partialresponse

about 400 miles ago I installed a new Shimano 105 5800 crank with BBR60 bottom bracket on my Kestrel Talon. After about 200 miles it started ticking on the left hand side (NDS) under load when the crank arm is all the way down (bottom of the stroke.) I have re-torqued the BB several times and also the two pinch bolts. I have also lubed the spline as suggested by Shimano in the installation instructions. I can't get rid of the ticking. I can even reproduce it by simply applying my weight (all 190 lbs) to the left pedal - when it's at the bottom of the stroke - while the bike is stationary. I know it's not the pedal because the noise persists with different pedals installed. This is baffling given that the crank and BB are relatively new. Does the kind of lube matter? I have used generic automobile wheel bearing grease on the splines and spindle (as part of my troubleshooting I wiped clean all the original lube on the threads and spindle and reapplied my own.) For the BB I only used white Teflon tape on the threads (there was something like that already on the new BB threads.)

Any tips for addressing this?

Thanks!

rpenmanparker 

I am surprised you say there was Teflon tape on the threads. I would have guessed a mild thread locker. But you should know. Nevertheless I wouldn't tape a threaded bottom bracket.

Do you have the preload correct and the right number of spacers? Torquing a bolt that is bottomed out doesn't tighten the crank. Make sure you have the right effective length crank due to spacers used.

rpenmanparker 

Also it likely doesn't matter, but most of us use a bicycle-specific grease like Phil Wood.

black_box 

Make sure that when you torque down the two pinch bolts, you alternate between them to bring them up to spec. If you do one bolt to 40 inch pounds (or whatever it may be) and then the other to 40, it's not ideal. Do 15 on the first, 15 on the second, then bring the first up to 20, etc... up to 40.

emveezee

Check the rear skewer.

bleui

I had the same problem, but on a SRAM crankset though, and it was the left crank's thread bolt

rfmarotti

Can you explain? I'm just curious.

black_box 

If the skewer isn't developing enough clamping force, the rear wheel slips a little bit in the dropouts. I'm not sure whether the noise is limited to when you actually weight the pedals so that the chain is pulling on the wheel? or whether only the lateral force from standing on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke (as described here) is sufficient to make the noise.

Either way, I've dealt with the noise. In my case, the rear skewer seemed to be tight, requiring quite a bit of force to clamp down but still making a noise. I cleaned the mating surfaces of the skewer (the parts that slide against each other as you tighten the clamp) and applied some 3-in-1 oil, then it went away. The noise is back, so I'd appreciate anyone else's insight... bad skewer?

McBTC

...did you back up the crank with a piece of wood and give a light tap with a rubber mallet to the other crank to seat it on your lightly greased axle?