KH 2005 trials, might have problem?

[siafirede]

Whenever I hop with the new KH I hear a noise, it isnt a popping or a clicking it sounds like something might be loose. My cranks are tight, and my pedals, and my tire is inflated to 35 psi. The seatpost is on tight too. I figure it is either the rim or the hub. I honestly have no idea if this is a problem or if it supposed to sound like it does. I dont think that the hub/axle is slipping b/c i dont feel any slipping when I idle. I might just being over cautious b/c it is a new uni that cost a lot of money, but should I hear a noise everytime I hop? It definitely sounds like something hitting the rim or something metal hitting something. I know this explanation isnt very detailed, but maybe I can record the sound or something.

[muniracer]

did you tighten the spokes when you received the uni? sometimes they are not tight when shipped. even if they were tight when shipped, they may have gotten loose from riding.

[Jason Allemann]

Man, that's a real drag. One of the riders at our club (Carl) just got a new KH24 muni which is exhibiting the same symptoms. Over the course of probably just a 1/2 hour of riding it gradually started to 'click' like crazy.

Although it was more of a 'click' than a 'creak' the symptoms seemed very similar to the classic profile creak problem. If not it at least seems like something in the crank/hub interface. Switching between regular hopping and switch hopping it seemed to be worse as the cranks 'settled'.

Hopefully Kris, or someone else 'in the know', can shed more insight.

If it were mine I'd take the cranks off and see how it all fits together anyway. Since it is a splined interface trying the profile creak solution (lube all the surfaces good to prevent dry metal on metal movement) might be worth a shot.

J

[siafirede]

It doesnt make a clicking noise, and it doesnt make a noise when i ride, only when I hop. I can make the same noise by holding the unicycle and boucning it on the ground at an angle.

edit: it sounds louder than a spoke problem, and it is definitely something metal.

[TheObieOne3226]

It's probably the sound of the welds breaking on the frame.

[total uni]

Originally posted by TheObieOne3226
It's probably the sound of the welds breaking on the frame.

ahahahahahha! dude, you have such good come backs!!!


i am glad i didnt get a KH its proly somethink like last years models. all the more reason to get profile.

[Rutabaga]

Originally posted by total uni
i am glad i didnt get a KH its proly somethink like last years models. all the more reason to get profile.

Don't you mean "I'm glad someone else didn't buy me a KH"? You're pretty much on "parental welfare" as far as I can tell, at least until the big bucks start rolling in from all your advanced frame-building projects.

Do you really have any experience with the KH frames to be able to say what you're saying, or are you just a bored kid typing any fool thing that comes into your head and clicking Submit for the heck of it?

BTW, that was a rhetorical question. Look it up.

[john_childs]

Things to check:

Have the spokes checked. Loose or slightly loose spokes will rub against each other and cause a creaking noise. A bike shop can tension and then stress relieve all the spokes to stop the spoke noise.

Put grease, anti-seize, or Loctite on all metal to metal surfaces. A threads should be either greased, anti-seized or Loctited.

Loctite the nuts under the seat to keep them from vibrating loose.

Loctite or grease the threads of the bearing cap bolts. Loctite will keep these bolts from vibrating loose as you ride. Grease is also effective but you'll have to check the tightness of these bolts on a regular basis.

Put a thin coat of grease on the seatpost before putting the seatpost in the frame. Put a thin coating of grease between the frame and the seatpost clamp. Put a little grease on the threads of the bolt that tightens the seatpost clamp.

Remove the cranks and put anti-seize on the splines. Put anti-seize on the crank bolt threads.

Put grease on the pedal threads.

Make sure everything is tight.

That will get rid of the common sources of noises

[siafirede]

I removed the seatpost/seat, and sort of hit tire on the ground at an angle and i still get the noise. The spokes seem tight, and it isnt that kind of noise, it is more of a clang. The cranks are definitely on tight. The only thing I have not done yet is remove the cranks and put anti-seize on the splines, mainly because I do not have any experience with splines. Would a bike shop have anti-seize, and would they be able to help me out? If this does not solve the problem, is there anything else that could make the clanging noise? Hopefully I can record the sound tomorrow with something.

[mandarin]

I got my KH2005 trials today; took it out for a bit. I started to get a lot of noise on hopping and strong pedaling pressures (steep angle recovery, deliberately fast idling, etc). I don't have any experience with wheel building or spoke maintenance, but to me it sounds like spokes just rubbing together. I'm taking it to the local bike shop tomorrow to get them to tension everything properly. I'll report back if that fixes it for me.

JC: I'll run through your laundry list of items to check, too. That's great information. Where does one find anti-sieze for purchase, anyway (and are there particular brands to opt for)?

[mandarin]

Oh, also--what's the best Loctite for common threads (seat bolts, bearing cap holders, etc)? Blue? Red? Does it even matter?

[john_childs]

Creaking or clicking noises in bicycles or unicycles can be very difficult to track down. The noise travels in the tubes of the frame and is amplified by the tubes in the frame. This is especially true of aluminum frames. You'll hear the noise in one area yet the cause of the noise is somewhere else. It can be tricky to find the source. It can be an acoustical allusion.

The strategy is usually a process of elimination. Clean and grease the likely places to cause a noise and keep on going until you fix the source of the noise.

It could be the pedals. If you bang the unicycle on the ground like you describe the pedals are going to get a vibration jolt. They could certainly rattle on the pedal spindle. Nothing really wrong with that. Try banging the unicycle on the ground without the pedals.

With a new frame there is also the issue of paint. There may be a fleck of paint rubbing against a thread or something. The paint will also need to be compressed where it is squeezed (for example under the seatpost clamp). The compression of new paint can cause some noise. That source of noise will go away as the paint wears.

You can get anti-seize at an auto parts store. You only need a little bit. Even just an ounce or two will last you for many years. Don't buy more than a 4 ounce jar. Bike shops should also have anti-seize for use in their repair department. You may also be able to buy Finishline Ti-Prep which is anti-seize in a convenient syringe but sold at bike stores so it costs more than twice as much as the anti-seize you can get at an auto parts store. But that syringe is convenient and that 15 grams of anti-seize will be enough for several years of reapplication on a single unicycle.

[smdO2]

Hey,
shure is a bummer paying so much for a uni and it may have problems.

There isnt much to splines, just unscrew the bolts, and the cranks should slide off no problem.

The only suggestion I can give is, taking the cranks and spacers / washers and what not off (remember what order the crank, spacers/washers were in), and do the angle hitting thing you do.

If the noise is gone it will be the pedals , crank or hub. Take the pedals off, and put the cranks back on with antiseize, and tighten.
and bang it again.

if the noise is still there take the frame, and bearings off, and bang it again.

and that way you can hopefully eliminate, what it isnt, and find out exactly what it is.

When you put it back together remember to lightly coat the splines and threads with grease, copperslip, or antiseize

Hope you come right, and hope the problem is nothing serious (like maybe just the pedal or somthin)

Shaun

[john_childs]

Originally posted by mandarin
Oh, also--what's the best Loctite for common threads (seat bolts, bearing cap holders, etc)? Blue? Red? Does it even matter?

It doesn't really matter for most of the nuts and bolts. The blue will hold well enough. Use what you have on hand. You should probably avoid the high strength Red stuff on nuts or bolts that may be difficult to get undone if it is Loctited really good. Especially if you might end up stripping or damaging something trying to force it undone. The nuts under some seats would be an example on seats that are known to have the free spinning bolt problem.

[siafirede]

I just tried removing the pedals and the noise is still there. I will remove the cranks tomorrow. After I get the bolt out of the crank, do I remove the crank with a crank puller?