new stem abd bars are creaky -- grease?
07-26-06, 11:14 AM
#1
don't pedal backwards...
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Bikes: Surly Long Haul Trucker set up for commuting and loaded touring, old Sekine road frame converted to fixed-gear, various beaters and weird bikes, waiting on the frame for my Surly Big Dummy build
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new stem abd bars are creaky -- grease?
edit: oops. Yes, I misspelled 'and' in the thread title. argh.
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I put a new stem and bars on one of my bikes recently. When torquing on the bars while pedaling hard, they will creak or make clicking sounds. The stem is a front-loading type, and the front plate's two bolts are good and tight.
The stem and bars are both 26mm, so there is not a mismatch of clamp size.
The bars do not rotate over time, so they are not slipping.
My main theory is that the way the face plate of this stem grabs allows the bars to flex a little, causing the creaking sounds. I assume a four-bolt stem would be better in this regard, but there must be a way to make this stem work.
Would it be a bad idea to lightly grease the contact areas of the bars and stem in an effort to allow the flexing but make it stop creaking when it does so? Any other ideas?
I wouldn't mind trying another stem if it was inexpensive. I want something that will be very short and also give me some rise. There are plenty of mountain stems that fit this description, but I can't find any 26.0mm clamp diameter stems like this. If you know where to look, let me know!
Stem: Deda Logo threadless
Bars: Profile Design bullhorns (like their stoker bars, but with a slight drop at the edges; can't remember exact model)
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I put a new stem and bars on one of my bikes recently. When torquing on the bars while pedaling hard, they will creak or make clicking sounds. The stem is a front-loading type, and the front plate's two bolts are good and tight.
The stem and bars are both 26mm, so there is not a mismatch of clamp size.
The bars do not rotate over time, so they are not slipping.
My main theory is that the way the face plate of this stem grabs allows the bars to flex a little, causing the creaking sounds. I assume a four-bolt stem would be better in this regard, but there must be a way to make this stem work.
Would it be a bad idea to lightly grease the contact areas of the bars and stem in an effort to allow the flexing but make it stop creaking when it does so? Any other ideas?
I wouldn't mind trying another stem if it was inexpensive. I want something that will be very short and also give me some rise. There are plenty of mountain stems that fit this description, but I can't find any 26.0mm clamp diameter stems like this. If you know where to look, let me know!
Stem: Deda Logo threadless
Bars: Profile Design bullhorns (like their stoker bars, but with a slight drop at the edges; can't remember exact model)
10-07-09, 11:46 PM
#3
Junior Member
with my italian road bar and stem, I get creaking after going thru the rain (the elements get in there) so if i grease my stem clamp, should I still get a slip free hold of the bar? And prevent rain related creaking even if dirt gets in the clamp/handlebar surfaces?
10-08-09, 02:23 AM
#4
cab horn
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2) Make your own thread
3) Do not grease the contact area, as again this is probably not the problem.
4) Noises on a bike can mean anything, https://www.sheldonbrown.com/creaks.html
