For a while I have been getting a clicking noise from the cranks and bottom bracket (BB) on the Santos Travelmaster - not particularly loud and only there when there was lots of pressure going to the pedals. It has done just short of 5000 all weather miles and gets a fair bit of hammering so I suppose a new BB cartridge was on the cards soon anyway.
It was on my list of things to sort but as I don't have the experience and required tools to remove the cranks and BB it was going to require some time and financial investment. Still, I like servicing my own bikes as far as possible so it would be worthwhile tooling up and learning how to do it. Well, the noise became continuous and a grinding sensation also developed over the last week, so I popped into the LBS today to arrange a date for them to sort it as I could not make the time.
As the Santos has an eccentric BB to tension the chain because of the hub gears, I expected a part would need ordering and I would have to drop it off later in the week. Well, Trevor (the LBS owner) said he could do it that afternoon and I could collect it later. And good as his word I picked it up before closing.
I now realise the sealed BB cartridge sits inside an eccentric plug which then fits in the BB shell. The cartridge is just a standard component and easily available. Total cost £22.00 and it feels like new - lovely. I still need to learn how to do it myself though!
Yeah some BBs are great like that. They have a little "cup" of ball bearings and it makes servicing a beauty. Or so I'm told, as I've never personally done it myself.
ReplyDeleteRight now I have an annoying creaking when I pedal. Seems to be the chain though
Sounds like the front one that was on our old tandem Daz. The BB shell was the old huge Bmx size and its eccentric inner housed a standard Mtb bottom bracket. The BB shell was split with a couple of clamp-bolts underneath. A bit heavy but it worked.
ReplyDeleteTransmission woes are the worst, the sound often appears to be coming from a component other than the one which is the problem. Take my Yuba Mundo, terrible creaking from the bottom bracket, but the actual problem was with the seatpost
ReplyDeleteTools aren't too expensive but specific to the BB type. I've done 2 so far and it's not too difficult. I wondered about BB's and eccentric. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete