Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

Left crank cracks when the left pedal is pressed

5 min read

Asked by: Sabrina Tolman

Why does my bike make a popping noise when I pedal?

These super common sounds are usually due to DIRTY or DRY bearings. You’ll often find that after riding your bike for a while or in harsh conditions these noises start to creep in. Areas to check if you’re hearing these noises would be: Crankset/ Bottom Bracket.

Why is my cranks creaking?

The most common cause of a squeaky crank is that the bolt is loose. Check for play in your cranks by pulling on one side and trying to wiggle it side to side. If there is play, check that your crank bolts are tight using a hex wrench—bolts should be hand-tight.

How do I know if my cranks are worn out?


Quote from video: Now what you're looking out for is when the teeth of the ring. Start to become hooked. Like little shark's teeth. And that is a surefire sign that you need to replace the chain rings.

How do you fix a clicking bottom bracket?

Quote from video: Go through each of the chain ring bolts. And make sure that they're nice and tight OOP that one's a little bit loose. And tighten there so make sure they're all nice and tight.

How do you get rid of pedal Pops?

Quote from video: The easiest way to eliminate this issue is to use better quality switches and relays with faster bounce times otherwise the only other option is to add a muting circuit to your pedal.

How do you fix a popping bike pedal?

Re-lube the chain as usual, then leave it to soak in. After about 15 minutes, wipe off any excess lube with a dry rag and try pedaling again. Once again, it may well be a cheap fix to that annoying click. This chain lube is an ultra durable, low friction bike chain lubricant suitable for use in all weather conditions.

How do I stop my crank from creaking?

Quote from video: If it doesn't sort your creaking cleats out then take the bolts out clean. And we greased these as well. And then we actually put Loctite on a medium strength lock tight when doing them back up again.

How do I know if my bottom bracket needs replacing?

To check if your BB needs replacing, drop the chain off of the smallest chainring and spin the cranks. If there’s a side-to-side wobble, or feeling of grittiness, it’s time for a new one.

Can pedals cause creaking?

Creaking pedals



Simply remove the pedals, clean the threads on both the pedals and crankarm, and reinstall with a fresh coating of grease. You can also get creaking from cleats. Wipe down both the cleats and pedals with a wet rag, and then spray both with a light coating of silicone spray or wax-based furniture polish.

How often should you replace crankset?

To most, one common rule of the crank is to leave it as it is, as long as it causes no problems. However, to keep your cranks in good shape, parts like the chains should be replaced before they get overly worn. Changing the chains in your crankset after every 1000-2000 miles also gives your crank a longer life span.

How long should a crank last?

A crank — axle, bearing, cups, and arms — will last decades and 10s of thousands of miles if the bearings are not somehow damaged and the crank arms are not allowed to loosen.

How long do Chainsets last?

Chains can last and last and last. I had one still in use at 7,500miles, but I looked after it to get it that far. Most folk seem to discard chains at about the 2,000 to 3,000miles mark. Perhaps your chain cleaning regime isn’t too good, as chainsets can seemingly last forever.

What causes pops on overrun?

Decel popping is caused by the detonation of unburned fuel in the exhaust pipe. This happens with high flow exhausts that allow more fresh air to be pulled into the pipe, causing the exhaust temperature to rise and detonate any unburnt fuel.

What causes popping on overrun?

The pops and bangs are the cold air mixing with the very hot air out the engine and expanding very quickly. This can be controlled by the ecu. On a carb bike, it would be unburnt fuel causing the bang often with a flame.

What causes car pops?

What causes a car to pop and bang? “Pops and bangs” are created by unburned fuel in the exhaust system. When excess fuel enters the exhaust system it increases in temperature and ignites inside the exhaust instead of the combustion chamber. The noise can be exaggerated by fitting a decat or full decat exhaust system.

Should my cranks spin freely?

Quote from video: With the chain back. On when pedaling backwards your crank should rotate. And turn nice and freely like this and that also means the rest of your drivetrain.

Why are my cranks not spinning?

If your crankshaft isn’t spinning freely, it could be due to the following: Improper journal bearings. Overpressurized cylinders. Broken timing belt or chain.

How does a crankshaft break on a bike?

THE CAUSE OF BROKEN CRANKSHAFTS IS RARELY MATERIAL FATIGUE BROUGHT ABOUT BY EXTENDED USE. Far more frequently, broken crankshafts can be attributed to: Mechanical overload of the crankshaft through abnormal combustion, water hammers, etc. Sudden jamming of the engine due to a faulty gearbox, loose counterweights, etc.

What are the disadvantages of cranks?

Disadvantages of crankshaft:



Failure of bearings may occur. The total cost of manufacturing is high. Friction is increased which results in the heating of the crankshaft.

What happens if the crankshaft is not balanced?

Without counterweights, a crankshaft would be unbalanced and cause a lot of wear and tear on the engine. In addition, an unbalanced crankshaft can lead to decreased performance and shorter engine life.

What is the strongest type of crankshaft?

billet steel crankshafts

At the very top of the food chain are billet steel crankshafts. These cranks start as a solid bar of high-grade steel and are then carved and machined into the final crankshaft shape. Because of the machining process, these are considered by many as the strongest crankshafts and are often not given rated power limits.