Creaking bottom bracket.

[Jonnorth]

Hello!

Looking for a bit of advice. I have a 2017 Cannondale Cujo 2 with a nice shiny Hope bottom bracket that has covered about 500mi only. Drivetrain was upgraded to 2017 Shimano XT at about the same time.

After a particularly heavy session (for a hardtail) it began to creak under heavier load.

I took it out,(bearings smooth and free running) cleaned the whole assembly, greased all mating faces andthreads (finish line teflon) and put it back and it’s worse!  Creaks on every pedal push!

Any ideas?  Copper Ease?  Threadlock?  New BB?

Any ideas gratefully appreciated! (No matter how wacky)

Thanks!!

john

[Frank79r]

Long shot here. Curious, what pedals are you using? I use Crank Brothers Egg Beaters and if I don’t service them regularly, I will get creaking sounds on push.

Maybe your sound is coming from another area?

[Jonnorth]

Hi,

Good point.  I had some cheap flats on.

Swapped them out and it is still creaky.

Shame, would have been a quick fix!

Thanks

 

john

 

[Zoso]

Just to clarify, when you said you greased all mating surfaces, does that include literally everything?  I’ve had creaks from BB spacers rubbing against things.  So if you haven’t, grease everything that touches something in the whole assembly.

 

[Jonnorth]

Yup. Everything. Totally.

[Alvin Mullen]

Does it creak when on a stand, or just under load? and if just under load, does it creak when standing or just when sitting?

[Jonnorth]

Hi,

Creaks when static and standing next to bike, brakes applied and pressure applied to pedal. Worse on non-drive side.  Silent when sat on bike with feet on floor.

When someone else performs above manoeuvre vibration felt along with creak at crank.

Rebuilt 4x with different greases and torques on cups and crank today.  No change.

Next step Loctite grade 222 low strength thread lock. (On order)

Last resort swap out for Shimano BB but seems retrograde as Hope unit 8x the price (!) and wayyyyy less pretty.

Still appreciate any ideas.  Can’t help thinking I’m missing something.

 

J

[Zoso]

Chainring bolts?

If it’s 1x, then grease where the chainring mates with the crank.

Try a different crank.  Bonding loose for arm/spindle interface?

Any frame cracks around BB?

 

[CRABLIKESBIKES]

Try a lap of teflon tape(I prefer the yellow gas rated tape as its thicker) around the threads of the bottom bracket cup along with greasing the threads inside the frame

[Jonnorth]

Thanks guys.

Took a look at chain ring bolts, nipped them up. Look ok.

Going to try ptfe tape next.

cheers

John

[Jonnorth]

Teflon tape has done the trick.

Silent transmission now!

Thank you!

john

[Author]

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