Slight creak Bosch CX on Cube

[Gadfly]

According to my table, the mounting plate to frame bolts should be 25-30Nm and the mounting plate to drive unit Torx 30 bolts should be 9-11Nm.

 

[zakventis]

Whew! That was lucky - I went for 25Nm & 10Nm + an extra push!

 

[bikey850]

Glad it helped you as well.

This forum is great with lots of wise people willing to share their knowledge and advice so it's a great place to post with small niggling problems as it's likely one of the wise gurus here will have seen the problem and solved it.

It's also good to have a thread completed with a solution as many of them just fade out and we never find the solution. It's good that this can remain to save others some pain.

I just tightened mine up to what I felt was a firm snugness, but I think if it happens again and the squeek comes back I will take the cover off again and apply a little thread lock - kinda wished I had done that at the time but now I know what to do next time should be a lot quicker.

 

[Asboboy]

Hi has anyone had a problem with this reoccurring? I bought a cube reaction hybrid 400 from Evans and I was back and forth 4 times with this exact problem. They eventually gave me a new bike but I have done 55miles on the new one and the same is happening again. Was thinking about ditching the cube with cx drive and trying a Specialized levo ht with a custom Rx trail motor. Anyone have any experience of that motor?

 

[Gadfly]

Why do you feel the need for such a radical change when the potential fix is so simple?

It is normal for bolts to require re-tightening after a few hundred miles, hence the free first service.

 

[Asboboy]

I’ve had the bolts tightened by the service dept in store at Evans 4 times and it keeps returning after very short distance (3miles last time) they tried thread locking the bolts but no joy. I covered total 380 miles on my first bike.The Specialized bike is the same price range but uses a different motor. I don’t have much confidence in the cx drive after reading a few threads on here.

 

[Fat Rat]

Doesn’t Specialized use the brose motor
If so don’t touch it
As above I can’t see what’s going on for bolts too keep loosening
Is the frame marking/squashing where the bolts clamp up ?
There must be some explanation

 

[Gadfly]

OK, sometimes just tightening the bolts is not enough. Get them, or do it yourself to remove the bolts then apply a very thin smear of Copperslip or similar under the heads of the bolts and the side of the nuts or washers contacting the frame. Note a thin smear, barely visible. Re-assemble then rejoice as your problem is solved.

 

[Fat Rat]

OK, sometimes just tightening the bolts is not enough. Get them, or do it yourself to remove the bolts then apply a very thin smear of Copperslip or similar under the heads of the bolts and the side of the nuts or washers contacting the frame. Note a thin smear, barely visible. Re-assemble then rejoice as your problem is solved.

I have no problem with the above suggestion just use silver aluminium anti seize not copper
Copper anti seize doesn’t play as well with aluminium
Also the aluminium anti seize hangs around loads better .

 

[zakventis]

[QUOTE="Asboboy, post: 448582, member: 22781" I don’t have much confidence in the cx drive after reading a few threads on here.[/QUOTE]

I feel the need to counter that... Bosch CX motor (Trek P'fly7) and 18 miles short of 5,000 in just over one year - creaking started a couple of months ago - followed the advice on this forum and creaking gone and has stayed that way over the last 500 miles. Don't be discouraged by the few nay sayers, they are the vocal minority 0.1%, the rest of us 99.9% just get on, pedal away and enjoy!

 

[Fat Rat]

I don’t have much confidence in the cx drive after reading a few threads on here.

As above comment really

How many cx drives are out there ?

People only moan when things go wrong
They never praise the equipment when it’s all going perfect
So a few posts on here is nothing in the grand scheme .

 

[Gadfly]

I have no problem with the above suggestion just use silver aluminium anti seize not copper
Copper anti seize doesn’t play as well with aluminium
Also the aluminium anti seize hangs around loads better .

Please don't think I am starting an argument here as that is not my intention. All I can say is that for over forty years I have used Copperslip on all kinds of applications including vintage cars and motorcycles which have been used in all weathers and on salted roads and I have never experienced the slightest problem. I'm not saying there isn't a theoretical risk of galvanic corrosion, but it remains IME just that ... theoretical. However if the OP has neither copper or aluminium grease he may as well use ally. But I would bother buying it while I have a supply of copper grease.

 

[chris_n]

Another agreement with the above, the Bosch CX is probably the most popular mid motor in Europe. Most of the hire bikes have them here with no problems.

 

[Asboboy]

I’m sure they greased the bolts on the first occasion. I will be taking the info from this thread with me on my next visit. It’s just annoying when you are peddling along and you sound like you are running over a rubber glove every 5 yards. I haven’t thrashed any of the two bikes at all. Hardest I have went is a canal pathway and my 2 mile commute to work!

 

[Fat Rat]

Please don't think I am starting an argument here as that is not my intention. All I can say is that for over forty years I have used Copperslip on all kinds of applications including vintage cars and motorcycles which have been used in all weathers and on salted roads and I have never experienced the slightest problem. I'm not saying there isn't a theoretical risk of galvanic corrosion, but it remains IME just that ... theoretical. However if the OP has neither copper or aluminium grease he may as well use ally. But I would bother buying it while I have a supply of copper grease.

Hey no argument from me
We all have our opinions and jobs
And on jobs if I used copper grease on aluminium surfaces I would need sacking
if there’s any potential corrosion problems I have to aire on the side of caution because there is a risk of galvanic corrosion no matter how small

We’re all different thou and I feel that I should put it out there as advice
But like all advice given people have the choice to take or leave it

No harm done either way

 

[Fat Rat]

I’m sure they greased the bolts on the first occasion. I will be taking the info from this thread with me on my next visit. It’s just annoying when you are peddling along and you sound like you are running over a rubber glove every 5 yards. I haven’t thrashed any of the two bikes at all. Hardest I have went is a canal pathway and my 2 mile commute to work!

Maybe it needs more of a thrashing

Seriously thou this is a cube issue not a Bosch issue

 

[Asboboy]

Maybe it needs more of a thrashing

Seriously thou this is a cube issue not a Bosch issue

I’m new to bikes in general, I sold my car to get into the swing of this and I’m finding it reassuring that it’s not a motor problem so thanks for that. If it’s just a noise I can live with that,what I don’t want is an expensive failure.

 

[soundwave]

take the covers off the motor and see if it goes away also mark the bolts so you can see if they are moving.

 

[Asboboy]

I was worried my knees were on their way out to start with

 

[Fat Rat]

I was worried my knees were on their way out to start with

Are you sure there not lol