I’ve been inspired by the Dumb Bike Problems thread, although I’ve tried everything I can to fix a creak in my bike. Please help me, o forum nerds.
Santa Cruz Megatower V2 frame, with Transmission. When it’s clean it only creaks when hard on the pedals standing up. Not when coasting or bouncing on the seat or pulling on the bars. When dirty it does the same creak but when light on the pedals too.
What I’ve tried already:
- Cleaned & regreased rear axle
- Pulled the lower link, cleaned (it always gets dusty as hell, reading online seems like this is usually the problem area) regreased and tried torquing axles slightly above spec, no change. I tried rotating the link as I was torquing the pivot axles as someone suggested on mtbr
- Same with upper link
- Cleaned and regreased cassette, retorqued
- Clean, retorqued shock
- Cleaned and retorqued transmission derailleur bushing and mech (wonder if I should try more torque here)
- Cleaned and regreased CK bb cups and transmission cranks
I have not tried a different rear wheel on the bike. I have King hubs and they have those little gripper rings on the hub end caps, I wondered if it could be those interfacing with the frame, but that should change with axle torque, right?
Maybe it’s still the lower link? Should I throw it in the sea? I live in Colorado but a trip could be arranged.
Something simple to try.
I can't see that you mentioned cleaning and greasing the actual pedal/crank interface. Try greasing each side of the pedal washer also if present.
At least it's something to rule out.
In my experience, it's almost never the links. Inspect the seat post. My V1 was creaking like hell when the frame flexed and rubbed against the very bottom of the seat post - even when not sitting on the saddle. Try a different crankset, try different pedals, try a different shock, try a different rear wheel.
Great points! I washed the bike and now as it’s slightly wet - no creaks. I’ll try the post and pedals and report back
Try cleaning chainring to crank. I think thats my creak as well. I sprayed wd40 in there and it stopped for now.
I'm going with pedal threads. Or chainring interface like dave suggested
Old guy bodge that you probably shouldn't copy: 20 years ago, when out riding my creaky-ass VP-Free, I'd take my water bottle and hose down the lower link. It obviously won't solve the problem, but if it stops creaking for the next 2 minutes you've identified the link as the culprit. If creak continues, douse the upper link. Repaeat on parts until the creak stops, then you've found it.
I hated creaks, so eventually started squirting Dumonde all over that lower link when it got noisy half way through a Whistler trip.
Probably not your issue but worth an investigation but the roller bearings that came on my shock were creaking. I pulled them apart and cleaned/re-greased them and that fixed that creak.
I did wonder this too, but thats normally as the shock compresses and not so much under pedalling, but worth checking anyway
I really like my SC frames, but when you deal with a stubborn creak, it's frustrating as hell as the frame carries the noise and it's extremely difficult to pinpoint its location. Usually, it takes me a week of trial and error. And when the pivot bearings or their caps begin to creak, they often only do it under hard pedaling, to make it extra confusing.
Post a reply to: Santa Cruz lower link(?) creak