Creaking crank spider - help!

[mk1Matt]

The creak from my crank spider is enough to want to make me get rid of the cranks, which is a shame 'cos they're nice cranks (AC3).

The creak seems to come from the mating surface between the crank and the spider, but the lockring is done up uber tight, and everything has been coated in copper grease.

What else can I do to stop them creaking? It's really annoying me when riding!

The cranks in question:

 

[rc300]

Have you removed any paint where the spider mates to the crank?

 

[stevek]

Have you checked your chainring bolts? Give them the same treatment.

 

[mk1Matt]

Cheers guys. The chainring bolts are really tight and I'm absolutely sure it's not the chainring that's creaking.

I'll try stripping the paint off (I want to polish them anyway) and giving it a go. They used to creak before I painted them though, but I suppose the lockring might not have been that tight back then.

Is there some kind of anti-creak substance out there, or is copper grease usually best?

 

[stevek]

Copper grease as far as I know. I've heard of other people using WD40 before assembly too.

Bottom bracket bearing have any play?

 

[rc300]

Copper grease is the best be on that one dude!

I have spent the last 4 weeks trying to find a creak on my 303 stripping replacing etc....... found the prob the mitered joints internally of the top/down-tube have been creaking under load. Guess the tig didn't penetrate fully :evil:
Popped some lube down them and has now stopped ....but for how long :?

 

[scant]

my middleburn cranks used to creak at the crank/spider interface. remove all the grease/copperslip & replace with blue threadlock, same with the bolt. worked for me!

 

[legrandefromage]

also check your BB, these can creak if not done up properly

 

[terryhfs]

You shouldn't apply any lube/grease to your crank where it mates with the b/b. The interface depends on friction to work.