Creaking HT2 bottom bracket, advice.

Out of all the bikes I own my CX has the newest BB, which ran fine when it was first installed by my friendly mechanic... lasted a few months, then my first competitive CX race (muddy) the spray down (perhaps shouldn't have hosed it) its gone creaky. Checked the pedals, shoes, chain rings, all seem ok. Chain set spins smoothly and quietly other than when riding.

I have removed the cranks, felt the bearings, run fine. Removed the cups, cleaned the threads etc, noticed a vey fine slither of metal, removed it thinking problem solved. Re assembled with grease. Cups install fine and smoothly on the none drive side, on drive side the threads alight fine, but stiffer as a screwed it in, but went in ok, then noticed the bearings weren't quite as smooth as before, not rough, just not quite there.

Any way, assembled it all. Took it for a spin. Still creaking, but seems with one foot pedalling the drive side is worse, and it creaks near the bottom of the downward stroke.

Just a couple of notes to add, I may well have over tightened the drive side cups, as I didn't realise there was a reverse thread (although the noise was evident way before then), and I noticed the other day on my commute, a bunny hop, and the creaking briefly stopped.

So, do I just go and buy another 105bb (or Ultegra), try and maintain it (worth the hassle?), or could there be something wrong with frame (but worth considering it worked fine for several month).

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HT2 bottom brackets are supposedly* sensitive to alignment so you should maybe think about getting the bb shell faced and if you're doing that then might as well get the threads chased too.

*I've always faced customer bikes but never bothered on my own and have had zero issues running HT2 on non faced frames.

If you're going to have the bb out to do the above then if it were me, I'd replace it. A 105 bb should be around a tenner from CRC so hardly breaking the bank.

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Exactly. Not expensive. I think I may have contaminated them with the hose.

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Check your saddle. After fitting new cranks and HT2 bottom bracket I was convinced that was cause of the creak... It wasn't, it was the saddle rails :facepalm:

But, a Deore/105 BB is cheap, easy to replace and check.

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Doing it out of saddle. CRC don't have any 105s at the mo but got Ultegra for 11/12 quid

Rear quick release.
that sounds like a creaky bottom bracket.

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we're talking Shimano external BB right?

these have sealed bearings that are not perfectly sealed; water can get in which then later cannot get out thus ruining the bearing races quite quickly.

I posted on here how to replace the bearings, do a search. A couple of quid instead of £ 15 for the cups.

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I think I may have contaminated them, seen a YouTube vide where by the seal is careful removed and bearings cleaned and regreased. For now I want to see if a new bb sorts if and then I will refurb the current one for a rainy day.

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jimo746":7wkwhd9k said:

Check your saddle. After fitting new cranks and HT2 bottom bracket I was convinced that was cause of the creak... It wasn't, it was the saddle rails :facepalm:

But, a Deore/105 BB is cheap, easy to replace and check.

Click to expand...

Bike tubes are hollow and sound travels up them. I had a clinking noise i thought was wheel orientated.
Turned out to be a cable end 'pinging' off the side of the seat tube . I nearly had those wheels in bits I was convinced a spoke was about to go

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Checking for a creak or noise in the bottom bracket is very simple.

Put the bike in a stand
Turn cranks very slowly and listen.
But, use a piece of round wood about 12" long, touch it to the shell and place the other end just on the outside of your ear, it acts like a headset, you can hear any noises and can often detect metallic sounding noise or gritty, grinding noise as opposed to smooth, even bearing noise.

An old 12" wooden knitting needle is great for this job.

Sounds stupid but what have you got to lose!