PF BB clicking

So annoying! Was only replaced a couple of months ago so going back to be fixed under warranty. Even if I was riding the bejezus out of it ever day I’d have expected longer life. It’s the Shimano one I think. Looking for alternative options. What do people use? Anyone tried the CK one? Worth the money?

I have had the same problems, until i had VERY good advise.
On fitting new bearings, the cups from the frame had been taken out and cleaned. where the cups go on the frame, i smeered “Tub glue” and let to dry for 24 hr, then pressed everything in.
Never had any issue now in one year

Upgraded my PF BB to a praxis BB enabling me to also use a shimano drivechain set instead of fsa which was supplied with the bike – made a big improvement 🙂

Hope have the answer to press fit problems. You screw the two halves together.

Been reading up… Plasic cups: useless. Metal ones are the ones to go for. And some loctite retaining compound.

The bike is 2nd hand but the guy I bought it from said it was only replaced 2 months ago and should be under warranty. He’s happy to talk to the shop and get it sorted, which I think’s pretty nice of him, he could have said tough poop your problem now. I’ll see what the shop are going to put in and how they do it and hopefully get a bit more life from it. If it goes again I’ll be looking at possibly the Hope one. The CK one looks a bit of kit but pricey, as always – cost vs longevity? Hmm…

An excuse to buy a pf tool perhaps…?

I had this. Bike shop replaced it which made zero difference. I then replaced it (with another regular Shimano PF BB) and put a smear of loctite on the cups and it’s been fine ever since.

EDIT: carbon frame.

So Giant’s “Powercore” BB for a 2015 Trance would be the Hope PF41, is that right?

Onzadog – Member

Hope have the answer to press fit problems. You screw the two halves together.
+1

Unless its a commencal meta.

Lugz

Gone back to shop to be looked at under warranty as its only lasted 2 months.

Worth splashing out on a Hope you reckon, long term?

I have two bike with pf. Does my but it does

Just bought the wheels manufacturing thread together one. Haven’t fitted it yet but the tool to do so is about 15 quid and doesn’t involve taking the bearings out as the hope one seems to, so that seems easier at least

Are you sure it’s the bb?
Had a pronounced click from my bb recently or so I thought.
Tightened up hanger bolt and not a sound!
Check other bits first!
Max

Best advice for fitting the shimano pf bb to a giant (from giant UK tech department) is a thick smear of finish line Teflon grease either side before pressing the bb into place.

My brand new giant xtc was clicking under power, I removed the bb, bb shell was bone dry, dollop of finish line grease, pressed back, not touched since and silence…

Also grease the ht2 axle where the non driveside arm clamps on, and grease the 2 pinch bolts and set around 12nm with torque wrench

Hanger bolt is tight I’m sure. Was careful not to overtoghten that one as it’s only wee. I’ll check the axel when it comes back from the shop too. A buddy suggested the wheels mfg BB too actually.

Also check seat post bolts (and grease a bit) and chainring bolts…..I’ve gone to cinch now for that reason!

Already done the seat post bolts, rails and post itself. Chain ring bolts are tight as, but I didn’t remove/clean and grease them so that’s a possibility I guess.

Derailleur hanger – bolt seems to have been over tightened and I think the thread is knackered on that tiny allen bolt. But it’s a bolt-thru axel so it doesn’t budge when the wheel is in. Might be worth taking it out, cleaning it all and either find a new bolt, or stick some threadlock in it and leaving it a couple of days to harden the f up.

Bike’s still with the shop – been there since Sat arvo. I did say I wasn’t in a rush but I was just being polite… I’ll give em a call on Weds for an update.

i have the hope one which screws together.
its excellent, really noticeable (when spun by a hand!) how much less drag there is compared to a standard shimano bb.
you cant tell when riding of course.

Have a hope pf41 fitted to my Trance, 1600miles of riding in all weathers, no clicking, bearings still smooth

I would second to check other things first……

I had an annoying clicking from my bottom bracket on my road bike. Bought the Bb90 hope tool & a new set of bearings in readiness to replace them. I just thought I’d try to replace the pedals first – just to rule them out.

Guess what? The clicking has gone….. I am however tooled up for the replacement when the time comes…..

I thought my BB was clicking again a couple of weeks ago, I changed the headset bearings and the click has gone again. The BB (FSA 386 press fit) has done 7500 miles without the slightest problem.

LOL @ Sir HC you answered my same question on MTBR too 🙂

I had an annoying click apparently on my King PF30 after 5000 miles – put a new one in. Still there.

Turns out the shaft on the XX1 crank had worn. Gulp. Warranty. 🙂

Who’d a thought it?

Hmmm

P/C from the bike shop. The BB is fine. What they say was wrong “the gears were all off, the hanger was bent and loose. We’ve reset the gears, sorted the hanger and it’s all good now”

Very strange. The gears were spot on. I’m a bit anal about having each gear work perfectly. The hanger being loose? Possibly – I didn’t check the bolt or clean that in any way. Being bent? Again, not sure – bought off a mate so it might well have been bent I hadn’t noticed – I just know the gears were bob on.

Gah it’s still clicking.

Removed cassette, cleaned, greased and refit.
Removed bolt thru dropouts, cleaned, bolts loctite and refit.
Different pedals tried.
Pedals cleaned, greased and refit.
Saddle rails/bolts/seatpost/clamp cleaned greased refit.

At a bit of a loss no. The clicks happen when pedaling and constantly – no side any better/worse than the other. Doesn’t happen when the rear end is bounced so I don’t think it’s pivots. Bit stumped now. Definitely seems to be the rear end somewhere.

I *think* it might be the 142 dropout adapter on the drive side. I don’t think it’s the wheel bearings (Spank Oozy 295 wheels/hubs).

Am I missing anything before it goes back to the shop for a full inspection?

Yep I think I’ve found the issue. Even with the tiny bolt tightened up, attaching the bolt thru dropout on the drive side to the frame, there’s a tiny bit of movement, which could be making the clicking sound when it’s all together and I’m pedaling.

I’m going over to a mates to try his wheel in my bike, but if it still clicks…

Would it a) possible and/or b) totally stupid to use some Araldite to mate this parts into place so it holds them, fills the tiny tiny gap and hopefully fixes the issue?

I could be that the frame where these parts sit has worn a bit with them moving and they’re not sitting perfectly flush. It could be that the actual dropout bit, and the nut the other side have worn and it’s not the frame.