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Could this be the suspect of my creaking BB?


BrandonF_

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I would not remove the wavy washer. It's purpose is to preload the drive side seal against the bearing, if you remove it, it will leave gap where dirt can get in behind the seal and into the bearing. It's also supposed to preload the bearings to the right load once you've tightened up the crank set.

 

I doubt very much that it's the cause of your creak.

 

Remove the press fit bearings and check the frame where they seat, make sure the bearing outer races are not turning in their frame seats.

Also don't just tighten the chainring bolts, remove them clean the spiders and re-install using some blue locktight.

Check to none drive side crank it must be torqued to at least 40nM

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Do you perhaps hava an extra waterbottle holder mounted on your seatpost?I struggled for a while to find a creak that only appeared when sitting peddaling hard on an uphill. Ended up being the clamps for the extra waterbottle holder on the seatpost - moved them higher a couple of mm's and all is sorted.

Thx Gary,

 

I only have the two holder mounted inside the triangle,..also checked/swapped the seatpost clamp, no luck here

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I would not remove the wavy washer. It's purpose is to preload the drive side seal against the bearing, if you remove it, it will leave gap where dirt can get in behind the seal and into the bearing. It's also supposed to preload the bearings to the right load once you've tightened up the crank set.

 

I doubt very much that it's the cause of your creak.

 

Remove the press fit bearings and check the frame where they seat, make sure the bearing outer races are not turning in their frame seats.

Also don't just tighten the chainring bolts, remove them clean the spiders and re-install using some blue locktight.

Check to none drive side crank it must be torqued to at least 40nM

Great info here, thank you Mark! Will go down each point you've shared here

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Skweaks and creaks are a funny thing: they are enough to make you obsessed to the point of stripping the entire bike down, cleaning and greasing.

 

They are also famous for making you think you know where they are, but they not where you think they are.

 

They can resonate through your frame, tricking your mind and ears. I was adamant i had a creak from my bb or headset so i stripped, cleaned and greased...still remained haunting me.

 

Nailed it down to a bolt that holds one side of the rear triangle arm to the main pivot close to the bb...silence..beautiful.

 

Developed another skweak, that i was adamant its was one of the pivots of the rear triangle...cleaned thell and lubed...it was not a pivot. Finally narrowed the bugger down to a brake cable that was rubbing agianst the zip tie that had the cable tied to the frame..good grief...instant satisfaction after a tighten and gease :-).

 

Point is, check EVERYTHING.

Edited by AlanD
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Skweaks and creaks are a funny thing: they are enough to make you obsessed to the point of stripping the entire bike down, cleaning and greasing.

 

They are also famous for making you think you know where they are, but they not where you think they are.

 

They can resonate through your frame, tricking your mind and ears. I was adamant i had a creak from my bb or headset so i stripped, cleaned and greased...still remained haunting me.

 

Nailed it down to a bolt that holds one side of the rear triangle arm to the main pivot close to the bb...silence..beautiful.

 

Developed another skweak, that i was adamant its was one of the pivots of the rear triangle...cleaned them all and lubed...it was not a pivot. Finally narrowed the bugger down to a brake cable that was rubbing agianst the zip tie that had the cable tied to the frame..good grief...instant satisfaction after a tighten and gease :-).

 

Point is, check EVERYTHING.

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Skweaks and creaks are a funny thing: they are enough to make you obsessed to the point of stripping the entire bike down, cleaning and greasing.

 

They are also famous for making you think you know where they are, but they not where you think they are.

 

They can resonate through your frame, tricking your mind and ears. I was adamant i had a creak from my bb or headset so i stripped, cleaned and greased...still remained haunting me.

 

Nailed it down to a bolt that holds one side of the rear triangle arm to the main pivot close to the bb...silence..beautiful.

 

Developed another skweak, that i was adamant its was one of the pivots of the rear triangle...cleaned thell and lubed...it was not a pivot. Finally narrowed the bugger down to a brake cable that was rubbing agianst the zip tie that had the cable tied to the frame..good grief...instant satisfaction after a tighten and gease :-).

 

Point is, check EVERYTHING.

Lol! Creaks and Squeaks drives my suicidal!...I only have a hard tail, but these noted points will make me check EVERYTHING

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I have an RM 990rsl Vertex that had the same issue with a SRAM GXP Pressfit BB. I went through a couple of GXP BB's before the SRAM XX crankset spindle started to develop some play.  

 

I replaced the crankset with a Shimano XT using a RaceFace Pressfit BB and the problem has almost disappeared completely. Every once in a while when I hear a creak, I just remove the crank and clean out the BB and all is good again. 

 

So my problem was either that the crankset had long been faulty or just the fact that the SRAM GXP Pressfit BB's are really terrible.

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you could always dunk the whole bike in grease then if it creaks grease the grease.

 

seriously though the rails on my saddle creak and squeak so I lube them with waxy chain lube and it lasts for a week or 2.

 

too many things that can creak or squeak so eventually start from the front and work your way back - clean, lube and tighten everything testing as you go. Just when you find it and resolve it - something else starts.

 

Good luck.

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you could always dunk the whole bike in grease then if it creaks grease the grease.

 

seriously though the rails on my saddle creak and squeak so I lube them with waxy chain lube and it lasts for a week or 2.

 

too many things that can creak or squeak so eventually start from the front and work your way back - clean, lube and tighten everything testing as you go. Just when you find it and resolve it - something else starts.

 

Good luck.

Aint that the truth. You spend hous/days/weeks pinpointing a noice then rectify it which results is such emmense satisfaction amd jubilation only to be nullified by another one...its the burden of the sport...lol

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Have you guys seen how much grease is on a new bike on all the bolts and bolt holes and by the BB and headset etc etc - yet we are quick to wipe or wash it off - often with a grease removing detergent and then a month later the new bike has creaks...

 

funny that a old greasy bike does not creak (not muddy but greasy) - you know the kind that when you touch the cassette or chain or derailleurs or anything you need to use hand cleaner to get the muck off your hands...

 

So you want a super clean bike (so shiny even the chain adds bling)  - constant maintenance and cleaning and lubing and re-greasing.

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Thx Martin,

 

I do however believe, it comes from the bb area,..as, like mentioned before, on my ride Sunday morning, and a horrid creaking noise flared up from this area, I squirted some water from my bottle, onto the drive side of the bb/crank, and no noise for +-10-15mins

Wave washers are a load bearing device distinguished by the load that they can bear and their deflection range. They can increase bearing life and performance by applying a load on the face of the bearing. The axial force applied helps reduce bearing noise and eliminate vibrations by ensuring positive contact between the ball bearings and collars. Any amount of gap or misalignment that would allow unwanted movement or vibrations to occur can be secured by the use of a wave washer.

 

Considering the noise dissappeared when you applied water on the crank, I would put it down to 1 of 3 possibilities 1} BB not being installed correctly   2} BB cup in the bike may be old ie, carbon or metal fatigue in which case you need to reapxy a new on or get a new fraem ( :thumbdown: )   3} Your crank spider need some locktight and tensioning

 

Good luck

 

 

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Wave washers are a load bearing device distinguished by the load that they can bear and their deflection range. They can increase bearing life and performance by applying a load on the face of the bearing. The axial force applied helps reduce bearing noise and eliminate vibrations by ensuring positive contact between the ball bearings and collars. Any amount of gap or misalignment that would allow unwanted movement or vibrations to occur can be secured by the use of a wave washer.

 

Considering the noise dissappeared when you applied water on the crank, I would put it down to 1 of 3 possibilities 1} BB not being installed correctly 2} BB cup in the bike may be old ie, carbon or metal fatigue in which case you need to reapxy a new on or get a new fraem ( :thumbdown: ) 3} Your crank spider need some locktight and tensioning

 

Good luck

 

 

Thx for all this great info Paul, I hope I wont need to replace my frame, and that its just the spider bolts(which I'll be checking tonight)

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