Clicking "ratchet" sound 905SE

[Extra Cold]

After a month off road due to a buckled back wheel . I'm really enjoying being back in the saddle.

At the 300 mile service, I mentioned that I thought the crank arms had a little too much play in them and they nipped them up a bit. Now there is no play at all.
I've done about another 75 miles since then and it's suddenly developed a wierd clicking noise when I push down on the pedals. More the left, than the right, but I can only describe it as the sound you get when using one of those ratchet socket spanners.

Thinking it must be down to the crank having no play, I've loosened it off a tad and checked the tightness of the crank arms. I could tighten them a little, but they didn't seem to be too bad.

Back on it again this morning and it appeared to have fixed it, until after about 5 miles, when it slowly started to come back again.

Can anyone tell me what the correct torque should be for these pedal arms? And is it possible (and worth) stripping down the crank to check the bearings?
I remember when I was a kid, my BMX had a "crank boot" to keep muck out. It only started happening after riding it in the pooring rain the other day, so I'm wondering if dirt/wet has got in there.

Has anybody else experienced this?

 

[wibble]

Hi!,

Make sure your chain is well oiled and your pedals are tight.

 

[Mussels]

I've had loose cranks and loose BB on my 905 and neither made a noise, the BB was a grating feeling and the cranks felt wobbly.
If you can't feel any play at all waggling it by hand then that's probably not the problem. Which version of 905 do you have, does it have the chain guard fitted?

 

[BertYardbrush]

Maybe the cranks want nipping up a bit more. I had this a few weeks back - TA cranks on a Quando 1. I tightened the cranks a bit more and now it's fine.

 

[Extra Cold]

I've had loose cranks and loose BB on my 905 and neither made a noise, the BB was a grating feeling and the cranks felt wobbly.
If you can't feel any play at all waggling it by hand then that's probably not the problem. Which version of 905 do you have, does it have the chain guard fitted?

Hi Mussels. It's the 2009 Sport without the chain guard.

 

[Extra Cold]

Maybe the cranks want nipping up a bit more. I had this a few weeks back - TA cranks on a Quando 1. I tightened the cranks a bit more and now it's fine.

Hi Bert. That's the way I'm thinking now, but I don't want to do damage by over tightening them. How much did you torque yours up by?

 

[Mussels]

Hi Bert. That's the way I'm thinking now, but I don't want to do damage by over tightening them. How much did you torque yours up by?

It may be too late, when my cranks came loose the soft alloy taper was damaged and it just kept on coming loose again. You might need new cranks if they are still loose, but you would know if they were as when they start to loosen it continues getting worse.

 

[flecc]

Hi Bert. That's the way I'm thinking now, but I don't want to do damage by over tightening them. How much did you torque yours up by?

About 35 ft/lbs (420 inch/lbs) is a general recommendation for the bolts on square taper cranks.
.

 

[Extra Cold]

About 35 ft/lbs (420 inch/lbs) is a general recommendation for the bolts on square taper cranks.
.

Thanks Flecc. I'll check that tonight.

 

[pl1974]

Hi Cold...

I've been having the same problem. Because I bought my 905SE from the other end of the Country (a lesson learnt) Norman at Wisper talked me through tightening the bottom bracket and eventually dissasembling the bottom bracket.

I found a small shard of metal in with the bearings and when I reassembled it was fine, however I keep finding it comes loose now, I'm wondering if I haven't tightened up the locking rings enough.

Regards,

Paul

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Tightening the bottom bracket.

Hi Paul the bottom bracket should be tightened to at least 40Nm and no more than 45Nm.

All the best David

 

[Straylight]

Spookily enough, just as this thread appeared, my bike developed the same clicking sound (cue: twilight zone music). I think Ive fixed it by swapping the pedals out from my other bike, so hopefully it was just the pedal bearing. Both set of pedals are shimano spd's, not the wisper originals btw.

 

[Mussels]

Spooky 2, my bike started making a clicking noise at the start of the week. Now the bottom bracket is loose and it feels like the bearing is grinding.
Time to pull it apart.

 

[winterdog]

Sent a mesage to Norman last month
that ended.
"oddly there is still noise like gravle in the bottom of a tumbel dryer comming from the part between the two pedal canks and i cant see any dirt traped in there is this just somthing that happens after a couple of month ? "
i forgot to chase up about it.

any who the grinding became wrling clicking sound so i passed by my LBS (thay have a passing intresting Ebykes mostly giant though)
and he said he oh yea need work there sould not be any play in that"
and " I would probaly replace the it with a seald shimano one these open ones are pest" i ment to get to noman about it this week

is my LBS talking rubbish ?
davidk

 

[Mussels]

Sent a mesage to Norman last month
that ended.
"oddly there is still noise like gravle in the bottom of a tumbel dryer comming from the part between the two pedal canks and i cant see any dirt traped in there is this just somthing that happens after a couple of month ? "
i forgot to chase up about it.

any who the grinding became wrling clicking sound so i passed by my LBS (thay have a passing intresting Ebykes mostly giant though)
and he said he oh yea need work there sould not be any play in that"
and " I would probaly replace the it with a seald shimano one these open ones are pest" i ment to get to noman about it this week

is my LBS talking rubbish ?
davidk

I'd be suprised if dirt got in there, it may be a failed bearing making the noise.
I would love to replace the bearings with sealed ones but as the BB is not standard I don't think it can be done, if they manage it I'd love to know how. Having standard bearings isn't an enormous problem and the 905 BB is simple to service, but it is a pain and time consuming so I'd rather not have to.

 

[Straylight]

Yes, if they do find a sealed unit alternative, can you do us all thefavour of finding out the make/model of the unit? I'd love to have a 'stick it in and forget it' solution.

 

[winterdog]

Yes, if they do find a sealed unit alternative, can you do us all thefavour of finding out the make/model of the unit? I'd love to have a 'stick it in and forget it' solution.

will do but in not sure what wisper would pay as i would have hoped that this would be a warinty kind of thing

davidk

 

[Mussels]

will do but in not sure what wisper would pay as i would have hoped that this would be a warinty kind of thing

davidk

There's nothing wrong with a cup and cone bottom bracket like the 905 has so replacing it for a sealed unit isn't really a warranty issue. It is a service item so if you've had it a while it is expected to need work.
However if it goes after a couple of weeks then it should be accepted by the retailer and fixed for free. I find it much easier to fix that the effort of dragging it back to the shop.

 

[winterdog]

There's nothing wrong with a cup and cone bottom bracket like the 905 has so replacing it for a sealed unit isn't really a warranty issue. It is a service item so if you've had it a while it is expected to need work.
However if it goes after a couple of weeks then it should be accepted by the retailer and fixed for free. I find it much easier to fix that the effort of dragging it back to the shop.

Yes having it in the shop for a couple of days would be a pest.just didnt realise things went wrong like that after a few months. i have never had problems with the cheep bikes bottom brackets just seams a bit odd.
is the bottom bracket like a brake pad and need replace every few months?
i bought a c spanner and crack extractor a few weeks a go to have a look but i need to find out what im looking for first

davidk

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Bottom Bracket

Hi

There have been one or two problems with the bottom brackets on the 905 but no more than we would expect, they all seem to have been sorted out relatively easily.

If you email Norman on service@wisperbikes.com he will make sure you are looked after and any problem is solved.

We are considering whether to change to a sealed unit but there seem to be pros and cons for both types. The existing bottom bracket should be serviced every year so not as often as bicycle brakes.

Best regards David.