Orange 5 Owners - Annoying Squeak

mik75

I've had my 5 now for 15 months and for as long as I can remember I get an annoying squeak when I'm riding. This is intermittent but mainly seems to occur once I've switched from fully on to pro pedal on the RP23. Especially PP2 but also on PP1 (not tried it on 3 as its never in this setting).

It can't be the RP23 as I've had it serviced by Mojo twice and had new seals, grease and a cannister clean by the LBS recently. The shock mount bolts and bushings look OK and this would have been raised during a service. I presume the single pivot bearings are OK as it would make the noise when fully on.

I can't replicate this off the bike at home and its not just my 5 that this affects. My mates 5 is exactly the same therefore I wondered if any other owners had the same problem?

If so do you know what the route cause is and how to go about fixing it. There's nothing worse than slogging away at a tough section of Dark Peak with what sounds like a dying budgie strapped to the bike.

shin0r

Stick a bit of GT85 or teflon grease on the rubber grommets where the gear and brake cables enter the rear swingarm. This worked for me.

Cps

bottom bracket lack of grease ???

switchback18

If it's got an external BB they can squeak a bit - it depends on how much force goes through it, which would be influenced by the shock settings. I had it on the stock Truvativ chainset, and also on the XT I replaced it with (swapped from another bike). Anything like this is more noticeable on Oranges with the hollow swingarm as it amplifies any little noise to be louder than it might be on another bike.
It's quiet now with an ISIS BB & Middleburn cranks.
That's not to say it's definitley this, try lubing the gromets as well, like shin0r says.

mik75

Thanks guys, although I'm not discounting it I don't believe that the cause is the bb on this occassion. This problem affects both mine and my mates 5 and we have different bbs.

The gromet idea though is a stroke of genius. My mate rang last night and thinks it might be the rear brake and gear cables that run through the shock mount which relates to this.

I'll give it a whirl and grease both gromets and cables in this area to see if this improves it.

Mancunianfightingcat

mine does it too, but only in pro pedal 1, i put it down to oil flowing through the shock.

switchback18

Yeah, come to think of it, my shock makes a noise but only on certain rebound settings - I ignore it because it's clearly the oil in the shock - it's always on the rebound stroke as well. Lots of forks also do it.

zero303

I got a slight honk from the shock area but only when it's really warmed up and I'm riding hard - demo bike did it too. Be interesting to see if it is the rubber bungs in the swing arm - thanks for the tip!

grantway

Take a look at the shock bushes and make sure they are round the right way.

Has the top bush is etheir smaller in length to the bottom one our
the other way round and if so reverse and all should be ok.

Happened to a friend of mine the bushes are only a couple of milliemetres
difference to each other in length.

So when you tighten the shock you think you have it tight but if the longer
shock bush is in the smaller opening it will squeck when you ride.

misterfrostie

I have had exactly this problem on my 5 and a guy once said it could be down to the rear quik release. I didn't believe him but he was right. Check your rear QR is tight and that the cassette is nipped up to the right torque. Also have a look at the knurls cut on your rear hub that bite into your frame when the rear QR is tightened up. Mine were a bit worn and I changed my rear hub. My bikes a lot quieter now.
Finally, I dont rate the Hope QR's at all. I changed mine for a new XTR one and I'm sure it bites harder with less effort.

switchback18

Yep, Hope QRs are difficult to tighten properly, and when they get dirty they're even worse. Any decent Shimano QRs are better.