I finally figured out why that bottom bracket kept creaking

Had a customer bring in a gravel bike with a persistent creak that only happened under load. I chased it for two full days, checking the headset, seatpost, and cranks. The problem was a tiny bit of grit stuck between the frame and the plastic cup of the press-fit BB. A full degrease and re-install with fresh Park Tool PPL-1 grease fixed it in 20 minutes. Anyone else had a simple fix after wasting hours on a noise?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimr9125d ago

Used to think press-fit was just bad until a similar fix changed my mind!

rivera.hannah25d ago

Was I just being a total snob?

rivera.hannah24d ago

Honestly, the real issue is how many frames are prepped at the factory. I've seen so many where the BB shell face isn't even square. You chase a creak forever, then a quick facing cut makes it dead quiet. It's not always the install, sometimes it's the frame itself being a little off from the start.