Question: rear wheel creak/snapping sound when rocked for/aft

Bicycling
1

The sound happens when I sit on the bike and rock back and forth, it is quiet noisy. Sounds like snapping or creaking. Doesn’t happen if you drag the brakes and have settled. (It’s not the brake pads) I have narrowed it down to the free hub body, or spokes. The free hub had little nicks on it from the cassette and apparently it can be noisy according to the forums. Any advice?

2

Are you sure it’s coming from the wheel? If it happens while sitting, it can be the saddle or seatpost. If you’re running full suspension, chekck the rear suspension linkage. Try wiggling the saddle, and wiggle the rear end of the bike from side to side. Hold the rear brake and bounce the rear end up and down to see if the linkages move. Grab the rear tire and try wiggling it side to side to see if it moves. Pick up the rear end and make sure the rear wheel spins freely and isn’t out of true and contacting the frame. For me, spokes tend to ping when they’re loose. Check all the spokes for tension. You can wiggle them individually, or grab two and squeeze them togehter. Also make sure the rear derailleur isn’t contacting the spokes when in the granny gear.

Noises can be really hard to track down. I had a weird noise that I couldn’t figure out one time, and it turned out to be the front derailleur cable hanging out and rubbing on the rear tire.

1 Like
3

Chek ur cabels.

3 Likes
4

@tossedsalad - Should have known that was coming. :smiley:

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5

It’s the real wheel or links. Possibly spokes, I will try wiping some silicone lube where the meet and at the nipples. Could narrow it down. There was a video of someone using a chain wrench on the rear casset with the wheel off. Make a very similar sound to mine. Could try that to narrow it down to just the wheel. It’s a loud cracking that reverberates up the frame and is when brakes are apliyed and rocking the bike back and forth, I don’t hear it on the trail probably because it settles down. I can link a video to the sound possibly.

6

Haha

7

I have the same crack/snap. Just sounds like something creaking in the rear brake assembly. Maybe the calipers or frame mounts. I only hear it when I rock the bike back and forth with the rear brake locked. Solution? I don’t rock the bike back and forth with the rear brake locked.

3 Likes
8

Sounds like it’s time to upgrade

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9

Haha, ok. I just wasnted to make sure it wasn’t somthing in my riding. “Doctor it hurts when I do this…then don’t do that”