Bottom bracket - old creaking turns to new ticking

barongreenback
barongreenback Posts: 229
edited September 2018 in Workshop
Morning all

Having successfully (so I thought) replaced my BB90 bottom bracket on a Trek Domane, the old creaking noise when I put down the power disappeared. Sadly though, a couple of hundred miles into using my new BB in joyful silence, a random ticking noise has developed under load. Seems too much of a coincidence to be anything other than the BB or am I missing something? Usual checks have been made: pedals, cleats, derailleur clearance, seat post, chainring bolts. BB seemed to go in perfectly square on installation, there is no lateral movement on the cranks and the chainset spins nicely without a chain on it. The ticking seems a bit random i.e. not on a specific part of the pedal stroke. Any ideas, mechanical experts? Thanks.

Comments

  • are you using a mechanical groupset and do you have a cable guide under the bottom bracket area? The type that have a pin on to keep them in place can easily move slightly if knocked. They're usually made of a softish plastic.

    I had the same thing on one of my bikes and it was very frustrating. I checked and the little pin part had become ineffective, as a last resort i bought a new one and woof the random under load clicking stopped. Mine was audible when climbing in the little ring and big gear. i.e. on long climbs the sort of thing that makes your sh it itch
  • It might seem daft but try tightening the skewers. I had annoying extreme BB creak for ages, tried everything including new BB. On a ride somebody suggested the skewers which I ignored such a stupid suggestion, but I tried it later on and that was it.
  • I’d go with the cable guide thing, as stated above, as something to check. It could just be that the shape and concentricity of the new B.B. bearings are slightly different, to the ones you took out ( probably only by microns) but they are likely slightly different.
  • OnTheRopes wrote:
    It might seem daft but try tightening the skewers. I had annoying extreme BB creak for ages, tried everything including new BB. On a ride somebody suggested the skewers which I ignored such a stupid suggestion, but I tried it later on and that was it.

    Spokes are a good source as well, especially any points where they cross over.
  • Thanks all - I'll get the bike on the workstand this evening and try these suggestions. Cable guide is an interesting idea as I refitted it when last replacing gear cables. I