Bike noise, creak, click, creaks, clicks, clicking, pinging sound - help

you need to use proper grease tho. Not spray stuff, which'll just dissolve the remaining grease in there.

Thanks. I have proper grease but can't get it in there so thought the liquid stuff is my best bet.

Are these tutorials any good?
http://bicycletutor.com/overhaul-wheel-bearings/
http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/hubs.htm

Don't grease freewheels - the pawls will stick and then they won't engage and then you no go forward no more.

its a giant hassle to strip down a freewheel. got a 16 looking at me do you want?

It only happens when I pedal, not when I coast. Is it the bearings or the freewheel?

It only happens when I pedal, not when I coast. Is it the bearings or the freewheel?

ok thats better its probably your wheel bearings? are they loose ball?

loose ball?

sure it's not your cranks,
the crank arms sometimes get just a tiny bit loose and click as they wiggle in the square taper.

Another thing is perhaps your rear cog is worn and the chain perhaps also ?
so the chain cog engagement is avalanching forward causing the click ?

loose ball?

Cluster bearings

Loose Ball Bearings

strip down wheel bearings, clean and check the balls for damage, if it sounded like sand paper a bearing could have shattered.

i assume you have a straight chain line?

is this a dicta freewheel?

They wear out pretty easy and become rattly.

also as other have suggested, it can be the bearing and hub.

Sometimes heavily worn bearings can crumble. Also cages can become chewed up. this and dirt getting in can cause the surfaces inside your hub to become pitted, causing friction and a clicking/scraping sound when the wheel is turned (especially with the force of a pedal)

If your cones and locknuts arent sufficently fixed in their position they can actually tighten as you ride. Becoming super tight and compounding bearings hard into your hub.

Okay, thanks for all the advice.

Shinscar, I think my chainline is "good enough" but maybe off by 1 mm or 2. Yes, I do have problems with the chain coming off relatively often.

I thought, though, that I will solve this at a later stage. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. Maybe that isn't a good idea?

If I came to the East End beers (if that is still happening) would any of you mind giving me an opinion on the whole issue. I mean whether it is the freewheel, bearings or the chainline.

I cleaned and re-greased the bearings today. However, I made the clicking worse. The line along the cone that show where the balls are running had a few rough bits.

Can you buy a cone separately?

if there is a grove in the cone then it is dead. you can buy new axles and cones dependant on the manufacturer. you will need new bearings aswell and you'll need to check the race in the hub isn't damaged.

I cleaned and re-greased the bearings today. However, I made the clicking worse. The line along the cone that show where the balls are running had a few rough bits.

Can you buy a cone separately?

take the cone to a bike shop and ask if they have a spare, if they are nice they will dig you one out the spares for free.

as novocaine has mentioned, you should check the faces on the inside of your hub for pitting. If they are rough, then you cant resolve it.

Youll still be able to ride the wheel, but it just wont spin super smooth. Perfectly acceptable though.

buy a new axle, preferably the best you can buy.

Having overhauled the bearings, I believe the clicking comes from the freewheel. I would like to take off the old one and get a new one but I am not sure which freewheel tool will fit. My freewheel looks like this:
/attachments/1153

Sorry for the crap quality - is from my phone.

I counted the notches: there are 8.

The text on the freewheel reads: "Made by Cold Forged Technology Power Removal System by DNP"

Is the standard Park Tool one gonna fit?
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cid/HSR548L1GWHJ3A31ACKC1VIP2AKHPBG4/product-Park-Park-Tools-FR6-Shimano-BMX-Freewheel-Remover-9914.htm

1 Attachment

Have a look here. Someone on the forum will have one you can borrow I'm sure.
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=48

if you are in London, come by throught the open toolbox on sunday, Matt will help you out

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread4716.html

It turned out to be the freewheel. Brucy came round to fit his spare one.

Cheers brucy! This forum is awesome!

In case anyone runs a search for such an ailment, thought i'd post this. Might help out another fellow newb. I learned some new shit, wanted to pass it on. If you have any clue at all about building bikes you'll prob be laughing by the time you reach line.2 .. this is purely for the simpletons like myself.

So my crank was making a weird knocking, clicking sound. Seemed to be particularly bad when just setting off. This had been going on for a good week or so, steadily getting worse. It felt nasty, made the bike feel real loose and rank. No good at all.

While riding and contemplating this weird disease my poor drivetrain had picked up I eventually decided it had to be the Bottom Bracket. Such is the beauty of single speed right ? There is so little that can go wrong. My chainline was straight, my cogs were all true, chain well lubed.. all that shit. So i tried getting the crank arms off.. no joy, those badboys were on hard-as-nails. Turns out i needed a 'crank puller'. Eventually bought one today on the way home from work. I'd already picked up a 'BB Tool' when installed the crank in the first place.

As soon as I'd got the crank arms off and took the BB tool to the lock-cup thing of the BB, it was emediately apparent it was well slack. I took it all out, gave it a clean, greased it up good n proper and then re-installed it.. turned it in super tight. Next just re-installed the crank arms and took it for a spin. wow.. a whole world of difference.

Thinking about it now I feel like a right tit. Such a simple thing. Anyway.. in case anyone else suffers a weird clicky, knocking crank. Try this. Might be your prob.

If it happens again, use some plumbers tape on the BB shells.

So i tried getting the crank arms off.. no joy, those badboys were on hard-as-nails.

youve probably already realised it by now, but just to confirm that crank bolts do not hold on cranks in a square taper setup.

They are used to force the the cranks onto a tapered widening spindle, which stretches the area surrounding the crankhole.

This is well within its elastic limit, so the crank clamps hard onto the spindle gripping and stopping it sliding off.

After installing your crank arms, its actually pretty safe to remove the crank bolts and ride without them.

don't do that, just don't.

the cranks WILL come loose and you'll round out the square hole in the crank. This is actually a last ditch technique to getting stuck and knackered cranks off, ride for a bit with the bolts out.

Just grease EVERYTHING