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I had this a couple of years ago, turned out to be the pedal.
One of mine was a bit of grit in the seat tube (creaked/cracked on and off the saddle).
When I got my Spark, there was a creaking/cracking noise until i poured water on the lower shock mountings.
When I took it apart to look, it was assembled with a ridiculous amount of thread lock and it had leaked into the pivots! Scraped it off and re lubed it and silence since 🙂
Op, if you hold one end of the bar and lean the bike over about 45 degrees... Then put pressure on a pedal (pedal at 6 o'clock obvs), trying to "bend" the crank arm towards the floor..... can you recreate the noise?
You haven’t had much luck with this frame have you Dave?? Have you checked the bearings on the back of the shock? I traced that knocking on mine to that. Removed them, greased and now blissfully silent!
Have you asked PandS to see if they’ve had any issues?
John - I had exactly the same brand new on this.. Loads of loctite caused it seize and creak terribly..tis a similar noise to thst but constant and does it about 5 times for every one of the pivot bolt did... But I traced that on the same day I got the bike..
Poopscoop - I will try it on sunday and report back see if can try as you suggest
Chris - yep noisiest bike I've owned by far as soon as one things fixed another noise comes 😂... But Yeh tried all the obvious things and same with pivot bolts too... The fox dpx2 doesn't have a lower bearing mount its just a standard Bush so it's not that this time... Not asked them bud tbh I'm usually spot on at getting to the cause but even this has me stumped so far... As its a prettyoud constant creak which is worrying
I've managed get a set of forks off my mate Rick at slickandside suspension (thanks Rick!)... I've got a new bb to fit and I've just had wheel trued and tensioned so a good few things new to check individually at weekend
Creaking. Check the stem top cap isn't rubbing the top of the steerer. Mine was (had a recessed bolt as it was a Garmin top cap mount). That made a creaking noise.
Click click click noise on same bike was the brake pads rattling in the caliper, had to prise the spring clip open some to tighten.
lose cleats ?
Nope checked and ridden with clips and trainers... Still there
I've had much the same noises as the op in the past, took me ages to track down and the problem turned out to be a whole load of cracked eyelets on my rear rim. Worth a look.
Are you running a hope headset on this pal ?
Had a good inspection of the wheel and it seems OK
Yep hope headset on it with no cups bearings just go straight into frame
It was a guess as I had the same issue .I'm aware it's a fully integrated headset so bearings sit in the frame but I would grease mine and it would cure it for a while then come back .
It was the lower bearing that caused me the issue and apparently the stainless steal headset can make a noise in the cups .
Santa Cruz came back to the distributer and advised that in poor climates they recommend using the enduro black oxide coated bearing with no grease between the surface.mines been silent since touch wood .
Interesting.... Worth a shot if all else fails.. Have you got a link or code to the one I'd need bud? I greased the hell out of bearings thinking that would be enough
It's ok because when I commented, I cursed myself...
Spark started creaking yesterday, but it was full of dried mud, so maybe just needs a clean (I hope!).
Check the mech hanger is tight.
Righty.... Non the wiser
I've tried absolutely everything that's known to man.. Its basically had a full on strip down today
The last few things to try were
New bb.. New forks on... And rear wheel trued
NON of the above worked... Noise still there
I can also rule out drivetrain... Well chain Chainring and mech as it still did it with chain off
So last two steps I can think of is its something internal on my rear wheel
Or the lower link is buggered with the new style santa cruz bearings and spacers in it... It sounds exactly like a pivot creak... But it's constant... Everytime i lean the bike over either way and pedal it whilst being aboard it creaks and clicks continuously...
I can't produce the noise stationary though so it's something flexing or similar as the cranks are pressured
I've got a similar problem with a NS Snabb full suspension I built up last year. Oddly enough it's as quiet as a mouse when setting off and gets progressively clickier as I get into the ride and start using more force on the pedals and giving the bike some stick.
Makes the same creak when seated, stood or feet off the pedals and I've tried everything.
One thing I haven't done is take it for a quick spin with the seat post and saddle removed.
By a process of elimination it shouldn't be the saddle or post but I'm also at a loss. Maybe you could try that as well, although it is a bit of a pain with a dropper.
I once had creaky pivot blts on a SC Superlight. Were done up correctly and all snug but creaked like a git. Found that one in the end by squirting water from my backpack over every joint and contact point individually as I rode. It quietened for a few minutes when I wet the pivot, and located the problem.
I've not taken the whole post out but I moved it up quite a bit got rid of all grit and took off and cleaned the seat lamp and surrounding area.
Same noise
I'm pretty certain it's a pivot issue for mine...
Hopefully try the different wheel tomorrow night and then I'll get onto the lower pivot
Having owned a fair few VPp bikes my money would be on either of the upper pivot axles.
If you hold the bike stationary and from the side put your foot on the center of the crank and push the bike sideways, then go to the other side of the bike and do the same thing it'll reproduce the noise.
While you are doing this put your hand on the upper link and you'll be able to feel where the click is coming from.
Once you know were it's clicking it's easy enough to sort.
What grease is on seat tube and on the clamp? My Anthem has similar creak if I use carbon paste, but with grease it’s fine. I do have to remove the seatpost collar every few months, clean it thoroughly (and the post, and tube internal, and frame around the clamp) and it stays silent again.
Also found some clamps with low torque creak a bit, even out of saddle
Ssstu - that's the annoying thing no matter how or where I pull push at the upper area of link or rear triangle or even rear wheel.. I cannot for the life of me get it make a sound... So frustrating.. Yet jump on bike hardly pedal with any pressure lean sideways and there it is ever my single time
Every bit feasible of the bike has been greased... More than I've ever done before on any build
And still the noise remains... Identical... So it's something I've ntmot got access too either rear wheel internals or inside the lower link or even upper... But It sounds like it's further down to me
Just muc off grease around there not to much at all... Just cleaned it moreso as I said before it's out of the saddle so just to make sure I cleaned it of any grit etc too and still identical creak
Frustrating I'm sure.
Just passing on what I've found with 6 different VPP bikes.
All noise came from the upper link.
Just try really side loading it from the BB without he crank in.
Hope you get it sorted. Nothing worse.
I’ve had two bikes over the years that just creaked no matter what 🙁 2001 Santa Cruz super light and a more recent Vitus zenium pro road bike. Both got sold on !! Sometimes you get a creaker 🙁
cheers SSstu - tis mega frustrating this one - yep every single creak ive had off a vpp (similar amount to you has been the links of some description, other than one that took me ages to figure was 1 semi loose chainring bolt on my eagle chainset last year)
the only thing ive read with the newer SC bikes is they use a radial bearings now, with a sleeve inbetween, there has been posts on MTBR forum of people saying they bearings have seized against the spacers inside, which of course creates a creak, im hoping I can try or buy a lower link just to see
i will try have a good wiggle of everything laters tonight in the way you suggest, but this time im pretty sure it is the lower link
Santa Cruz
over the years that just creaked no matter what
Interesting! Really like the Bronson. But it's well over my budget.
I'am not toooo sensitive about creaking - but would think a SC would creak less than other bikes...
Wrong so.
Is the chainring direct mount Raceface? I’m sure you’ve done this if so, but just remembered twice I had a creak from that interface. Cured by a clean, grease and doing up as tight as poss.
You seem to have checked almost everything, so I'll put something left field in here - crack in frame?
Well tonight I tried a new front and rear wheel with a different cassette in..
Noise still there
I've also got a spare shock I put in just to check
Noise still there
It has to be something going on inside upper or lower pivots... Just has to be I have tried absolutely everything imaginable
Got some new bearings and the sleeves for them to fit hopefully tomorrow if they turn up... Then that will be the last thing I can think of
As above next step will be going all around the frame for cracks if this fails
It still sounds like creaky pivots and the sound hasn't changed one bit since all this rebuilding
I'll report back after the links are sorted and installed back in the frame
Pray for silence for me 🙏🏻
Razorazzoo - it's a sram Eagle but greased the hell out of fitment wise with the ring and bolts and they are torqued up correctly
Some years ago I had some creaking cracking nois s.
Turned out to be grit in the cable stops on an ally frame.
Maybe remove and clean cables and put a dab of grease Where the stops are.
You could just try squirting a bit of oil into those areas and see if that makes any difference.
Mary - tried that the other day... Slid a little bit of grease where cables all go into frame all internal routing
And then on top of that I sprayed it with protect and shine.. Quite a bit.. Still the same
Fingers crossed pal .keep us posted
Update.....
Well I've found out what it is...nothign at all to do with the frame
It's my truvativ descendant carbon cranks... The left side with the axle attached..
Pretty much pure luck as I felt a vibration thro my trainers when testing it round the back... Thought it was odd so had a look for cracks on it or pedal insert but all seemed fine.. So I gave a good pull on the nds crank arm and bammmmm instant click/creak!!! Joy!!
Take them out the frame and can produce it by hand too so 100% the cranks
Yeeeeeowww! Only had them new July 18 so will be hopefully warranting them asap
Thanks for all the tips and advice and ideas hopefully this thread will prove useful in future reference as about all bases are covered on here
ah the relief!
Get in there .good work .now have a beer .
I've been waiting an update lol and glad you found it .
Glad you've sorted it.👍
Haha cheers guys... Only right to give an update
Took some tracking down that bugger I tell thee!!!
But once I felt the vibration in my trainer I knew it had to something on the chainset
I've heard numerous times of race face going like this and I had a set myself do it... But never sram/truvativ ones
I even Googled it last week and couldn't find a single hit of someone with the same cranks having a issue so I kinda ruled it out
On the plus side its had a complete strip down and rebuild and fresh bearings so it's all good!
Now just need the simple new hope cranks come out as I'm done with carbon cranks now