BB30 Creaking - My success story.
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Good info, thanks.
10 SuperSix Hi-Mod
07 System 6.
06 Caad 8
90s Merlin Extralight.
07 System 6.
06 Caad 8
90s Merlin Extralight.
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Silenced my stock SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod that came with Cannondale PF30 Aluminium cups (god those are horrible)
Replaced that with a Sram Delrin (plastic) PF30 BB with some grease during install. Dead silent now.
Replaced that with a Sram Delrin (plastic) PF30 BB with some grease during install. Dead silent now.
Rick wrote:I now have a 2013 RED crank, and its "preload adjuster" is a step in the right direction and seems to work ok. But even it got loose on me once already, leading to creaks and pops. The mistake is that it is made out of plastic, which just isn't robust enough. They should have made the preload adjuster of aluminum.
I am on the lookout for a "split ring shaft collar" like in the picture, but it has to be only 5-6mm thick, so I haven't found one yet.
I am pretty sure that if I found one to fit the 30mm BB30 shaft, and it was thin enough to replace the "preload adjuster" it would hold things in place much better.
I wonder if the rotor preload adjustment ring would work? It fit's pretty snug on a 30mm spindle. the flat part that sits against the spindle is rather thin but it might be a possibility?
http://www.cart32hostingred.com/cgi-bin/cart32.exe/ROTORCOMPONENTSLLC-store?catid=258866100&prodid=258889530
IME the primary issue is the gap between the inner race and BB30 spindle. To the point where there's visible scoring on the spindle.
Again, IME a good waterproof grease lasts a while, as long as you're very careful washing the bb area.
Assumption: the bearings are properly square/seated in the frame.
More than once I've used Loctite Blue on the spindle and permanent silence was achieved. However, both heat and force was needed to break it free to remove the crank. Henkel recommended trying Loctite Purple as the shear strength is less than half of Blue. All that's needed on the spindle is gap-filling with a very low shear strength. Haven't tried Loctite Purple yet, still using waterproof marine grease.
fyi
Again, IME a good waterproof grease lasts a while, as long as you're very careful washing the bb area.
Assumption: the bearings are properly square/seated in the frame.
More than once I've used Loctite Blue on the spindle and permanent silence was achieved. However, both heat and force was needed to break it free to remove the crank. Henkel recommended trying Loctite Purple as the shear strength is less than half of Blue. All that's needed on the spindle is gap-filling with a very low shear strength. Haven't tried Loctite Purple yet, still using waterproof marine grease.
fyi
I was about to order a ceramic bb and tools for my BMC. But for some reason the creaking in my pressfit bb86 has gone without me doing anything about it. Maybe it was containing water after the last time I washed the bike, and this has now dried??
Yes, it's aluminum. I'll measure the one I have tonight and take a pic from both sides for you. I'll also tighten it on the spindle while it's un-threaded to see how well it will grip the spindle.
Without being threaded on it locks onto the spindle very tight with the 2mm bolt snugged down and plenty of gap still present. It might be too thick though, see pics below. If the threaded side, which is larger in diameter it might clear the crank arm to spindle interface though giving you more room?
Thickness:
Threaded side:
Bearing side:
Thickness:
Threaded side:
Bearing side:
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My experiences with BB30 creaking...
Set-up; Cannondale SuperSix Evo, SiSL2 with Spidering, Cannondale metal cups and also SRAM plastic cups.
I have had two creaking issues.
1. After a season of hard riding, I was getting a creak which would happen when I pushed hard, whilst standing. I swapped the original Cannondale metal cups for an SRAM plastic cup BB (slightly heavier, but whatever. Problem solved).
2. I got a new frame (Di2 Evo), and swapped my SiSL2 cranks over. After riding a while, I would get a weird, kind of rubbing / creaking sound when my right foot was at about 2 o'clock on the stroke, like when you step on a creaky floorboard, and it depresses with a creak, then resets with another creak. Amusingly annoying. I could only get this to happen when I was pedalling with both feet clipped in though, and not only the left, or only the right, so pinning it down to a particular side from the noise alone was impossible...
Took the BB apart (which was a new Cannondale metal cups thing that came with the new frame), and had a look at all the parts involved.
-Crank arms were fine, with no signs of wear / mis-tightening
-Cups into frame were straight
-Spidering was perfectly tight on the crank arm
The axle though... had a patch or wear on one side at the point where it interfaced with the non-drive side bearing. Odd. I measured the diametre of the axle where the wear point was, and it was slightly less than what it should have been.
I had a good old investigation of everything, and came up with the following theory;
There was not enough compression washers on the non-drive side, meaning that the bearing system was not functioning as intended, which was allowing some coaxial movement of the axle in the bearings. Due to the non-drive side being the side that is not locked into place, essentially being the 'adjustment' side of the system, it was here that the play was manifesting itself. This means that the axle was being allowed to move inside and rub the inner bearing race, which due to my pedalling style, had caused the wear patch to occur.
Solution; buy a new SiSL2 axle (which was surprisingly cheap, giving me the impression that this is designed to be expendable), and put some more washers into the system until it was compressed enough.
This fixed it, and it is now silent (although I have jinxed myself with this post and the bloody thing will start creaking again the minute I get on the bike next, mark my words)
Set-up; Cannondale SuperSix Evo, SiSL2 with Spidering, Cannondale metal cups and also SRAM plastic cups.
I have had two creaking issues.
1. After a season of hard riding, I was getting a creak which would happen when I pushed hard, whilst standing. I swapped the original Cannondale metal cups for an SRAM plastic cup BB (slightly heavier, but whatever. Problem solved).
2. I got a new frame (Di2 Evo), and swapped my SiSL2 cranks over. After riding a while, I would get a weird, kind of rubbing / creaking sound when my right foot was at about 2 o'clock on the stroke, like when you step on a creaky floorboard, and it depresses with a creak, then resets with another creak. Amusingly annoying. I could only get this to happen when I was pedalling with both feet clipped in though, and not only the left, or only the right, so pinning it down to a particular side from the noise alone was impossible...
Took the BB apart (which was a new Cannondale metal cups thing that came with the new frame), and had a look at all the parts involved.
-Crank arms were fine, with no signs of wear / mis-tightening
-Cups into frame were straight
-Spidering was perfectly tight on the crank arm
The axle though... had a patch or wear on one side at the point where it interfaced with the non-drive side bearing. Odd. I measured the diametre of the axle where the wear point was, and it was slightly less than what it should have been.
I had a good old investigation of everything, and came up with the following theory;
There was not enough compression washers on the non-drive side, meaning that the bearing system was not functioning as intended, which was allowing some coaxial movement of the axle in the bearings. Due to the non-drive side being the side that is not locked into place, essentially being the 'adjustment' side of the system, it was here that the play was manifesting itself. This means that the axle was being allowed to move inside and rub the inner bearing race, which due to my pedalling style, had caused the wear patch to occur.
Solution; buy a new SiSL2 axle (which was surprisingly cheap, giving me the impression that this is designed to be expendable), and put some more washers into the system until it was compressed enough.
This fixed it, and it is now silent (although I have jinxed myself with this post and the bloody thing will start creaking again the minute I get on the bike next, mark my words)
Thanks for the great info, merka!
It looks like I might be able to make it work.
So I went to the web page to order one. Although it is listed as $18, it is $31 UPS ground shipping! It must be coming from Spain ?
Anyway, I will keep my eyes open for another source.
It looks like I might be able to make it work.
So I went to the web page to order one. Although it is listed as $18, it is $31 UPS ground shipping! It must be coming from Spain ?
Anyway, I will keep my eyes open for another source.
maxxevv wrote:These are what you need to solve the creaking for practically all press-fit assemblies.
http://www.henkelna.com/industrial/loct ... -22361.htm
http://www.henkelna.com/industrial/reta ... -22943.htm
What is the difference? And when to use which one?
Thx in advance
This is how I managed to eliminate creaking from the bottom bracket area on my Cannondale Flash:
last summer creaking started to appear from the BB area and after lots and lots of trouble shooting I found that the source of the noise originated from the chain ring bolts. Normally it is recommended to install these with some grease, but no matter how much grease would I apply the creaking would reappear within a few miles. Finally I thoroughly cleaned the chain ring bolts and the chain rings with isopropanol and installed everything without any lubrication at all. So far no creaking from the BB area has reappeared.
last summer creaking started to appear from the BB area and after lots and lots of trouble shooting I found that the source of the noise originated from the chain ring bolts. Normally it is recommended to install these with some grease, but no matter how much grease would I apply the creaking would reappear within a few miles. Finally I thoroughly cleaned the chain ring bolts and the chain rings with isopropanol and installed everything without any lubrication at all. So far no creaking from the BB area has reappeared.
My BB30 creaking went away when I installed a Quarq Elsa power meter (before I was using SISL2, spiderring, wavy washer). I attribute the creaking to insufficient preload by the wavy washer, as I didn't change the bearings when I switched cranks. The Elsa uses SRAM's plastic preload adjuster. I'll have to try a preload adjuster with the SISL2 when it finds a bike to go on. I also had an idea to stack two washers on top of eachother, creating a stiffer spring.
So if you've tried everything and the creaking is still there, try ditching the wavy washer.
So if you've tried everything and the creaking is still there, try ditching the wavy washer.
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