the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

tnegun wrote: »

Think I have a creak from the BB, I've pretty much ruled everything else out I think. Have tightened the chain ring bolts, greased the seat post, tightened the quick release skewers and checked the pedals. I cycled this bike right through the winter and bad weather at the start of the year so suspect the BB lubricant has had it.
The creak is every revolution and the cranks seem stable enough there is a tiny bit of play in the left side though. LBS is booked up for 2/3 weeks its and FSA Omega crank and FSA BB am I mad to try buy the tools to DIY it?

Thanks for the advice guys removed the cranks today and re greased. One side of the BB is knackered. It almost fell apart cover the cover on the bearings came away and there is a lot of play in them so it needs to be replaced. It looks like there is no central piece connecting each side of the BB is that normal? Also the shaft on the crank has groves worn in it at each side not awful but noticeable how much is OK before it needs replacing?

Tony04 wrote: »

Replace it definitely I wouldnt want to risk damaging the frame threads . If its threaded it should be 68mm if a touring/road/city 73mm if a mtb or if its Italian probably 71mm. What cranks do you have?

Just to be clear, the threads for the frame are fine. It's the threads for the lock ring that are damaged.

It's from an '86 Muddy Fox, so MTB, but don't know what standards would have been used then

I'll take a picture of one of the cranks

Tony04 wrote: »

Replace it definitely I wouldnt want to risk damaging the frame threads . If its threaded it should be 68mm if a touring/road/city 73mm if a mtb or if its Italian probably 71mm. What cranks do you have?

So, I've attached a picture of the bottom bracket components. It's a loose bearing cup and cone arrangement, with a square tapered spindle. It's all in good nick apart from the first few threads I mentioned

Like I said, if anyone can tell me what I should be looking for, it would be great (or if you have one you don't need, give me a price)

loyatemu wrote: »

what type of bike is that from?

I replaced a cup and cone style bracket like that with a cartridge style in an old mountain bike I had - just needed to match the size of the hole in the frame. The toughest bit was getting the old bracket out but you've done that.

It's from a mid 80's Muddy Fox.

So, I had a bit of a brainwave. It's only the first 2 and a half threads that are damaged, and it's only the threads after these that were being used to lock down the cup (I presume they were damaged due to being exposed).

I've threaded the lock ring on from the opposite side, up as far as it will go, and (hopefully) clearing the point where it will be locked down once the bearings and spindle are in place

Either:

Use the old one (screwing on the lockring from the inside of the cup before screwing it into the frame as you mention), or

Buy the cartridge one - English thread, same spindle-length as the old one (excluding the make threaded sections at the end), and the BB shell on your bike should be 68mm wide, but might be 70mm - check before ordering. These cartridge BBs almost always come with the correct bolts, so no need to order separately. Note that you'll need the correct tool to fit this type (fancier versions are available, but this one is great for occasional use).

caviardreams wrote: »

Thanks guys

It's a Giant (Liv) Avail 2 2015 size medium - sorry I worded that badly by saying I got it recently - I got it 4 years ago but never really used it (mainly because of the twitchiness) so it feels brand new in my head it ended up indoors for the last 4 years after a few weeks of trying it and I only took it out again a few weeks ago and got it serviced. Trying to stick with it this time but it's not getting any easier steering wise and I've been out for an hour's cycle 9 or 10 times now. It feels best / most stable on the hoods but still very twitchy/slippy.

https://www.liv-cycling.com/ie/avail-2-2015

Few things to check here:

1. Ensure the tyres are properly pumped up. You want them at 80psi minimum if you're light. I expect most riders probably run at 100psi, I run mine at 110.

2. Check to see if the wheels run straight. That is, spin the wheels and look at them from above and from the side. You're looking to see if there's any side-to-side or up-and-down movement. There may be tiny movements, that's OK. But more than a couple of mm in any direction could be enough.

3. Make sure the wheels are sitting in secure and straight. Turn the bike upside-down, loosen the quick release on both wheels and ensure the wheels are sitting right into the drop-outs. Then tighten up the quick release. The levers should be tight enough that you need a bit of effort to open/close them. That is, they shouldn't be so loose that a flick of the finger will open them, nor so tight that you leave a mark on your hand when closing them.

4. Make sure the headset is still smooth:
Stand over the bike, hold the front brake and rock the bike slowly back and forth. If you can feel a "clicking" through the handlebars, then your headset is loose (or the bearings are shot).
Lift the front wheel up and hold the frame between your legs. Turn the handlebars left and right. It should be smooth with no roughness or resistance. Turn the bars to the 1 o'clock position and let go. They should fall naturally to the right. If they stay in that position, your headset might be too tight or seized up.

5. Check the wheel bearings. When in the frame, hold the wheel between your thumb and index finger and gently rock it side-to-side. Movement is normal, wheels are flexible. But it's shouldn't "click" or "thud". If it does, your wheel bearings need a service.

Type 17 wrote: »

Older/cheaper stuff was male-threaded with a nut like this (cheaper to make the spindle with external threads), but female-threaded spindle with a bolt is universal now because it tends not to come loose like the nut version. The taper is the same spec, so any square-taper crank that fits one spindle type will also fit the other.

You would have to get a new fixing bolt though?

Update on my creaking noise / sound.

After headset drama with a new BB the source of the creak has been found this morning. BB had play so needed doing anyway.

The carbon soles on my Northwave shoes are cracked, absolutely sickened & an expensive fix.