Creaking!!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mastersong
Anyone want to have a go at diagnosing this..

I have a 2002 Marin Rift Zone that's been creaking for a little while. The bike is regularly oiled and the seat post has been greased. I've regreased the headset, tightened the cranks and replaced the bottom bracket recently.....but the creak persists.

Last ride I tried to isolate it and can advise the following;
[list]The creak exists whether I sit or stand (so I'm eliminating the seat and post).
The creak only occurs at a reasonably fast cadence but at any torque level i.e. same noise in easy gear or hard.
It seams to be mainly on the downstroke of the right crank arm but other less annoying noises can be heard at other times.
I'm pretty sure I heard a slightly (yet similar) different creak on a downhill section where I wasn't pedalling

My next course of action is to service the rear shock (long overdue) and grease the bushings as the last point did make me wonder whether this might be the cause.

Any other ideas gratefully received.

My guess is that it may be in the pedal to cleat interface.
Worn or dirty cleats have creaked for me.
However, you should look at the following sites for other ideas:

<http://www.chainreaction.com/noises.htm>

<http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/creaking_and_squeaking.shtml>

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by daveornee
My guess is that it may be in the pedal to cleat interface.
Worn or dirty cleats have creaked for me.
However, you should look at the following sites for other ideas:

<http://www.chainreaction.com/noises.htm>

<http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/creaking_and_squeaking.shtml>

you beat me to it, dave.

try replacing your cleats, or put a little lube on the interface. make sure the screws that bolt your cleats to your shoes and tightened and lubed.

Greg-O and daveornee may be onto it, but I've also experienced some creaking in my bike due to a bottom bracket that needed a little TLC. Maybe a little teflon grease? Maybe replace it?

Take it to your local bike mechanic. They can help you out.

My bike did the same thing. I took it to my local bike shop and took the bottom bracket out myself and regreased it with teflon grease. I'm not sure if this solved the creak but when I took it off I realised that the front mech mounting ring was not centrered. The front mech on my bike is one where it is a ring that goes onto the bb aswell as fixing onto the frame. So i just centred it up and the creak went.

will88 said:

My bike did the same thing. I took it to my local bike shop and took the bottom bracket out myself and regreased it with teflon grease. I'm not sure if this solved the creak but when I took it off I realised that the front mech mounting ring was not centrered. The front mech on my bike is one where it is a ring that goes onto the bb aswell as fixing onto the frame. So i just centred it up and the creak went.

my MTB was doing that for sometime, Bottom Bracket changed, groupo reset, wheels trued, it turned out to be a pedal casing that had split so even though they had been tightened the pedal was still able to move slightly.

OK - thanks for all the advice - I think I've tried most of it but, alas, the creak remains. Since my last post I have;

• Stripped and greased the rear shock
  
• stripped and regreased the suspension bushings
  
• removed, cleaned and retightened the cranks
  
• regreased the (already new) bottom bracket
  
• checked and oiled the pedals
  
• ridden it with no seatpost (difficult)
  
• ridden it with different boots and cleats
  
• undertaken normal routine lubing of all elements of the drivetrain
  

Only thing that I haven't yet tried is handing it over to my local bike shop - which may be coming soon. I've held off as its easier for me to tinker with it than get the time to take it down there. However - I have some further information on the "creak" that I have noticed the past few rides.

• It is most noticeable for the first 10 to 15 minutes of a ride after which it disappears, particularly after going through a muddy puddle, but also when dry. It still comes back again on fast cadence road sections.
  
• I can "creak it" without pedalling. i.e. by just pushing down on the frame whilst off the bike or also by bouncing up and down on the seat or pedals when on it.
  

These two facts lead me to eliminate the crankset and seat/seatpost and seem to lead towards the suspension pivots perhaps working better when warm or wet but, I have just greased these although I did notice that a couple of them looked a liitle corroded. Other than that, could it be the frame itself?

Further thoughts gratefully appreciated

fyi the bike is a 2002 Marin Rift Zone

OK I solved this a few weeks ago now but thought it might be useful for anyone doing a search on creaks or squeeks to post what the cause was.

It finally turned out to be the derailleur pivot! Whilst checking the drop out straightness I noticed that screwing the pivot bolt in was quite tough and that when back on, forward/backward movement of the derailleur was limited. I removed the derailleur (XT) and took out the circlip at the back (catching the parts as the spring exploded out). I had to knock out the pivot bolt with a drift it was so tight. Following a clean up, a bit of grease and reassmebly, the creak has gone and shifting is now a lot sweeter too.

So, the creak was caused by changes in chain tension as the shock moved up and down pulling the derailleur back and forth. Interesting? - maybe not, but I was *?kin pleased to solve it.

G.

mastersong said:

OK I solved this a few weeks ago now but thought it might be useful for anyone doing a search on creaks or squeeks to post what the cause was.

It finally turned out to be the derailleur pivot! Whilst checking the drop out straightness I noticed that screwing the pivot bolt in was quite tough and that when back on, forward/backward movement of the derailleur was limited. I removed the derailleur (XT) and took out the circlip at the back (catching the parts as the spring exploded out). I had to knock out the pivot bolt with a drift it was so tight. Following a clean up, a bit of grease and reassmebly, the creak has gone and shifting is now a lot sweeter too.

So, the creak was caused by changes in chain tension as the shock moved up and down pulling the derailleur back and forth. Interesting? - maybe not, but I was *?kin pleased to solve it.

G.

hehe had the same creak on mine recently drove me nuts... tightened up the pedals, sprayed the ends of them where they meet the crank arms, and all joints of moving parts in the area with WD40 spray... hey presto it went no problem

WD40 will cure any creak as a creak is just unlubricated metal against metal.... it penetrates right in... only a light spraying tho.. ya can wipe the area immediately with a rag to prevent build up//

mastersong said:

OK - thanks for all the advice - I think I've tried most of it but, alas, the creak remains. Since my last post I have;

• Stripped and greased the rear shock
  
• stripped and regreased the suspension bushings
  
• removed, cleaned and retightened the cranks
  
• regreased the (already new) bottom bracket
  
• checked and oiled the pedals
  
• ridden it with no seatpost (difficult)
  
• ridden it with different boots and cleats
  
• undertaken normal routine lubing of all elements of the drivetrain
  

Only thing that I haven't yet tried is handing it over to my local bike shop - which may be coming soon. I've held off as its easier for me to tinker with it than get the time to take it down there. However - I have some further information on the "creak" that I have noticed the past few rides.

• It is most noticeable for the first 10 to 15 minutes of a ride after which it disappears, particularly after going through a muddy puddle, but also when dry. It still comes back again on fast cadence road sections.
  
• I can "creak it" without pedalling. i.e. by just pushing down on the frame whilst off the bike or also by bouncing up and down on the seat or pedals when on it.
  

These two facts lead me to eliminate the crankset and seat/seatpost and seem to lead towards the suspension pivots perhaps working better when warm or wet but, I have just greased these although I did notice that a couple of them looked a liitle corroded. Other than that, could it be the frame itself?

Further thoughts gratefully appreciated

fyi the bike is a 2002 Marin Rift Zone

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the seat/seat post. I had some creaks going on too. Bicycling mag did a great article about creaks. Take the seat and seat post off, clean all contact areas, lightly grease everything including screws. Tighten up the bolts and no more creak. Same with the handle bar. Take it off the headset, clean all contact areas, lightly grease everything and put it all back together. All the creaks on my bike were gone.

I looked on Bicycling.com for some more articles and found this one...

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,3253,s1-1032,00.html?category_id=365

Maybe this will help too. I guess the last thing would be to grease yer knees, right? 😄

Good luck

RIDE ON!
RubberSideDown

well i just solved my creak from the pedal area... changed the pedals for some £2.99 ones just to see if it solved it with new ones and it did so it was them after all... much cheaper than a shop to find out... now all i have to do is get some decent pedals for it when i get some money now lmfao