Giant creaky gear cables!

techase

I have a Giant SCR2.0. I have started to hear a 'creaking' when I turn the handlebars. I think I have narrowed it down to the point where the gear cable (both chain ring and rear cassette) hook on to the frame to go down below the diagonal tube. If you follow the cable from the gear levers to the frame, it has a cover on it, and where it connects to the frame, it has a little metal 'boot' that connects in to a metal socket on the frame and then runs bare wire down the tube to the gears. If I wiggle them around in the sockets without moving the handlebars they creak and sound like they are snagging the cable. I took them out of the socket and pulled back the cable cover, and there doesn’t seem to be any damage. This occurs in all gears and, assuming there is no damage, is more annoying than anything. I tried a bit of lubricant spay on it, but that hasn’t changed it at all. Should I just plug it all up with grease and grease the cable or do you think there is something more fundermental that needs replacing.

The sound is like strands of the bare cable are getting cought on a barb or something, but I really cannot see any damage.

Help!

Thanks

Tom

Steven Martin

I have the same problem on my old OCR1, but for me a dose of silicon spray stopped it (albeit temporarily), so I just spray it when it really starts to wind me up.

You have my sympathy, it is really annoying.

amaferanga

You obviously haven't experienced the infamous Giant creaking seatpost yet......

I had the creaky cable problem, but it went away when I changed the cable ends for plastic ones (mine came with metal cable ends).

shmo

Noticed the same thing with my giant scr 2.0. Is it an easy job changing the metal cable ends for plastic ones?

Smokin Joe

Shmo wrote:

Noticed the same thing with my giant scr 2.0. Is it an easy job changing the metal cable ends for plastic ones?

Undo the cable from the mech, pull it through till it comes past the cable stop and just pull the ferrule off the outer with a pair of pliers. The new one just slips on. You will have to re-sort your indexing after clamping the cable up again, so personally I would spray some lube at the creak rather than faff about with all that.

shmo

Ahh yeah thanks boss. I'll give it some good lubbin.

martinwitnam

At some point you will probably have to change the cables and you can add plastic ferrules then.
Or if you take it to your LBS they will do it for you for a meagre fee!

sbullett

amaferanga wrote:

You obviously haven't experienced the infamous Giant creaking seatpost yet......

Hold on, hold on, so THAT'S what that bloody noise is!!!!! My SCR2.0 has been driving me mad for the first 5-6 miles of every ride - I had thought it was something to do with the cranks as the noise only happens when I'm pedalling, but the seatpost makes sense, only creaks when your weight is shifting....

So, how do I solve it? Is there a special lubricant that I need or will good old WD40 do the trick?

Thankyou!

eh

No not WD40 you'll just fill your frame up for little benefit. Take the seapost out and also there is probably a shim in there as well, there certainly is on the old OCRs. Clean the lot, then add some grease to the shim and post and put it all back together. (NB: I'm assuming above that you are using a metal seatpost and not a carbon one, in which case follow the manufactures instructions.)

amaferanga

Just to clarify what eh said - its the outside of the shim (SCRs also have shimmed posts) that needs grease to stop the creaking.

Or get a new seat post atht fits without a shim. My shim has 31.6 marked on it which is presumably the outer diameter

sbullett

I see some time on the garage looming this weekend.....thanks guys

cart71

i had same problem on seatpost on my scr 3.0 when i took seatpost and shim out after i cleaned and greased i turned the shim around so the gap was at the front have not had problem since