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Posted: Oct 8, 2007 at 19:37 Quote
To find a topic press control f and type a key word for example you looking for creaks type creaks and it should send you to the topic

The below quote was written by RMR in the Ask Pinkbike section:

[Quoten]

Creaks and other noises

No, we don't know what the noise is. Even if I was riding your bike, mystery noises are extremely hard to find. Don't try to be more descriptive, don't post a link to a recording of the noise, and don't post the question in some other forum (even if you get an answer there, it's purely speculation). Either strip the bike and every part down to constituent components or take it to a shop.

The most common sources of creaks are, approximately in descending order of likelihood:

BB cups/frame interface
BB spindle/cranks interface
Seat post/frame interface
Seat post’s seat clamp mechanism
Chaining/crank interface

All of these can be greased except for square-taper BB spindles. Teflon tape around the BB cups sometimes works, too.[/Quoten]

Cracked frames


Some of us have unfortunately caught a crack in our frames. With most full suspension bikes it is possible to only replace one part of the bike, for example the chainstay. This means that you don’t have to buy a new frame but you must ask yourself some questions such as these:

If it happened on this part of the frame could it happen in other places?

Is my frame getting old - should I replace it?



It is always better to get a new frame over one linkage, because usually if there's one crack there will be another.


Singlespeed


Many dirt jumpers and street riders choose to use a single speed because it weighs less, you get little to no chain slap and your chain can’t fall off.

To single speed a bike with vertical dropouts you will need a chain tensioner and singlespeed spacers or singlespeed spacers and a half link chain (This may not work correctly with your frame). With horizontal drop outs all you need is the singlespeed spacers and a cog.

Derailleurs


Gears are very important to how a bike rides; if they skip or just don’t even get on the right gear your bike will feel really bad. To set a derailleur put your shifter and chain on your smallest rear cog. Next you loose the cable bolt on the derailleur. After that you set the low so its in perfect line. Then you must hold the cable taught [tight?] in the proper line and tighten the bolt. Then go and ride around and start shifting up. If you cant shift up turn that little knob on your shifter until you have made it to gear one. Gear back down slowly. If you can't go down a gear turn that little knob in the opposite direction.

Brakes


Most mountain bikes use disc brakes. When they loose stopping power there are many things you can do, but first you must ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my system hydraulic?

a) If yes, then make sure your system is bled
b) If no, make sure your cable is tight and in good shape. If so, then tighten your barrel until it is

2). Are my pads worn?

a) If yes, get new ones or adjust your old ones
b) If no, this isn’t your problem

Squeaking brakes can be caused by several things, such as a loose rotors or calipers, glazed pads and bent rotors. The loosed rotors should be pretty self explanatory [tighten them]. If your pads are glazed, the best thing to do is to get new ones. I have heard suggestions of baking them or burning them and also possibly sanding off the top layer.

If your rotor is bent there is no way of cheating it out. You've got to get a new one. And finally, if your brakes start losing power after a long day of hard riding they are simply overheated. To fix this, just let them cool off.

V-brakes coming soon!

Headsets


To tighten a headset, loosen bolts on the stem and top crown. Then tighten the bolt on the very top until your headset is tight but not binded. Re-tighten the bolts on crown and stem once complete.

If your headset starts to creak your head tube may be ovalized. That means you need a new frame. Your top cap may also be hitting the top of the steer tube. If so, you must add a spacer. Your bearings may need replacing. If this is the case, contact your local bike shop.

installation and removal (no special tools)
to remove of install a headset with no special tools you must firt remove the old head set to do this you must remove the fork the with a metal pipe catch ith inside lip of teh headset cup and whack away at diffrent points witha hammer untill removed. next go to the hard ware stor bu a 2 foot long bolt 2 bolts and to bushings use this to press in the headset

Fork installation


To install a fork you must first remove the top crown (Only if it's a dual crown!). Then you must get a crown race. It's a little silver ring that sits on the lower crown. Pound it down until it touches the lower crown. Next slide the steer tube up your headtube. Properly position the headset bearings and the upper races. Then put on your crown, stem and spacers. Leave one 5mm spacer out. Draw a line from the top of the steer tube to the top of your stem. Then draw a ring around your stem or spacer. Next, remove your stem spacer installation and with a cut guide. Place the saw slot so the line is in it. Then you can cut through it with your hack saw. When this has been completed you need to file down the top. Pound a star nut in the steer tube, install your stem and spacers (including your extra 5mm one you left out before!). Then simply place the top cap and bolt on top and tighten your headset.

Hubs


For front hub there are three systems. The first is the standard quick release (QR) or bolt on axle, the second is the 20mm through axle and the third is the 24mm thru axle. The most common axle types are QR and 20mm. In case you are wondering, it is not possible to change any old QR hub in to 20mm, but it is possible to change 20mm into QR, although not very affectively. To convert to QR you must either buy the adapters from Sun ringle or you must have a Da Bomb hub.

The standard mountain bike rear hub width is 135 millimeters with either a QR or bolt on axle. However, some downhill frames use 12 millimeter axles to stiffen the hub. Other frames also use a 150 millimeter wide hub with a 12 millimeter through-axle.

If your hub seems to be wobbly when the axels are tight, the chances are that your cone bolts are loose. All you have to do is go to your bike shop and ask them to tighten them. Observe, buy some cone wrenches, and just do like the bike shop did every time it happens again.

Leaking suspension


If your fork or rear shock is leaking oil it usually isn’t a good thing. The most common cause is a blown seal, in which case the only option is to go and get it rebuilt with new seals. In other cases the weather may be so cold that the metal of the fork will shrink more than the seals and thus a leak may occur. Another common cause is the fork sitting for a long time. The oil then settles and needs to be recirculated to reach the proper viscousity. If this has happened, the oil may be thinner and seep a bit of oil out the seals.

Lost rebound knob


Many Rock Shox users have lost their rebound knobs riding and they posted a thread complaining about the loss. You can use a 2.5mm Allen key instead, but if you are really fond of that red metal thing you can order one from Rock Shox.

Rims


The greatest way to lighten up your ride is to use a light rim. However, a light rim may be weaker than a strong one. If you are looking for a strong light rim your best bet is the Mavic 721 or 729. If you don’t care about weight and just want pure strength, something like the Sun Intense Mag 30 is the way to go. [How about Halo SAS? I heard they're very durable although they weigh rather much]

Building wheels


When building a wheel make sure that the hub and rim are compatible and have the same spoke count. The most common spoke count is 32 spokes. Remember that you will pop a lot of tubes if you don’t have rim tape. The cheapest solution is to just run some electrical or sock tape around the insides of your rim (you should put about 5 or 6 layers). The number one option is to go and buy rim tape. It will cost 4-5 dollars, but if you ask for some when you buy the rim, the chances are that they will throw it in for free.

Cranks and bottom bracket systems


Today on the component market the two dominating bottom bracket and frame interfaces are X-type and Howitzer [ISIS?][Shimano Hollowtech is also rather popular]. The Howitzer system, when used with holzfeller oct [?] is the lightest and stiffest crank set on the market. However, it is vulnerable to the interface rounding because it is a 3 piece system. The X-type is a two piece system used by Shimano, Race Face and FSA. It is less vulnerable to rounding but is heavier and flexes more. The two piece system can develop play between the bottom bracket and the spindle with excessive use. If this happens, a new BB will be needed. It is worth remembering that with the X-type system the crank has to be set up 100% PERFECTLY or otherwise the bottom bracket is dead.

Loose cranks


The chances are that if your crank bolts are constantly loose your crank arm is rounded. There is no way of getting away with this one - you will have to replace it. Another possibility is that your bolts are stripped and are not threading properly into the spindle. To know for sure you should take it to your local shop.




Pm with any problems with information or spelling I have tried my best

Posted: Oct 8, 2007 at 19:41 Quote
Cool, good to know

Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 6:06 Quote
Thanks for the help mate

Posted: Nov 22, 2007 at 17:22 Quote
ajaxpowder wrote:
To find a topic press control f and type a key word for example you looking for creaks type creaks and it should send you to the topic

The below quote was written by RMR in the Ask Pinkbike section:

[Quoten]

Creaks and other noises

No, we don't know what the noise is. Even if I was riding your bike, mystery noises are extremely hard to find. Don't try to be more descriptive, don't post a link to a recording of the noise, and don't post the question in some other forum (even if you get an answer there, it's purely speculation). Either strip the bike and every part down to constituent components or take it to a shop.

The most common sources of creaks are, approximately in descending order of likelihood:

BB cups/frame interface
BB spindle/cranks interface
Seat post/frame interface
Seat post’s seat clamp mechanism
Chaining/crank interface

All of these can be greased except for square-taper BB spindles. Teflon tape around the BB cups sometimes works, too.[/Quoten]

Cracked frames


Some of us have unfortunately caught a crack in our frames. With most full suspension bikes it is possible to only replace one part of the bike, for example the chainstay. This means that you don’t have to buy a new frame but you must ask yourself some questions such as these:

If it happened on this part of the frame could it happen in other places?

Is my frame getting old - should I replace it?



It is always better to get a new frame over one linkage, because usually if there's one crack there will be another.


Singlespeed


Many dirt jumpers and street riders choose to use a single speed because it weighs less, you get little to no chain slap and your chain can’t fall off.

To single speed a bike with vertical dropouts you will need a chain tensioner and singlespeed spacers or singlespeed spacers and a half link chain (This may not work correctly with your frame). With horizontal drop outs all you need is the singlespeed spacers and a cog.

Derailleurs


Gears are very important to how a bike rides; if they skip or just don’t even get on the right gear your bike will feel really bad. To set a derailleur put your shifter and chain on your smallest rear cog. Next you loose the cable bolt on the derailleur. After that you set the low so its in perfect line. Then you must hold the cable taught [tight?] in the proper line and tighten the bolt. Then go and ride around and start shifting up. If you cant shift up turn that little knob on your shifter until you have made it to gear one. Gear back down slowly. If you can't go down a gear turn that little knob in the opposite direction.

Brakes


Most mountain bikes use disc brakes. When they loose stopping power there are many things you can do, but first you must ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my system hydraulic?

a) If yes, then make sure your system is bled
b) If no, make sure your cable is tight and in good shape. If so, then tighten your barrel until it is

2). Are my pads worn?

a) If yes, get new ones or adjust your old ones
b) If no, this isn’t your problem

Squeaking brakes can be caused by several things, such as a loose rotors or calipers, glazed pads and bent rotors. The loosed rotors should be pretty self explanatory [tighten them]. If your pads are glazed, the best thing to do is to get new ones. I have heard suggestions of baking them or burning them and also possibly sanding off the top layer.

If your rotor is bent there is no way of cheating it out. You've got to get a new one. And finally, if your brakes start losing power after a long day of hard riding they are simply overheated. To fix this, just let them cool off.

V-brakes coming soon!

Headsets


To tighten a headset, loosen bolts on the stem and top crown. Then tighten the bolt on the very top until your headset is tight but not binded. Re-tighten the bolts on crown and stem once complete.

If your headset starts to creak your head tube may be ovalized. That means you need a new frame. Your top cap may also be hitting the top of the steer tube. If so, you must add a spacer. Your bearings may need replacing. If this is the case, contact your local bike shop.

Fork installation


To install a fork you must first remove the top crown (Only if it's a dual crown!). Then you must get a crown race. It's a little silver ring that sits on the lower crown. Pound it down until it touches the lower crown. Next slide the steer tube up your headtube. Properly position the headset bearings and the upper races. Then put on your crown, stem and spacers. Leave one 5mm spacer out. Draw a line from the top of the steer tube to the top of your stem. Then draw a ring around your stem or spacer. Next, remove your stem spacer installation and with a cut guide. Place the saw slot so the line is in it. Then you can cut through it with your hack saw. When this has been completed you need to file down the top. Pound a star nut in the steer tube, install your stem and spacers (including your extra 5mm one you left out before!). Then simply place the top cap and bolt on top and tighten your headset.

Hubs


For front hub there are three systems. The first is the standard quick release (QR) or bolt on axle, the second is the 20mm through axle and the third is the 24mm thru axle. The most common axle types are QR and 20mm. In case you are wondering, it is not possible to change any old QR hub in to 20mm, but it is possible to change 20mm into QR, although not very affectively. To convert to QR you must either buy the adapters from Sun ringle or you must have a Da Bomb hub.

The standard mountain bike rear hub width is 135 millimeters with either a QR or bolt on axle. However, some downhill frames use 12 millimeter axles to stiffen the hub. Other frames also use a 150 millimeter wide hub with a 12 millimeter through-axle.

If your hub seems to be wobbly when the axels are tight, the chances are that your cone bolts are loose. All you have to do is go to your bike shop and ask them to tighten them. Observe, buy some cone wrenches, and just do like the bike shop did every time it happens again.

Leaking suspension


If your fork or rear shock is leaking oil it usually isn’t a good thing. The most common cause is a blown seal, in which case the only option is to go and get it rebuilt with new seals. In other cases the weather may be so cold that the metal of the fork will shrink more than the seals and thus a leak may occur. Another common cause is the fork sitting for a long time. The oil then settles and needs to be recirculated to reach the proper viscousity. If this has happened, the oil may be thinner and seep a bit of oil out the seals.

Lost rebound knob


Many Rock Shox users have lost their rebound knobs riding and they posted a thread complaining about the loss. You can use a 2.5mm Allen key instead, but if you are really fond of that red metal thing you can order one from Rock Shox.

Rims


The greatest way to lighten up your ride is to use a light rim. However, a light rim may be weaker than a strong one. If you are looking for a strong light rim your best bet is the Mavic 721 or 729. If you don’t care about weight and just want pure strength, something like the Sun Intense Mag 30 is the way to go. [How about Halo SAS? I heard they're very durable although they weigh rather much]

Building wheels


When building a wheel make sure that the hub and rim are compatible and have the same spoke count. The most common spoke count is 32 spokes. Remember that you will pop a lot of tubes if you don’t have rim tape. The cheapest solution is to just run some electrical or sock tape around the insides of your rim (you should put about 5 or 6 layers). The number one option is to go and buy rim tape. It will cost 4-5 dollars, but if you ask for some when you buy the rim, the chances are that they will throw it in for free.

Cranks and bottom bracket systems


Today on the component market the two dominating bottom bracket and frame interfaces are X-type and Howitzer [ISIS?][Shimano Hollowtech is also rather popular]. The Howitzer system, when used with holzfeller oct [?] is the lightest and stiffest crank set on the market. However, it is vulnerable to the interface rounding because it is a 3 piece system. The X-type is a two piece system used by Shimano, Race Face and FSA. It is less vulnerable to rounding but is heavier and flexes more. The two piece system can develop play between the bottom bracket and the spindle with excessive use. If this happens, a new BB will be needed. It is worth remembering that with the X-type system the crank has to be set up 100% PERFECTLY or otherwise the bottom bracket is dead.

Loose cranks


The chances are that if your crank bolts are constantly loose your crank arm is rounded. There is no way of getting away with this one - you will have to replace it. Another possibility is that your bolts are stripped and are not threading properly into the spindle. To know for sure you should take it to your local shop.




Pm with any problems with information or spelling I have tried my best

Well, its 3.25 am here in Finland and I was a bit bored so I decided to correct some of the major spelling mistakes and clarify a few things. As lots of foreigners read Pinkbike, it may now be easier for them to understand those important facts. Oh, oops, I should've sent a PM but right now I'm so tired I think I'll just go and sleep. The information is very good! I learnt new things myself when I read that.

So, there you go, good night Smile

Posted: Jan 5, 2008 at 10:15 Quote
thank you it helped with a few things and the other things if helped with was to know that im doing it the right way

Posted: Feb 1, 2008 at 17:55 Quote
thank you very very much!!! this will help. cheers Big Grin tup

Posted: Feb 23, 2008 at 6:48 Quote
Incidentally, my Halo Spindoctors come with the ability to change from 20mm thru-axle to QR, so it's not just the Da Bomb hubs.

Also, inconsistently tightening the bolts on your discs can sometimes have an effect on the rotor, bending it slightly, ensuring correct torques on all the bolts may help a slightly warped rotor.

Posted: Feb 23, 2008 at 12:06 Quote
Hi my question is .............I bought a bike through this site and had it shipped the bike arrived destroyed and the parts that are left have like 1,000,000 klicks on them........and not as described at all .......advice?

Posted: Feb 23, 2008 at 17:17 Quote
mrpibb wrote:
Hi my question is .............I bought a bike through this site and had it shipped the bike arrived destroyed and the parts that are left have like 1,000,000 klicks on them........and not as described at all .......advice?
pics Evil Cop Fireman Army

Posted: Feb 29, 2008 at 13:25 Quote
ajaxpowder wrote:
mrpibb wrote:
Hi my question is .............I bought a bike through this site and had it shipped the bike arrived destroyed and the parts that are left have like 1,000,000 klicks on them........and not as described at all .......advice?
pics Evil Cop Fireman Army

coming in 24hrs

Posted: Mar 4, 2008 at 14:07 Quote
track down the seller, its a risky business when buying abroad and not everyone is trusty worthy there is a lot of dodgy people out there. best sticking to buying in your local area and meeting the seller in person and the bike specially if you spilling alot of money on it

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