[Vuco]

Hi all,

1. trouble:
I have some questions regarding the rear triangle sounds:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/63396042/MOV_0127.mp4 - this is the sound that I get when I press my rear brake and try to move the wheel back-to-front.

This exact sound comes also when you press your rear brake, and let say drop your rear wheel from some height by hand. If you don't press the brake, everything is ok.

My LBS (Trek dealer where I bought the bike) said it was the rear pads from the brake that do the noise (Shimano Zee). The noise was also coming with the stock brakes (Avid Elixir 9 which have a pin where the pads go in the rear caliper).
You can imagine the noise which I get when I pull my rear brake over roots or any kind of bump where the rear suspension need to do its job.

Any one with the Fuel, or Scratch or any other FS from Trek have these creaking/cracking noises while riding ?

2. Trouble
My shock doesn't have full travel. The o-ring stops at 3-4mm before the end of the shock shaft (when you deflate it). Something is blocking it inside. Stock DRCV shock, nothing was touched. OK or not ?

The bike is 2 months old, bought new.

Thanks for all the help in advance.

 

[Cayenne_Pepa]

LBS should address all your issues, being only 2 months old. Don't just call them up about it....BRING the bike there and have them fully diagnose it. Your purchase price PAID for this service already.

 

[Einarsson]

Brake pad can't make and shouldn't make that noise? Something is obviously wrong. Hammer them to take care of it.

 

[Vuco]

The LBS had it on service. When the upper shock bearing disintegrated, I delivered it to them and explained all the problems it had (and it was a nice long list, with the bearing and this knocking problem at the top). As I said, their explanation was - brake pads. Tomorrow when I find time, I'll make a video with the "drop rear wheel test". Then you can imagine how it's on the trail.

Any answers on the shock not having full travel ?

EDIT:
Will also try to change the rear wheel. My bet is on that, since I found some posts here that some users had maybe similar thing on their Fuel EXs/Remedys.

 

[baltistyle]

Have they replaced the rotor? it seems like it could be the interface between the rotor and hub. Check those by swapping out parts such as wheels like you mentioned and obv rotors. Check the hub for any play near the flanges. not sure how those are made but if they are multiple pieces, they could separate.

 

[dlennard]

Looks like something in the hub or rotor attachment as the rotor does not seem to move in your video, but the wheel does.

 

[Ominous]

Although not as bad, the rear end on my slash creaks also. For me at least the culprit is grimy ABP pivot, and the "Dropout" the hub sits in. Once cleaned out and lightly greased it goes away till it gets gummed up again.

 

[comprog2000]

I think I know exactly what that sound is! I'm assuming that you have shimano center lock rotors on that wheelset. If you do then you need to take off the rotor, re-seat it back onto the hub and tighten the centerlock ring. Mine did that on me, not quite as loud. Took me a minute to figure it out. Let me know if it works.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Vuco]

Not going to quote all of you but thanks for helping guys.
So the sound is still here. Tried to clean the ABP dropouts + little grease., didn't help. Don't have Shimano rotors, but Avid HS1 that came with the elixir 9.

The rotor is moving with the wheel, its properly bolted to the hub, nothing loose (but will try to reseat it). If I really press the rear brake, the sound from the video is still there but much more force is needed to hear the sound. Now I really think that the pads/locking metal piece is the problem.

@Omnius
If you have a shock pump, can you check if your shock goes trough all the travel while deflated ?

 

[likeaboss]

The sound has a definite "twang" to it that is either the rotor or maybe a spoke.

I would bet money that the rotor is moving. Just 1mm could make that sound and you would not see it by eye. Loosen the bolts a little that hold the rotor on to see if the sound changes.

I can hear it making noise in both directions but will it make a noise if your roll forward, hold the brakes and then let go? IOW, You will hear the noise when you grab the brakes but does it make the noise when you let go without moving the bike backwards?

Is it worse at different points in the wheel's rotation?

 

[SycoCell121]

Trek FS owners - rear wheel clanking/creak noise & travel of the shock question

It's the caliper. Ironically I just fixed mine yesterday for that noise on both front and rear. Take the screws off and clean them. There's sand and dirt particles in there.

 

[crazybeach]

It's the caliper. Ironically I just fixed mine yesterday for that noise on both front and rear. Take the screws off and clean them. There's sand and dirt particles in there.

Mine is doing same thing on 2011 superfly 100. Did this work?

 

[salsamoto]

Have you tryed with a different wheel?

Take off the brake caliper by the 2 side bolts holding the bracket. The I can find out if it has anything to do with it. If it still does it pull rotor.

Put a wrench on all the pivots and axle to make sure they are tight.

Squeeze the spokes to detension them to see if they make noise.

 

[Vuco]

I've been on a holiday and today I rode the bike after trying all the things you folks suggested, except changing the rear wheel (will do in the future). So, after cleaning the brake caliper, the ABP thing, rotor and spread (as much as I could) the securing piece of metal on the pads so they stay put hopefully. Wheels have been trued at the LBS.

I could reproduce the noise from the first post without a problem, but during the ride it's noticeably qiueter, even though I can hear it from time to time. Can't tell when (if it's in a part of the travel), but it isn't so loud and often.

My last try will be to change the rear wheel from a friend.

Everything else is tight, pivots etc.

 

[Raxik]

Shame I didn't catch this some time ago so Vuco doesn't go through all that work for nothing.

He has Shimano brakes with pin that holds the pads (Zee in his case) and that sound is normal 'cause pads move back and forth minimaly while frame is making it sound like something went seriously wrong with frame. Nothing to worry about actually, as this is normal (front brake 'causes same sound if you pay attention, but with much less intensivity because sound doesn't get "transmitted" good enough like from rear triangle.

Sound is harmless and there is nothing wrong with frame or anything else, and solution is to spread pins a bit to tighten the pads in place, or buying the XT's bolt that hold their pad.

I have Fuel EX 8 frame with Shimano SLX and have exacly same sound for over a year... while riding you can't even notice it really except on initial tight braking once.

Also, my brother that has EX 8 aswell just bought the SLX and has the sound aswell.

 

[BlackMamba2012]

My Rumble fish makes the same noise not a loud tho with Slx brakes without ice tech fin pads. Its normal its just the pads letting go of the rotor for split second.I have ice tech rotors on mine. Yours is probably louder cause u have 4pistons on zee calipers. Also see if u have the metallic pads that would make it louder. U can get resin pads for the zee brakes.