Ahhh annoying squeek!

thamacdaddy

Need some advice if anyone might help.

Basically after years out of it I started mounting biking again 6 months ago including using my mountain bike to commute to work everyday (not ideal but the extra work pays off for fitness).

Anyways the bike is an 01 kona cinder cone. I have always kept it in decent condition but after two months I noticed a kind of squeeking or squeeling from the chain sort of area when placed in the smallest ring or basically hardest gear.

I thought it was due to the fact my chain was past it best (loloked ropey and small amount of rust). So I replaced the chain and cassette for a sparkly new set, same components just new. But the noise is still there although not as bad. I stripped the whole set up down and cleaned this weekend but notseemed to sort it.

Its definately the chain or cassette area as the noise also appears when you turn the wheel with the bike upside down....it only happens when pushing through at a certain speed,....

With a 7 year old bike I am wondering if the only other thing could be the rear mech needs a look really and probably replacing....does anyone agree or is there something I might be overlooking?

cunning-stunt

thamacdaddy wrote:

the noise also appears when you turn the wheel with the bike upside down

Definitely not the hub?
Or do you mean pedal when upside down?
BB?

deanvw

I hadd the same problem with the freehub on my cassette rim. It had worked itsself loose and started rattling

thamacdaddy

Hadn't thought about that.....

Bit out of practice of maintaining it now to be honest....can I simply sort out the hub when I chekc it by tightening it up or would it be a case of replacing it aka a new wheel build.

Sorry yeah I meant if I drop my gear into the smallest and pedal with the bike upside down the same noise appears at speed.

I think the hub would probably be a good call didn't check it too closely this weekend.

deanvw

sounds stupid but have you oiled the chain and the jocky wheels on the derailler?

supersonic

Ah, bike noises ;-)

Best thing to do first is to read the Park Tools article on them. It gets most! Not all though ;-)

thamacdaddy

Hahaha yeah I defo done that though I appreciate why you might say that.

I totally cleaned the jockey wheels etc and oiled everything this weekend so I am pretty sure I need to take a look at that hub this weekend.

And yeah super I read the park tools first thing I did. Need to get my knowledge back up to speed though been too long out of the game and always used to get leisure lakes to service for any job other than tires and tubes....nowadays I would rather do all the stuff myself.

deanvw

hmm, take the cassette off, and look at the free hub to check for play.

thamacdaddy

Just took the wheel off and the bolts that are just behind where the quick release threads through are loose....this possibly could be causing the issue....only problem is they must be an 18mm or something which is the only spanner I don't have....

Seems strange this only makes a noise in that gear though and not the others unless its a speed and pressure thing.

Thanks for the help guys will have to strip it down a bit more and tighten or check as much as I can

deanvw

That could be the cause of the issue. Think about it, more tourque is going to the wheels in a higher gear, than there is in a low gear, :?:

cunning-stunt

supersonic wrote:

Best thing to do first is to read the Park Tools article on them. It gets most! Not all though ;-)

And not mine :x
I'm a fine one to be talking right now seeing as I have a seemingly impossible creak,but..

Purely at a guess,it could be dry jockey wheels on the rear mech,and are you absolutely sure it isn't the pedals??
What BB do you have? Square taper at that age i'm guessing?
Screwed into the frame properly?
Chain definitely isn't rubbing the front mech cage occasionally?
Crank bolts done up properly?
Chainring bolts tightened properly?

Most importantly,no cracks in the frame around the bottom bracket area or anywhere on the seatstays/chainstays?

As someone trying to isolate a creak/ting/click myself,I sympathise.
I've spent the entire day checking everything i've mentioned above,and loads more to no avail

thamacdaddy

Its defo not the pedals and bottom bracket and there are no cracks. Although its old I didn't use it for about three years while I was at uni and never really did anything hard off road...in all this time its probably had about a years worth of use and even now its mainly road work with the odd weekend off road so its not like its getting a load of punishment.

Everything is tightened up and I know the isolation is around that area but the only places I can see an issue is as you mention the jockey wheels and the hub.

Its like anything old I am torn between replacing most parts and those I can get by with for now and buy in stages. For instance I haven't serviced the brakes ever and know without a doubt they need pads bleeding and servicing (old hope o2 minis)...same goes with cables and sorting the tires suspension etc. Luckily I never really punished it and frame is perfect condition as are the BB pedals etc...i know the noise is defo isolated there as I can reporduce it putting little pressure on the BB pedals etc and listening to that area in that gear. The sound does simply sound like a rusted chain or the jockey wheels....is it worth replacing them you think or just strip and service them.

cunning-stunt

Jockey wheels are simplicity itself to service,but if the bushings are shagged then you'd need new ones...easy enough to get hold of. Jockey wheels themselves are cheap as chips too if memory serves.

From everything you've said I can't help but think it's the hub,but that's just me..

Unless you know what you're doing (or are willing to learn very quickly) a hub service is LBS territory.

thamacdaddy

I agree its either those loose bolts on the end of the hub or the jockey wheels gonna check them both out and hopefully get to the bottom of it.

Thanks for all advice thought fellas.