Bicycle Mechanics - squeek + freewheel wobble?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.




View Full Version : squeek + freewheel wobble?


why2not
10-16-07, 05:22 AM
I broke a rear drive side spoke on my mid 90s Bianchi commuter last week. Getting the 6 speed suntour freewheel off was a real pain. I also took the opprotunity to clean/degrease & relube my chain & rear der pulleys (well, just clean/degrease the pulleys as they're plastic).

I rode a nice little 65 mile ride on her Sunday & the drivetrain was squeeking quite badly. I took a look last night & it sure seems like the noise is coming from the rear der area. I dropped some lube into the center of the pulleys, but the squeek is still there.

Also, I noted that while the wheel is spinning without the cranks turning, the sprockets seem to occilate around the freewheel. The freewheel seems to be centered/no occilation, but the sprockets definately wobble as the freewheel spins.

I saw an old thread that suggests this may be normal, but I never noticed it before (of course, I can't say I looked for it). I'm 99% sure I didn't cross thread the cluster when I put it back on the wheel by hand.

Could the squeek & wobble be related? If not, and the wobble is normal, any thoughts on where the squeek might be coming from?


kycycler
10-16-07, 06:28 AM
The wobble is normal. As for the squeak, need more info to be able to determine where it is coming from. Are you sitting or standing? Holding the handle bars or just resting your hands on them?

why2not
10-16-07, 10:07 AM
Squeeks when riding, when on stand (turning cranks either forward or backward).

It seems to be rear der area, but my ear isn't fine enough to pick out exactly where.

I can't find anything on the chain (sticky link) that would be causing it & it does not only squeek in one area of the chain.

If I pull the chain off & turn the pulleys by hand, I'm not getting any squeeking.

Chain isn't rubbing on anything.

I still need to confirm, but I believe that if I do a forward/backward motion on the cranks, it will squeek more (during transition).