Pedal creaking
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Pedal creaking
My pedals crack and creak when I put a lot of force on them. It is independent of the crank rotating. I can stand up while coasting and if I bounce to put force on the pedals it makes the cracking sound. The bearings feel smooth. What can be the cause of this creaking sound?
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The missing nut only secures the reflector and I don't believe that is the problem. The other pedal is not missing any nuts and it makes the same sound.
#4
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Pedals are attached to the crank - have you tried tightening them?
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Bottom bracket. It's worn internally, or loose or installed dry. Im assuming you have a square taper bottom bracket- Buy yourself a square taper puller and splined bb tool, they're good investments. Read up on bb install/removal procedures, it's possible to damage your frame if youre sloppy or mess with your chainline if you get the wrong part. The parts are relatively cheap and will save you a lot of money in shop labor once you learn how to use them.
Also, those are fairly entry level pedals, they'll probably ride just fine for some time, but it'll be normal for some noise or gravelly feeling.
Also, those are fairly entry level pedals, they'll probably ride just fine for some time, but it'll be normal for some noise or gravelly feeling.
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Do the easy things first; try removing the pedals, cleaning and lubing the pedal and crank threads and contact surfaces and reinstalling, torquing them correctly. If available try a different set of pedals. If this does not fix the problem then start digging deeper.
#8
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Square taper BB bearing problems do not show up as a creak or click. Sometimes people come to that conclusion after overhauling one and finding such noise is gone afterward, not realizing that removing, cleaning and correctly retightening the crank arms likely fixed the problem. In fact:
This is the correct first step. It's also possible that the cages on the pedals themselves are not secure, though that would be a rare occurrence on both pedals.
We need better info from the OP - not only what he has tried to fix the problem but when it started (new pedals) any maintenance/accident/incident that directly preceded it, and if it came on suddenly or over time. Few problems just spring up spontaneously.
- A worn (or dirty) BB creates a grinding feel/sound, again a lower pitch sound and more continuous, rarely showing up only under pressure, and the BB would not feel smooth.
- A loose BB (poorly adjusted, loose lockring or fixed cup) can be felt as the BB shifts, and if it makes a sound is more like a clunk than a click. Due to the larger parts and interface the sound is a much lower frequency.
- Installed dry (the bearings??) In over 20 years of bike work I've never pulled apart a BB to find it freshly overhauled with no grease. Not even possible with loose balls, and the sound again would not be as described.
We need better info from the OP - not only what he has tried to fix the problem but when it started (new pedals) any maintenance/accident/incident that directly preceded it, and if it came on suddenly or over time. Few problems just spring up spontaneously.
Last edited by cny-bikeman; 10-29-14 at 08:08 AM.
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Dunno, I've never seen a sub-$1000 bike that came with a properly installed bottom bracket always dry or with just the smallest touch of grease. Yeah, could also just be a loose arm or pedal. Could even be the rear wheel.
Last edited by Raiden; 10-29-14 at 07:54 AM.
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Looks like the end plates of the pedal are riveted to the body. Could one of those rivet joints be slightly loose? That happened on a pedal that I had, long ago.
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If this turns out to be the case a few drops of wicking grade cyanoacrylate (Krazy-type) adhesive in the joints may stop the noise.
#12
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Pointing to the BB without having eliminated other more likely items is just guessing, not diagnosis. Again, I have never seen a BB with no grease, and the symptoms don't match anyway. We need more info from the OP as well as some isolation/elimination of other factors.
Last edited by cny-bikeman; 10-29-14 at 08:09 AM.
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I've just posted a similar thread specific to shimano A520 and A600 pedals. Try switching the pedals onto a bike you know is fine and seeing if the problem moves with them. If so, you know the problem is most likely the pedal.
You might be able to service the pedal bearings and solve the problem, not sure with this model though. This is how to do it with Shimano, though it doesn't show you how to strip, check and reset the dual cup and cone arrangement (your pedal may have different bearings anyway for all I know);
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkH7gClG8NM
You might be able to service the pedal bearings and solve the problem, not sure with this model though. This is how to do it with Shimano, though it doesn't show you how to strip, check and reset the dual cup and cone arrangement (your pedal may have different bearings anyway for all I know);
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkH7gClG8NM
#14
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Sorry I took long to report back. I had an extra long day at work. I just got home and swapped pedals. The noise is still there. I take it this means the problem is in the BB. A few months ago when I acquired this frame and was swapping all the components over from my GT, I could not remove the BB so I took it to my LBS and they swapped the BB to this Fuji frame. Is this noise more likely to be a problem with the BB or a problem with the installation of the BB?
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I still think the problem is going to be the bb, but it could be many other things- pedal bearings (even if they feel OK by hand), crankarm tightness against the bb, dry or worn chain, chain tension if a fixed gear, loose or gunked chainring /bolts, dry or loose rear hub, wheels not tightened into frame/fork, dry seatpost, headset loose, plus stuff I've probably missed....
#16
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I just got home and swapped pedals. The noise is still there. I take it this means the problem is in the BB. A few months ago when I acquired this frame and was swapping all the components over from my GT, I could not remove the BB so I took it to my LBS and they swapped the BB to this Fuji frame. Is this noise more likely to be a problem with the BB or a problem with the installation of the BB?
Last edited by cny-bikeman; 10-30-14 at 06:20 AM.
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The BB is a Shimano BB-6500.
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Problem solved! I removed the crank and discovered that I had installed the crank incorrectly. The splines on the spindle (octalink-V1) were not set into the splines on the crank. Now that the crank is set properly I will need to readjust the derailer. I had not been worrying about this noise because I assumed it was the pedals. Now I am glad I took the time to look into it. And I appreciate all the advice. Left to my own devices I would probably have just been spinning my wheels.
#19
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What you did has occurred before with that type BB, and we may have been able to point to it sooner with more complete info. It's important to remember that we are not there, so specific descriptions and clear, relevant photos go a long way toward efficient diagnosis.
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What you did has occurred before with that type BB, and we may have been able to point to it sooner with more complete info. It's important to remember that we are not there, so specific descriptions and clear, relevant photos go a long way toward efficient diagnosis.
I was was removing the crank arms to take pictures of the BB so I could post them. That's how I discovered the drive-side arm was not seated properly on the spindle. I took it for a short ride and exerted a lot of force on the pedals to see it I could hear the creaking. No noise. It is smooth.
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Well done, and thanks for the follow up.
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My pedals crack and creak when I put a lot of force on them. It is independent of the crank rotating. I can stand up while coasting and if I bounce to put force on the pedals it makes the cracking sound. The bearings feel smooth. What can be the cause of this creaking sound?