The site won't let me add more photo attachments to a thread until I've made 10 posts, sorry. The bike is a Jamis Aurora 2009.
There's a hex socket centered right on the crank axle so I may have to open it up and start exploring. I have a full set of metric and imperial Allen keys. I was concerned that once I get it out, there might be a customized wrench or even a machine press required to open and clean the bearing itself. Can anyone refute/confirm this? I presumed my neighborhood shop would either just replace it or not -- I don't really know.
Side question: I've been using "liquid wrench lithium grease" as a lubricant every couple months. It was probably a mistake. I think it may have accumulated salt and that's been the major factor. It's also probably water-friendly and led to some corrosion. What's a better bracket/chain lubricant? I'd be ordering from Amzn.