fooddestroyer

may I ask what bearings would be optimal then?

topflightpro

It's not the quality of the bearings that is the problem but how they are installed. To do it correctly, you need to used Green Loctite Bearing Retention Compound when putting the bearings in, AND leave the press on applying full pressure to the bearings until the compound cures. If you don't leave the press on overnight, you will get the creak again.

Robert A

How involved (and how expensive) is this to do at home, considering the tools that have to be purchased.

SundayNiagara

Take it to a reputable bike shop.

Robert A

Too involved?

topflightpro

It's not hard to do at home, but the proper tools are rather pricey. People have used large bolts, nuts and washers to create home versions of bearing presses, which is much more affordable though not as elegent.

An intermediate option would be to have the shop press the bearings in, and if you don't trust them to leave the press on overnight, immediately take the frame back from them and use a homemade press to lock them in place until the Loctite sets.

fooddestroyer

Given the existing bearings have 2 years worth of riding, I'd change them for the fresh start. So,

Should I take out the BB and degrease/regrease, and then replace with improved bearings using Loctite and overnight press (the best bearings still TBC)?

Thanks

topflightpro

Yeah, if you're popping out the bearings, you should put new ones in. Generally, it's not recommended to remove and reinstall BB30 bearings.

As far as which bearings are best, I have had a lot of success with Wheels Mfg BBs and bearings. I generally opt for the angular contact option, which are not quite as smooth as ceramic but last a lot longer.

Jack Tone 

I don't remember the frame mfg, but I watched a Hambini video of a mis-aligned threaded bottom bracket causing excess friction. I guess nobody's perfect.

smashndash

Creaking isn’t just caused by poor bearing fit (which is what loctite attempts to fix). It can also be caused by misalignment. There is no fix to this; you are screwed.

If I kept getting a creak after a couple thousand miles despite a proper installation, I would try to find a machine shop or bike shop that could measure the bottom bracket and make sure it’s in spec. If it were out of spec, I would sell the frame and get something that isn’t garbage.

Well, you could send your frame to Hambini for a custom BB and use a Shimano crank but... not sure how many people want to do that.

fooddestroyer

So, like many, I want to keep trying to mechanic my own bike. Thus, I might try a bearing replacement and bond with Loctite 638. But I need a bearing press.

There's lots of basic presses on fleabay - and I don't have a fortune to spend. Would any basic ones work? And if so which?

topflightpro

I'll be honest, I don't know. I don't have enough experience with them to say.

But I know many people use homemade presses made from nuts, washers and bolts purchased at hardware stores.

Robert A

So, question here. My 18-month-old 2019 CAAD12 has now gone back to the selling dealer (Helens in Santa Monica) four times for the BB creak. The first three times were covered under warranty.

Helens recommends replacing the BB with a threaded alternative. They don't agree that the Loctite, overnight press, approach will work. And I can't imagine replacing the BB with a threaded version, as this would be completely counter to the manufacturer's original design idea.

What is known about these two courses of action? Suppose instead I service the BB myself and just lubricate or replace the bearings every six months or so? How much is involved in doing so?

ARPRINCE

Use 641 instead of 638

Loctite 638 : Retaining Compound – high strength. General purpose. Fast curing.
Loctite 641 : The product cures when confined in the absence of air between close-fitting metal surfaces and prevents loosening and leakage due to shock and vibration

shelbyfv

Since Cannondale has abdicated, I would trust the shop, go with the threaded and be done with it. I wouldn't worry about deviating from Cannondale's design, it doesn't appear to have worked out as well as they hoped. After almost a year, it's time to put this puppy to bed.

fooddestroyer

I've waited over 2 weeks to get the 638, so 638 I am using - But thank you!

fooddestroyer

I still have a 'tick' noise even with the threaded Wheels MFG. I watched a good video from OZ Cycle and he maintains that even the threaded BB will creak (or click/tick) after a while.

I feel my personal best course of action is to remove the threaded Wheels MFG and start again with cups using the Loctite on all mating surfaces to solve this. Only, it seems that this issue may reoccur in the future; it's par of the course as they say...

Has anyone else removed a threaded BB that's started to make noise after been on a while and returned to the original cup style?

AngelPedaller

I know that it is an old post but I will post my experience for anyone happened to bump again here.

I have CAAD12 BB30A which is a BB30 (42mm shell not PF30 which is 46mm shell). I have used the WheelsMFG BB30A-OUT converter to 24mm Hollowtech II Shimano cranks for R7000 and no problems at all, for 4000km... after that, Shimano crank started creaking on heavy loads and by removing it I saw that DS bearing (2437-2RS blue cheap ones from Enduro) is "grungier" than the NDS one. Went back to 6806-2RS bearings (cheap blue ones) and had again creaks also after 4000km.

In both cases, removing, regreasing and re-installing solved the problem for another 1000Km but bearings are wearing un-evenly though and relatively fast so I had to change them.

However, this means that the creak is not coming from the spindle of BB30A (109L) neither from Hollowtech II but from gaps between the housing (42mm shell) of the bike and the BB of any make and type.

By removing-reinstalling I changed the positions and gave it some time to settle until start creaking again.

Hambini demonstrated the case and gave the scientific explanation that since the tolerances of all overpriced - US designed - Chinese manufactured - crap bicycles, are very low with non concentric BB shells, you will be busting bearings, forcing them to move to unwanted directions with unwanted stresses, no matter what...


The actual questions any poor owner of ****** BB30 Cannondale setup has to ask are:

1. would you buy BB30 bike again?
   
2. whether we need to service the BB every 1000-2000Km to avoid creaks and why they don not mention it in the manuals
   
3. is of any value to go for more expensive bearings or just buy a new pair for 30EUR and get on with it?
   

I follow the second principle (with a cost in tools, presses, extractors and chemicals) and it works but I have to mention that these things did not happen to my Giant Defy 3 with BSA Ultegra BBR60 bottom bracket (12000Km BB life until busting a bearing)

fooddestroyer

My local bike shop pro mechanic sorted mine. He's a wizard as this became beyond me.