Creaking QR skewer clamp

[jamesbradbury]

I've had a creak from the front of my bike for some time.

I think I've narrowed this down to the interface between the sleep clamp and the aluminium dropouts. The dropouts used to have a clear plastic coating, but this was brittle and flaked away.

When I spray the area with GT85 it goes quiet for a few hours riding.

Any suggestions as to a more permanent solution? Thicker grease? Thin washers?

[Gearoidmuar]

I had this once in a skewer with a plastic washer in it. Slightly loosening the skewer, slightly, stopped it.

[Brucey]

if the aluminium dropout is part of a carbon fork, be mindful of the possibility that it is coming disbanded from the carbon. If it is an ally fork, be mindful of the possibility that there could be a crack in progress.

Sorry if this sounds unduly pessimistic, but better safe than sorry....

cheers

[jamesbradbury]

Brucey,

Thanks for the warning. It is a Carbon/Ally fork, a Kinesis DC07.

I did wonder about a scary carbon issue, but have assumed that it isn't that because:-

• Manually bending the dropouts without a wheel in there produces no noise.
• Greasing the contact point provides temporary relief from the noise.

I could get it looked at by a professional, but I'm not sure what else they might be able to discover at less than the cost of a new fork.

[Valbrona]

Carbon/alloy forks can creak a lot at the crown. If it is a cheapo QR skewer with the plastic inserts try some internal cam style instead: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/a ... ers-36417/

[jamesbradbury]

Yes, I switched to some nice Hope skewers, which look nice but still creak.

Didn't think the forks were particularly cheap and fairly sure the noise is down to the point where they meet the dropouts.

I just wanted to know if the washer solution had been tried before or sounded reasonable.

[Brucey]

for diagnostic purposes I would try a different wheel, and/or a different skewer again.

cheers

[Valbrona]

Yes, I switched to some nice Hope skewers.

Those are the crap ones with the external cam design.

Shimano skewers are all still made to the less fashionable internal cam design.