creaking - bottom bracket ?

Quoted message said:

My S.Galaxy has developed a strange creaking/grinding noise. Its not
constant, and is usually worse when applying pressure to cranks when
going uphill. I fitted a new rear mech last weekend, and split the
chain to do so, so dont know if this has caused anything. Im just
wondering if the most likely culprit is the bottom bracket ?

Could be the BB or a number of things. It's hard to know without hearing
the sound.... and even then it's hard to know :-)

Try and eleminate causes, by, in turn, riding out of the saddle, no-hands
or holding just one side of bars lightly, trying different pedals, etc.

Won't be chain or wheel bearings if noise coincides with crank revolution.
I would suspect the fit of the crank(s) if the noise was more of a click
than grind.

Quoted message said:

Its a 96
model, with TA chainset - any idea if I can use standard Shimano
sealed bottom bracket with this, or do TA chainsets have specific
BB's to use ?

Can use a sealed Shimano BB as long as the axle length is about right.
But first, as long as the bearings were still in good condition*, I would
refit the existing one after regreasing the threads.

* Check for play by pushing/pulling a crank sideways, and for roughness by
turning spindle by hand with cranks off.

Quoted message said:

My other possibility is the freewheel, although this
would surely make a constant noise rather than intermittant ?

If it's a cassette rather than a freewheel, these can make intermittant
noises under load. A cure is to grease the splines and fit more
tightly.... There's a theme developing here: Suspect part? Grease and
refit tightly.

~PB

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My S.Galaxy has developed a strange creaking/grinding noise. Its not
constant, and is usually worse when applying pressure to cranks when
going uphill. I fitted a new rear mech last weekend, and split the
chain to do so, so dont know if this has caused anything. Im just
wondering if the most likely culprit is the bottom bracket ? Its a 96
model, with TA chainset - any idea if I can use standard Shimano sealed
bottom bracket with this, or do TA chainsets have specific BB's to use
? My other possibility is the freewheel, although this would surely
make a constant noise rather than intermittant ? This is going to be
replaced in the near future anyway when I treat myself to a pair of
hand built wheels, so think it may be best if I get my LBS to do a
thorough service at same time and check BB.

Any advice welcome.

Have you got Look pedals? Well known for creaks & groans coming from the
cleats as I know only too well! Otherwise it's more likely to be
pedal-related unless your cranks have become loose.

John Miller

"John Miller" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My S.Galaxy has developed a strange creaking/grinding noise. Its not
constant, and is usually worse when applying pressure to cranks when
going uphill. I fitted a new rear mech last weekend, and split the
chain to do so, so dont know if this has caused anything. Im just
wondering if the most likely culprit is the bottom bracket ? Its a 96
model, with TA chainset - any idea if I can use standard Shimano sealed
bottom bracket with this, or do TA chainsets have specific BB's to use
? My other possibility is the freewheel, although this would surely
make a constant noise rather than intermittant ? This is going to be
replaced in the near future anyway when I treat myself to a pair of
hand built wheels, so think it may be best if I get my LBS to do a
thorough service at same time and check BB.

Any advice welcome.

Have you got Look pedals? Well known for creaks & groans coming from the
cleats as I know only too well! Otherwise it's more likely to be
pedal-related unless your cranks have become loose.

John Miller

Check the tightness of the crank bolts. I had an interesting five mile ride
today because I ignored a creaking sound that I thought were the pedal
bearings. See my other post for more details.

"vernon levy" <[email hidden]> writes:

[creaking]

Quoted message said:

Check the tightness of the crank bolts. I had an interesting five mile ride
today because I ignored a creaking sound that I thought were the pedal
bearings. See my other post for more details.

Exactly the same thing happened to me. It wasn't until the bolt came
loose enough to be noticable that I found out the source of the
creaking. I'd suspected the BB until then.

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"I'm Slim Shady, the Real Slim Shady
The other Slim Shady's gone to play tennis"

Keith Willoughby said:

"vernon levy" <[email hidden]> writes:

[creaking]

Quoted message said:

Check the tightness of the crank bolts. I had an interesting five
mile ride today because I ignored a creaking sound that I thought
were the pedal bearings. See my other post for more details.

Exactly the same thing happened to me. It wasn't until the bolt came
loose enough to be noticable that I found out the source of the
creaking. I'd suspected the BB until then.

But don't re-tighten more than once or twice.

"Failure from 'over-tightening' is caused by repeated re-tightening of
properly installed cranks. In use, an aluminum crank squirms on its
taper and, because the retaining bolt prevents it from moving off the
taper, it elbows itself away from the bolt and up the taper ever so
slightly. The resulting loss of preload, after hard riding, can be
detected by how easily the bolt can be turned."
- http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8f.11.html

~PB

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My S.Galaxy has developed a strange creaking/grinding noise. Its not
constant, and is usually worse when applying pressure to cranks when
going uphill. I fitted a new rear mech last weekend, and split the
chain to do so, so dont know if this has caused anything. Im just
wondering if the most likely culprit is the bottom bracket ? Its a 96
model, with TA chainset - any idea if I can use standard Shimano sealed
bottom bracket with this, or do TA chainsets have specific BB's to use
? My other possibility is the freewheel, although this would surely
make a constant noise rather than intermittant ? This is going to be
replaced in the near future anyway when I treat myself to a pair of
hand built wheels, so think it may be best if I get my LBS to do a
thorough service at same time and check BB.

Any advice welcome.

when my BB creaked - and I couldn't get it out, Edinburgh Bike Coop took it
out, greased it and put it back for £12. No more creaking. It was the
shell creaking in the aluminium frame, not the actual bearing. I had
actually asked EBC to replace it but they said there was no need - very nice
of them I thought.

googlegroups.com...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My S.Galaxy has developed a strange creaking/grinding noise. Its not
constant, and is usually worse when applying pressure to cranks when
going uphill. I fitted a new rear mech last weekend, and split the
chain to do so, so dont know if this has caused anything. Im just
wondering if the most likely culprit is the bottom bracket ? Its a 96
model, with TA chainset - any idea if I can use standard Shimano sealed
bottom bracket with this, or do TA chainsets have specific BB's to use
? My other possibility is the freewheel, although this would surely
make a constant noise rather than intermittant ? This is going to be
replaced in the near future anyway when I treat myself to a pair of
hand built wheels, so think it may be best if I get my LBS to do a
thorough service at same time and check BB.

Any advice welcome.

when my BB creaked - and I couldn't get it out, Edinburgh Bike Coop took it
out, greased it and put it back for £12. No more creaking. It was the
shell creaking in the aluminium frame, not the actual bearing. I had
of them I thought.

Correct. This normally fixes it. Best to remove the BB, copperslip it
up and replace. Problem vanishes

in message <[email hidden]>, vernon levy

(') said:

"John Miller" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My S.Galaxy has developed a strange creaking/grinding noise. Its not
constant, and is usually worse when applying pressure to cranks when
going uphill. I fitted a new rear mech last weekend, and split the
chain to do so, so dont know if this has caused anything. Im just
wondering if the most likely culprit is the bottom bracket ? Its a 96
model, with TA chainset - any idea if I can use standard Shimano
sealed bottom bracket with this, or do TA chainsets have specific
BB's to use ? My other possibility is the freewheel, although this
would surely make a constant noise rather than intermittant ? This is
going to be replaced in the near future anyway when I treat myself to
a pair of hand built wheels, so think it may be best if I get my LBS
to do a thorough service at same time and check BB.

Check the tightness of the crank bolts. I had an interesting five mile
ride today because I ignored a creaking sound that I thought were the
pedal bearings. See my other post for more details.

DO NOT tighten crank bolts after the cranks have been installed. On
square taper bottom brackets, anyway, this is the quickest known way to
crack cranks.

If you think it's loose, take the crank /off/ completely then reinstall
it. It's normal and natural for aluminium cranks to move slightly up the
taper under load, leaving the bolt very slightly loose, but if you
tighten it in this situation you will crack the crank.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Woz: 'All the best people in life seem to like LINUX.'
;; <URL:http://www.woz.org/woz/cresponses/response03.html>

On 13 May 2006 13:10:10 -0700, "bob watkinson"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

<bottom bracket noise>

Quoted message said:

Correct. This normally fixes it. Best to remove the BB, copperslip it
up and replace. Problem vanishes

Or a turn of Plumber's Tape For Everything in place of the
copplerslip.

Tim

vernon levy said:

Check the tightness of the crank bolts. I had an interesting five mile ride
today because I ignored a creaking sound that I thought were the pedal
bearings. See my other post for more details.

Combined dustcap/crank bolts seem particularly bad for this when the
dustcap part is plastic - noisy even when properly fitted (a light
smear of grease is a good cure). The all-metal ones don't seem to have
the same fault.

David Belcher

I had mystery creak on Dawes Galaxy very hard to locate. Replaced bb,
middle chain ring, chain, cassette, tightened crank bolts, pedals and
it was still there. Eventually swapped near side crank and it went.
Think it must have loosened and become distorted by movement. Not
remediable by tightening. Now have good selection of used spares.

cheers

Jacob