Mattyb13

2017 Specialized Diverge w/Praxis Zayante crankset and Praxis BB30 BB. All road riding. 50/34 if that matters. Probably 1000 miles since my lbs tuned my bike. I do my best to keep my bike very tidy, and immaculately clean. More and more, I like to do my own tune up work wherever possible. The more I work on my bike, the more I learn, the better. Plus Covid yada yada...
With that said. Under moderate to heavy pedaling load the creaking is frustratingly loud, and getting louder. Crankset or BB? Both? There are exactly 26,568,754,901 youtube videos that might be the right video to help me learn. Hoping the more experienced bike mechanics on this forum can help me narrow that down a little so I can dig into this project and quiet my drivetrain up. Thanks.

Ferrouscious 

We've dealt with this at the shop. The Zayante is the two piece upgrade from the Alba crank. The official solution from Praxis is to dribble some boiled linseed oil into the spider/spindle interface. Before you do that though, try it first with Tri-Flow (their procedure). If that doesn't work, take it back to the shop you bought it from and explain the issue. You can also directly call Praxis for a replacement crank.

WhyFi

Creaks that seem to be coming from the BB area can be hard to track down - some people report that even seat posts and not-quite-tight QRs can masquerade as BB creak. Start with the easy and more likely culprits and then work your way towards the more involved. I'd check chainring bolts first because it's easy. After that, and because it's a press-fit BB and your bike was recently serviced, I'd suspect that the BB needs a more thorough greasing. If this were a new bike, the mating surfaces of the spider/spindle might be more likely, but if you've got x thousand miles on it previously, I think that there would be more likely candidate that might act up after a servicing (I can't imagine any shop taking apart the spider/spindle as part of a routine servicing).

OUGrad05

Get that garbage off your bike. I recently dumped my praxis for a Shimano and the difference in noise is definitely real, but more importantly? Shifting quality is dramatically improved. Also my praxis didn't last very long.

MrMazda

Just got a used 2017 SL4 Roubaix and it seems the Praxis "Integrated spider" TURN Zayante crank might be the source of the occasional "warmed up" creaking... I've seen their procedure involving linseed oil but you guys mention a Tri-Flow method?
May I ask for more details?

Wasn't planing on this nor replacing the BB and crankset...

Thanks!

mstateglfr 

Interesting.
My main road bike and my gravel bike have Zayante cranks.
My other road bikes have modern Shimano 105 cranks.

I can't even pretend to tell the difference. I pedal, the chain turns. I shift, the chain moves.
Both Zayante and 105 install and set up quickly, work silently, shift quickly and wear slowly.

Shimano's refusal to add a subcompact crank option for years while others like FSA, Praxis, Easton, etc offered options is what initially got me into Praxis.

Lazyass

If anyone is looking for a new bb30 crankset an ebay seller has discontinued Kuota carbon cranks. I've had two sets of FSA's on my bike and they both sucked. I could never get them adjusted perfect, they were either too loose or too tight and I dealt with the creaking bearings as well which required locktite.

I installed my Kuota's on Sunday and for the first time in 11 years my bike is perfect. They spin butter smooth and are totally quiet without locktite. IMO I don't think all bearings have the exact same tolerances, some are off and creak. MSRP $499 but I got them for $180.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26511966287...0AAOSwrhpgchKm

MrMazda

I'm pretty sure I can't compare myself to you guys as a serious cyclist therefore investing that much money on a used bike (2017 SL4 Roubaix COMP Di2) was a stressful decision for me... I'm seriously hoping I can manage to fix that annoying creak without having to swap everything out.
Strangely, I discovered my frame was built "out of spec"!!
It is spec'ed for OSBB (BB30) using pressfit Praxis M30 bottom bracket BUT I found the shell to be BSA threaded!!! Specialized Canada have physically seen the bike and confirm my SN and everything to appear fully legit.
The only explanation would be the frame was one of the last SL4 built during the transition to the newer model and while the Tarmacs were being threaded too...
BB is still from Praxis so it visually looked the same as other SL4s...

I just removed the BB, cleaned everything up really well and reinstalled with anti-seize and properly torqued. Bearings not replaced yet as they turn very smoothly with fingers. Regreased crank spindle and reinstalled.

Creak still happens occasionally (no change) once everything appears to be warmed up.
Once it starts creaking, I can replicate some of it simply by applying twisting pressure on both pedals by hand...
Since the beginning I've been suspecting the crank's interface...
Apart from that creak, everything else is perfect (to me) so I honestly don't want to consider replacing it ($$$) until I've exhausted all treatment possibilities...

I just want to make sure I fully understand the root cause, what the fix is trying to address and how it should really be done before I make an attempt with the boiled linseed oil.

Thanks for your help guys!

katsup

I had a praxxis alba crankset that would creak. After removing and reinstalling the BB several times, I decided to check the chainring bolts. Tighten them, and the creaking stopped.

MrMazda

Funny that you bring this up... I knew the chainring bolts could be the source of creaking for obvious reasons but mine is bad enough that I kept telling myself "Nah, it really can't be that".
I decided to put a torque wrench to them yesterday, just before a ride. God were they under torqued, all five of them (at least a 1/4 turn to 10N/m)!
8km later, started creaking again but "maybe" less and/or not as loud... Not sure. Now, because of this "maybe", I have to take the chainrings off, clean, grease the spider interface and bolts then retorque to completely rule it out.

Not resolved yet... It might still be the crankarm. Anyone successfully performed the linseed oil or unknown to me Tri-Flow treatment?

MrMazda

Well guys, it now seems my "once warmed up" theory is not longer valid... It can creak when cold too... Varies from a single click repeating at same crankset position to literally a longer "creak"... My pedals (PD-ES600) seem to be turning very smoothly and don't feel loose at all. I put a little oil the SPD interface and cleats just in case... No change...

Even if the BB bearings turn smoothly with the fingers, I'm thinking maybe I should still replace them but I'm more tempted to think maybe they are only moving in the BB cups (BSA threaded). Then I think, I might as well replace the whole BB but why? I don't see why the cups themselves could be the cause... Plus, a new BB will have had the new bearings pressed in dry or with light greasing... Movement would still be a possibility, allowing for creaks... I would Loctite them in (609) to rule that out but I'm afraid pulling them out will ruin them (pulling on inner races).

Any of you knows what happens if the crank spindle to both BB bearing's inner races interface is insufficiently greased (just light coat)? Can there be enough lateral movement/pressure for the spindle to cause noise by sliding ever so lightly in the bearing's inner races?

I really wish I could have more info from any of you who has experienced the BLO treatment on the crank arm interface... I'm pretty sure a failed 1st attempt at that makes a second impossible (oil cured in gaps preventing further penetration)...
Thanks!