Creaking Rear wheel - What to do?

[Mtventoux]

Well, I have finally solved the mystery of the most annoying creaking sound, which I thought for the longest time was coming from the cranks. It creaked mostly when out of the saddle, every downstroke. I had the cranks and BB serviced twice, tried new pedals...you name it. The other day, I get out of the saddle, and I feel a rubbing from the rear wheel, so I get off, and tug on the wheel and see a lot of play allowing it to rub back and forth off the brake pads. I then tighten the skewer as tight as possible, and voila, the creaking sound lessens ----- but it is still there a little bit!!

How can I solve this? It seems there is play in that rear axle, even when the skewer is ultra tight. Is this normal? Can this rear hub/axle be serviced to eliminate this damn sound??

 

[martin_j001]

Take the wheel to a shop to have the hub serviced--the bearings may be shot or it may just need repacked with grease, or you may have bent the axle somehow, or you may just need to adjust/tighten the bolts that hold the axle in place (this would be my first guess). They should be able to figure it out pretty quickly. Another test you can do is to hold the wheel in your hands, by the skewer and spin the wheel--if you still get the same sound or feel play in the wheel, then that is obviously your problem.

 

[dhk]

Well, I have finally solved the mystery of the most annoying creaking sound, which I thought for the longest time was coming from the cranks. It creaked mostly when out of the saddle, every downstroke. I had the cranks and BB serviced twice, tried new pedals...you name it. The other day, I get out of the saddle, and I feel a rubbing from the rear wheel, so I get off, and tug on the wheel and see a lot of play allowing it to rub back and forth off the brake pads. I then tighten the skewer as tight as possible, and voila, the creaking sound lessens ----- but it is still there a little bit!!

How can I solve this? It seems there is play in that rear axle, even when the skewer is ultra tight. Is this normal? Can this rear hub/axle be serviced to eliminate this damn sound??

Also would check the RD hangar bracket. If your bike has a replaceable bracket, it could be loose, allowing the inside nut of the skewer to move around under load.