Hi Folks!

I have built myself a new bike and I have used a Shimano XT BB and chainset. I have since removed it and tightened the bearings further because of a horrible creaking sound. This seemed to work, but since re- started again after a few more rides. The bearings are very tight, but I suppose I could turn them again a little more! Has anybody got some advise on how tight the bearings have to be before something breaks etc?

Thanks.

Are you 100% sure it's coming from the bottom bracket?

I've had creaks before that sounded like the BB but the culprit was actually the rear skewer.

No, I'm guessing its the BB! I'll try the drop out and skewer! Should I grease these parts?
Thanks.

I chased a creak on my old Unicoi for about 6 months. Thought it was BB, out, greased numerous times, hubs, headset – everything. Everything bar the cable stays on the top tube, popped the cable ends out, quick dab of grease and creaks gone. Amazing.

Sounds silly but… take the seat post out and go for a ride around the garden. See if it still creaks.

when you say "I have since removed it and tightened the bearings further",dyou mean you re tightened the cups into the frame?
if your bb cups were tight in the first place,,strangeling them further wont make any differance to a squeek.
check how tight the chain ring bolts are,or remove and grease them,
yep grease your hanger and qr.
how about your saddle's rails,if it still creaks when youre standin theyre ok,
ive had sqwarks from the rear wheel bearings.
is it a full susser?
have fun..

Hi all!

Thanks for the advise. It's not a full sus, but a TI hardtail(On One456)

Every little sound sounds like a littlt pinging creak!(Very Annoying).

Strip her down grease her up and start again…. I would expect this from alloy or FS bikes but not steel or TI. Can't abide creaking.

I have the same bike and importantly had the same pinging creak.

IMO it is the three surface interfaces between the Ti, Al seatpost shim and the seatpost. I solved it by copper greasing the Salsa seatpost clamp and doing it up very tight. I also changed to a longer seatpost that went well below the seatpost shim. The previous was level with the bottom, but only just. Good luck.

The advice to remove the seatpost and ride it and see if there is no ping is a good one.

Thanks!
Copper grease on shopping list!

How worn is the chain? we went through the same thing with team bikes, thought it was the BB, turned out to be chains once they had got to a certian wear point,maybe worth a check,

All brand new stuff! Done about 300 miles! I thought I solved the creak last week, but came back last night.

The grease you want is this stuff

Ti's a bugger for creaking, I had a Ti-railed Bel Air on a Thompson post, and it creaked relentlessly, despite regular strip-downs and greasing with coppergrease. Solved it by getting a Bel Air I-Beam…
Another source which has caught me out a number of times are chainring bolts. If they're not done up tight the rings can move slightly and creak and click like fury.

check pedals, the amount of people that come into work telling me there bb is worn because its creaking and it turns out to be the pedals!

Count Zero, I had that exact problem on my Pace, and solved it with an Ibeam too.

+however many it is now for the seat post.
infuriating creak sorted for ever on my kona.

+1 for checking pedals, had an annying creak for AGES

Greased everything i thought could be the cause to no avail, then i changed pedals and it completely disappeared!

Make sure the bolts holding the chainrings on are tight.

There used to be a suggestion (via bike mags & forums) of using plumbers PTFE tape on BB threads to stop creaking, but I have not heard of anyone using this technique themselves.

Thanks everyone for your advise! I've been out this morning and after doing everything suggested, it seems to have paid off, but I did fit a new Hope BB? and grease and tightened everything!

Thanks again!

Greasing the pedal threads sorted the creaking on my Orange Five after I'd originally suspected and replaced the BB.

+1 for missingfrontallode
I had a squeak in the bottom bracket area (Fnarr Fnarr) that I could not locate – new bb fitted etc.
Oddly I never though to check chainring bolts, net result, thread stripped on granny ring = 1 x dead crankset…

Orange Patriot creaked for years ,always thought it was my bottom bracket/swing arm bearings .
It wasnt until I met Johnny from Sierra Cycling that my problem was sorted in the way of a shimano xtr rear skewer .

A mild threadlock will stop chainring bolts from creaking forever, it also stops them corroding and stops them going loose and damaging themselves or the cranks . . . it also doesn't get washed out like grease tends to . . . you should put it on the threads and the recesses the outer bolts sit in and leave it for a couple of hours to activate before riding . . .

I just had to go through this with a 1 month old XT crankset which was creaking badly, now completely silent . . .

Suggest loctite 222, which also happens to be the stuff middleburn specify for the same purpose . . . cheap off ebay . . .

Fd