It'd be interesting to know if there's a correlation between riding style and things like creaking forks. I'm not boasting but it's not happened to me yet!
I can pinpoint the exact point on the trail today that started the creak off.
A tight left corner/drop/chute on the steep bit of No Social.
Hard on the front brake to help hop the rear end round a little coming in to it.
I'm not boasting but it's not happened to me yet!
Try riding your bike a bit more instead of working all the time. 😉
Is it not just a part of life with forks, I remember them doing this regularly as far back as the late 2000s and have always just accepted it as normal. I’m surprised companies even warranty it rather than just attempting to explain it as normal behaviour. It’s an interference fit of tapered metal against metal, with a fairly long bending moment on it so it’s gonna make some noise once dirt and dust etc gets in and things move a fraction.
have always just accepted it as normal.
It's not normal though is it.
It's just a crap design.
Two metal parts that are pressed together should not move independently of each other.
BTW it's not dust and dirt that cause the noise.
It's a black oxide that forms due to fretting corrosion.
Try riding your bike a bit more instead of working all the time. 😉
Fair point but my fork is a decade old and has been on 3 different bikes so I reckon it's had decent opportunity to start creaking!
Wot singlespeedstu said. The two parts should not move. Creaking is a precursor to total falure
@goodgreif
Out of interest what fork is it?
I know you said you were running an Ohlins shock but only ever seeing you when you're at work I have no idea what fork's on your bike?
I do though seem to suffer pretty bad from this problem and have given some thought to why but can't really find any answers.
I'm only 80KG so not exactly overloading them from that point of view. Though I'd guess you were a tad lighter than me?
I ride a lot more than most folks but that's spread over four bikes so can't really see that being a problem as it'll even out to normal wear.
I do use the front brake quite heavily on tight steep turns but again I'm not trying to stoppie down every trail so nothing abnormal there.
Only fork I've ever had that didn't creak was an EXT but I couldn't get on with the damper in that so sold it.
Just had word from Sram that they're sending me a new Lyrik as a replacement.
Also just received my Mezzer back from warranty at JTech too so I'm down to just one warranty creaker to deal with now.
Started life as a basic yari with motion control, now has a noviparts damper. Was at 140mm then 150, currently at 170 with a chickadee hill air chamber gadget. I love tinkering! I'm around 70kg and I don't think I'm particularly hard on the front brake, I tend to go through rear pads quicker.
And another Zeb CSU bites the dust.
I'm starting to lose count of them now it's happening that often.
Seems the only way I can keep them silent is to not ride.
Friend of mines zeb started creaking a few weeks back, it’s that loud that when I was following him it sounded like my bike had a problem!
Take the forks off, rest the lowers on the floor and the steerer on something higher so they're at a shallow angle to the floor (<45 degrees). Stand on the fork just below the arch.
Turn over, stand on the other side in the same place.
Creaking CSUs/forks: is THIS ^^^ the definitive test I can do to try and identify/isolate where creaking is coming from?
I'm at my wit's end. Tried different headset, stem and bar, including cleaning everything up. I don't think it's coming from elsewhere on the bike, but it's an ebike and there's potential there I guess. It'd be good to rule out the fork (or identify it as the culprit).
And another Zeb CSU bites the dust.
I'm starting to lose count of them now it's happening that often.
Seems the only way I can keep them silent is to not ride.
I did 3 pairs of charger 3's, everytime I had a new fork, 4th pair I sold them.
I’ve got a set of 2 month old fox 36 SL forks go with the creaky csu - mega frustrating actually started creaking less than a month in but just ignored it as I couldn’t be arsed deal with it being so new, now they are much worse on every descent and everytime I hit something square edge climbing
so frustrating!
"Creaking CSUs/forks: is THIS ^^^ the definitive test I can do to try and identify/isolate where creaking is coming from?"
I clamped the steerer to a stack of plywood with a load of quickclamps and then put all my weight on the axle end and oscillated it wildly.
Interesting thing regarding creaky CSUs:
"And what area of the bike did you see is experiencing the highest amount of stress during peak forces?
We don’t measure stress directly, but afterwards we can simulate the forces on the frames using the collected data and our FEA software. It then gives us an overview of the stresses in all areas of the frame. For Hardline one of the most stressed areas is definitely the headtube. There is a lot of force pulling away on the fork on harsh landings, and then immediately after the riders are hard on the brakes, which pushes on the fork very hard in the opposite direction."
I know we're not doing anything like Hardline but that little pressed alloy joint of steerer to CSU looks very feeble compared to a head tube / top tube / downtube section!
LOLz see what you did there
fwiw i have spoken to fox uk and they advised me it’s not common anymore with there new batch of forks
ummmm my 36sl are exactly that a new batch of the new forks and they lasted roughly a month before creaking - no idea if certain people just get unlucky or other just don’t notice/care about the noise ( ie there bikes already creaking and making racket elsewhere )
Seen as this has resurfaced.
One of my warrantied Zeb's that had a new CSU fitted lasted five rides* before it started creaking again.
Tightened the top caps which were very loose and it's silent again. Top work Sram warranty department...
Lets see how much longer it lasts.
* It's on my ebike so doesn't see that much action.
I'll stick my name on this list too.
I posted in a separate topic - Mezzer Pro, <6mths 500km use on my e-bike but no warranty (bought privately, old stock but new/unused). Definitely creaking.
I've currently got it inverted and allowing gravity to get some Loctite 648 into the stanchion/crown/steerer interfaces. Probably in vain but given the cost of a replacement CSU I'm willing to try. Haven't had time to look at it but plan to check the top cap tightness as well as generally checking the chassis alignment etc before contacting J-Tech. This is the same fork I've not found a happy setup on no matter what I try - my other Mezzer Pro on another bike is dialled in and feels sublime compared to this. Thought being if it needs a replacement CSU then I'll also ask J-Tech about 'enhancements' to get it feeling how I want.
Ironically the Zeb on my Geometron is silent. Anaaaaannd by typing that I've just cursed it 😀
