Cure for creaking mtb bb/ crankarms?

Take the crankarms off the BB, clean everything, grease everything, then put it all back together.
Put the crankarms on the BB very, very tight. Then tighten some more. Then, turn the screw another
quartere turn, just to be safe. Or, go to your LBS. They know what they're doing.

Chris

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

Quoted message said:

Any simple suggestions to remedy this annoying sound would be appreciated. Thanks, JB

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

Quoted message said:

Any simple suggestions to remedy this annoying sound would be appreciated.

As earlier discussed today, remove the arms, check the bearing, ensure the BB is tight in the frame.

Remount the cranks with well-greased bolts ( I wet tapers, some mechanics do not. No one's cranks
fall off or split. You decide.)

Grease the bolt side of the chainring bolts.

Remove pedals, evaluate the bearings, grease the spindles before reinstalling them.

All that will not kill a half-hour and you'll remove the noise while gaining confidence that
all is well.

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971

Chris said:

Take the crankarms off the BB, clean everything, grease everything, then put it all back together.
Put the crankarms on the BB very, very tight. Then tighten some more. Then, turn the screw another
quartere turn, just to be safe.

And snap off the head of the bolt? That is a real possibility.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or _`\(,_ | that we are to
stand by the president right or wrong, is not (_)/ (_) | only unpatriotic and servile, but is
morally treasonable to the American public. --Theodore Roosevelt

A Muzi said:

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

Quoted message said:

Any simple suggestions to remedy this annoying sound would be appreciated.

As earlier discussed today, remove the arms, check the bearing, ensure the BB is tight in
the frame.

Remount the cranks with well-greased bolts ( I wet tapers, some mechanics do not. No one's cranks
fall off or split. You decide.)

Grease the bolt side of the chainring bolts.

Remove pedals, evaluate the bearings, grease the spindles before reinstalling them.

All that will not kill a half-hour and you'll remove the noise while gaining confidence that
all is well.

Above is all true ...

Unless they are XT Holo_Drech Cranks like mine then nothing will work for long because it is
creaking where the chain rings are pressed onto the crank arms...

Still waiting for the re-call ....

chris-<< Take the crankarms off the BB, clean everything, grease everything, then put it all back
together. Put the crankarms on the BB very, very tight. Then tighten some more. << Then, turn the
screw another quartere turn, just to be safe.

This is a good way to kill certain cranks.

It's a diffucult problem that can lie in a variety of places- The BB, the BB prep and install, the
crank arms, the chainrings, the pedals/cleats.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

chris-<< Take the crankarms off the BB, clean everything, grease everything, then put it all back
together. Put the crankarms on the BB very, very tight. Then tighten some more. << Then, turn the
screw another quartere turn, just to be safe.

This is a good way to kill certain cranks.

It's a diffucult problem that can lie in a variety of places- The BB, the BB prep and install, the
crank arms, the chainrings, the pedals/cleats.

I've never had a BB creak be the BB. Although I've removed, regreased and retorqued it many times
🙂. ALWAYS use a torque wrench!

It's usually the seatpost (measure the height (I usually measure form the center of my crank bolt),
remove, clean the old grease and grit off post and out of the hole, lube it well, reinstall, wipe
the extra grease off).

Other times it's been loose chainring bolts; loose spider; dry rear pivot on my shock; and my pedal
releases needing lube (only my old 858's have ever had that problem they needed to be lubed almost
every ride to keep 'em quiet!).

David

Yeah, I was exaggerating, but I wanted to make sure he understood...I don't want him jumping on the
allen wrench or anything. But, on the other hand, I've seen lots of cheesy cranks - the type this
guy is probably dealing with - that don't work any other way. Bontrager crank arms like to unscrew
themselves as they pedal, it seems. So JB, please understand the difference between the literal and
intended meanings, and don't go ruining your setup.

Chris

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

chris-<< Take the crankarms off the BB, clean everything, grease

everything,

Quoted message said:

then put it all back together. Put the crankarms on the BB very, very tight. Then tighten some
more. << Then, turn the screw another quartere turn, just to be safe.

This is a good way to kill certain cranks.

It's a diffucult problem that can lie in a variety of places- The BB, the BB prep and install, the
crank arms, the chainrings, the pedals/cleats.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

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

Quoted message said:

Yeah, I was exaggerating, but I wanted to make sure he understood...I

don't

Quoted message said:

want him jumping on the allen wrench or anything. But, on the other hand, I've seen lots of cheesy
cranks - the type this guy is probably dealing with - that don't work any other way. Bontrager
crank arms like to

unscrew

Quoted message said:

themselves as they pedal, it seems. So JB, please understand the difference between the literal
and intended meanings, and don't go ruining your setup.

Chris

All you need is a fairly cheap beam type torque wrench. $20-25 at Sears and torque the crank bolt to
the correct manufacturers value. When I started doing this I was amazed at how much effort was
required to get to this value compared to what I was doing with a 8mm key. (Which is what you are
inferring) I've had no loose cranks after doing this.

Mike

Then why do you say it this way? It's certainly possible to misinterpret what you said. A hamfist
mechanic will have a 90% chance of damaging cranks or the bolts if you go "very, very tight" and
then turn a quarter turn more.

There is a *right* torque for chainring bolts. It's usually around 25 ft-lbs if I recall. Any
tighter and you damage the cranks.

Also -- note BB creaking is almost never from the crank/bb interface. Most frequently it's from the
BB in the frame -- those threads. Load 'em up with anti-seize or use teflon tape in the threads and
it's likely the noise will go away.

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

Quoted message said:

Yeah, I was exaggerating, but I wanted to make sure he understood...I

don't

Quoted message said:

want him jumping on the allen wrench or anything. But, on the other hand, I've seen lots of cheesy
cranks - the type this guy is probably dealing with - that don't work any other way. Bontrager
crank arms like to

unscrew

Quoted message said:

themselves as they pedal, it seems. So JB, please understand the difference between the literal
and intended meanings, and don't go ruining your setup.

Chris

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

chris-<< Take the crankarms off the BB, clean everything, grease

everything,

Quoted message said:

then put it all back together. Put the crankarms on the BB very, very tight.

Then

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

tighten some more. << Then, turn the screw another quartere turn, just to be safe.

This is a good way to kill certain cranks.

It's a diffucult problem that can lie in a variety of places- The BB, the BB prep and install,
the crank arms, the chainrings, the pedals/cleats.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"