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Help! My unicycle is creaking

Started by matt_t · · Last activity · 11 posts · 587 views

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rec.sport.unicycling
Published
2 October 2005
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2 November 2005
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matt_t
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  1. Hi everyone, does anyone know what the problem might be with a creaking
    sound coming from the hub of my uni. It sounds like the bearings might
    be screwed and are grinding a bit. I've been starting to jump off stuff
    a lot and its only a standard 24" Nimbus. Is there anything that I can
    do to find what's wrong and fix it, and is it likely to die soon as I'm
    worried it's falling apart.
    Thanks
    Matt

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    matt_t
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  2. Check the basics:
    Are the crank bolts good and tight?
    Are the clamp bolts reasonably tight, but not too tight?
    Are the pedals tight?

    Tip the uni up and spin the wheel. Does it spin freely? Is it
    notchy?

    Jumping might damaged the bearings. You could share the load by
    loosening the crank bolts and turning the outside part of the bearing
    90 degrees, then tightening the clamps again.

    My guess is a slightly loose crank is most likely.

    Or is it your knees?

    --
    Mikefule

    So, do you ride with a club?

    No, but I carry a heavy spanner.
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  3. Yeah sounds like your cranks are loose, the bearings are very unlikely
    to be damaged by hopping on them. Don't ride until you've sorted what
    it is that's wrong because you may kill it otherwise. Tighten the crank
    bolts to about 40 ft.lb, grab the cranks and give them a good tug
    around with your hands to see if they can move atall, this is a very
    rough indication of if they're ok or not. If you've ridden on loose
    cranks then you may well have scrapped them and possibly also the hub.
    If tightening the cranks stops the creaking but it quickly resumes and
    you find that the cranks have come loose again then remove them and
    re-install them using the technique described several times on this
    forum (just Search for it). If this doesn't do it then they're probably
    beyond saving, and a new pair of cranks and maybe a hub wil be needed,
    which is an expensive business. Good Luck.

    --
    kington99

    Dave

    - what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -
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  4. Check the spokes, this can cause a creaking noise.

    --
    terryb99
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  5. matt_t said:

    Hi everyone, does anyone know what the problem might be with a creaking
    sound coming from the hub of my uni. It sounds like the bearings might
    be screwed and are grinding a bit. I've been starting to jump off stuff
    a lot and its only a standard 24" Nimbus. Is there anything that I can
    do to find what's wrong and fix it, and is it likely to die soon as I'm
    worried it's falling apart.
    Thanks
    Matt

    same thing w/ me i was all good until i started dropping and hopping
    now it creaks a little. i havent taken care of it tho , i need a new
    one soon so im just gonna let it break wen it does (some how it hasnt
    yet, iyts a 20" sun and ive done many 1-2 foot drops) and probly get a
    torker

    --
    unijesse
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  6. yea check everything i have a dead uni because i didn't check it and
    crank arm strips same time my rim tacos what a great night that was

    --
    butternuts

    no unicycle tell oct 15

    some one pleas send me so bc drop plates
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  7. I'm adding my vote for a loose crank. Though, I'd also check the bearing
    clamps and make sure they aren't too tight. In any case, check the
    crank bolts immediately. They may need tightening even if the cranks
    feel tight when you hand-test them.

    My 16-inch (adult-size frame) makes a very faint
    "eeky...eeky...eeky..." sound as I ride it. You can hear it only when
    the gym is quiet. It took me forever to figure out that one of my
    spokes was broken at the hubward end, and rubbing against another spoke
    as the wheel turned. I haven't done anything about it.

    --
    weeble

    ======================
    To avoid danger of suffocation
    keep away from babies
    and small children
    ======================
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  8. Definately cranks. If you don't tighten them, you will need to replace
    them.

    Roger

    --
    rogeratunicycledotcom

    ++++++++++++++++++
    Unicycle.com in the UK
    The UK's Unicycle Source
    www.unicycle.uk.com
    +++++++++++++++++++
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  9. That's brilliant, thanks for all the help everyone! I only rode it for a
    short time like this so hopfully it's won't die just yet.

    --
    matt_t
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  10. My brand new Torker 26" LX started creakin after only two days.....I
    tightened the arms, but that didnt make the sound go away.
    Oh well, no biggie, alloy can get noisy under all that stress.....I
    wanna get new shorter arms anyway

    --
    babyivan

    *NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!*
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  11. My brand new Torker 26" LX started creakin after only two days.....I
    tightened the arms, but that didnt make the sound go away.
    Oh well, no biggie, alloy can get noisy under all that stress.....I
    wanna get new shorter arms anyway

    --
    babyivan

    *NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!*
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