Creaking Carbon Cranks

[Brian Phillips]

I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my aluminum
(LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it apart, made sure I
had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased the bb splines, made sure
everything was real tight... and it still creaks. Only seems to do it when
I'm in the saddle and it's not at any one particular spot in the revolution.
Another bike of mine, which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt)
also came with an FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any
suggestions?

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Brian Phillips wrote:
> I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my
> aluminum (LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it
> apart, made sure I had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased
> the bb splines, made sure everything was real tight... and it still
> creaks. Only seems to do it when I'm in the saddle and it's not at
> any one particular spot in the revolution. Another bike of mine,
> which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt) also came with an
> FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any suggestions?

Are you sure the top cap was tightened fully? Are the stem clamp bolts
tight? Did you tell your tech mechanics that it felt like your cranks were
loose right before you crashed?
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[Sorni]

Brian Phillips wrote:
> I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my
> aluminum (LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it
> apart, made sure I had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased
> the bb splines, made sure everything was real tight... and it still
> creaks. Only seems to do it when I'm in the saddle and it's not at
> any one particular spot in the revolution. Another bike of mine,
> which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt) also came with an
> FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any suggestions?

Check your saddle rails and seat post.

Ta-da?

 

[RonSonic]

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:03:55 -0700, "Brian Phillips"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my aluminum
>(LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it apart, made sure I
>had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased the bb splines, made sure
>everything was real tight... and it still creaks. Only seems to do it when
>I'm in the saddle and it's not at any one particular spot in the revolution.
>Another bike of mine, which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt)
>also came with an FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any
>suggestions?

Saddle rails?

Ron

 

[Llatikcuf]

Brian Phillips wrote:
> I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my aluminum
> (LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it apart, made sure I
> had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased the bb splines, made sure
> everything was real tight... and it still creaks. Only seems to do it when
> I'm in the saddle and it's not at any one particular spot in the revolution.
> Another bike of mine, which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt)
> also came with an FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any
> suggestions?

Grease the seatpost.

 

[Skippy]

"Llatikcuf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Brian Phillips wrote:
>> I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my aluminum
>> (LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it apart, made sure
>> I
>> had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased the bb splines, made
>> sure
>> everything was real tight... and it still creaks. Only seems to do it
>> when
>> I'm in the saddle and it's not at any one particular spot in the
>> revolution.
>> Another bike of mine, which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt)
>> also came with an FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise.
>> Any
>> suggestions?
>
> Grease the seatpost.
>
Unless it's carbon

 

[Kenny]

It's probably the seat post. Grease it up and reinsert it.

 

[D'ohBoy]

<snippage of creaky FSA BB complaint>

Some FSA BBs creak like a mother. I have an FSA megaquad that does the
same thing.

D'ohBoy

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Brian Phillips wrote:
> I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my aluminum
> (LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it apart, made sure I
> had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased the bb splines, made sure
> everything was real tight... and it still creaks. Only seems to do it when
> I'm in the saddle and it's not at any one particular spot in the revolution.
> Another bike of mine, which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt)
> also came with an FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any
> suggestions?

use pedal washers that came with the crank? Sure it's the BB/crank?

Face the BB shell...ensure the BB cups are tight...grease everything,
lots on the shaft and splines as well.

 

[Brian Phillips]

I'd ruled out the seatpost idea, since the creaking started shortly after I
installed the new bb and crank. Also, after noticing the creaking, and
thinking it may be from my seat, I swapped out my seat for another... with
no change. So, I figure the creak IS coming from the crank and was really
wondering if others have had the same problem with FSA carbon cranks...
HOWEVER after reading a couple of your posts suggesting the seatpost
problem, I figured what the hell... pulled the seatpost out and although it
still had some grease on it, I greased the $#!+ out of it and put it back in
and damn if that didn't take care of it... nuthin' wrong with the crank
after all!

"Kenny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It's probably the seat post. Grease it up and reinsert it.
>

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
>
>I installed an FSA carbon crank with an FSA bottom bracket on my aluminum
>(LeMond) road bike. The thing creaks a lot, so I took it apart, made sure I
>had enough grease on the bb threads, even greased the bb splines, made sure
>everything was real tight... and it still creaks. Only seems to do it when
>I'm in the saddle and it's not at any one particular spot in the revolution.
>Another bike of mine, which I recently bought new, (a carbon framed Felt)
>also came with an FSA carbon crank, but it doesn't make any such noise. Any
>suggestions?

Look else where. Hollow tubes transmit sounds quite nicely. So even though
the sound is coming from the BB area, it might originate else where.
-------------
Alex