Technical FAQ: Ticking noises
What can I do about a ticking noise?
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Follow up for Phil, who had a ticking noise on a Bianchi:
I had the same problem with a Dura Ace BB and Crank in my Trek Carbonframe.
I Teflon-taped the bottom bracket threads, reinserted and Teflon-taped the spindle before mounting my crank. No more noise. I rode with the noise for a year before doing this, haven’t had it back in three.
-Robert
And, from Phil himself, we get this advice:
Listen to your wife. The final resolution of the ticking BB brought me back full circle to where I started. While I was initially assembling the frame, on eof my Look pedals had a strange clunking noise. After messing with it, a little stone fell out.
My wife Lisa said to me “you sure that pedal’s ok?” “Oh Yeah” I told her, “spindle turns smoothly, it’s not that old, it’s fine, woman!”
I took the bike out for its first ride and it ticked, intermittently as you know. And, as you know, I tried everything. All the while Lisa would say things to me like “I think it may be the pedal, you sure it’s not the pedal? … Have you tried a different pedal yet? WILL YOU STOP COMPLAINING AND CHANGE THAT FREAKING PEDAL!”
I didn’t listen.I sent my question to you and followed your tips. #1 was grease the snot out of the BB, didn’t work. #2 was change the pedals – that did it. Fortunately for me, my wife doesn’t like to gloat as much as I do.
-Phil
P.S. I can now rebuild and install a DA BB in record time. Not such a bad skill to have.
