear Bearing Fit compound on the interfaces. But usually the BB30 creak starts within a couple of weeks of starting to ride the bike.

Given you don't want high strength in order to remove the crank in the future, which compound do you use? There's a plethora on the loctite website.

Ah wait, Retaining compound that allows disassembly: 641 only.