Have questions or want to discuss cycling? Join Now or Sign In to participate in the BikeRide community.

New: Vitesse Signal Giveaway's Winner Announced


Possible bad pedal bearings.
#1
I have these [VP Urban pedals](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2191/9809/products/vpurban__83868.1471321314.1280.960_700x.jpg?v=1501609051). One of the pedals were making a ticking sound each revolution. So I greased the hex bolt and the pedal threading with lithium grease. Not sure what the pedal hex bolt is called. Now, when I ride I'm getting a clicking feeling in the pedal on the downstroke. Maybe it's too tight? Not sure.
  Reply
#2
(06-09-2020, 04:43 PM)Harley_Warren Wrote:  ....making a ticking sound each revolution....greased the hex bolt and the pedal threading....Now, I'm getting a clicking feeling in the pedal on the downstroke.

Hey Harley,
Just want to clarify: before greasing you heard a "ticking sound" (not "felt" also?); after greasing you felt a "clicking" (not heard also?).
How old are the pedals and/or approximately how many miles are on them? Are they original to the bike, or replacements? Is the bike exposed to the elements during non-use? Do you often ride in wet and/or "gritty" (dirt/unpaved trails, etc.) conditions?
Did both pedals turn freely by hand without any load applied? No "feeling" of apparent debris, excessive "play", and/or bearing wear/damage? Full loading of the pedals during normal use will certainly amplify any aberration if you could feel it during hand testing.
Certainly greasing the spindle threads should not have affected anything except ease of installation/removal. Was the affected pedal tightly mounted when you first went to remove it for maintenance? When remounted, did it thread in smoothly without any "play" upon tightening?
I do not know the construction of these pedals and bearings used (loose, caged, sleeve, sealed, or combination). From the image link, I was not sure what your reference to the hex bolt is; are you referring to the outer end of the pedal opposite of the crank arm?
Normally the outer end is just a "dust cap", so if you removed it and merely greased the threads I cannot see how that would affect anything functional. Possible that "grit" could have been pushed into the outer bearing when the cap was reinstalled.
Newer style pedals generally use sealed bearings and really can't be serviced other than replacing them if they are able to be removed from the spindle. I have serviced sealed bearings by CAREFULLY prying out the seals and cleaning/soaking in a solvent and repacking the grease; a temporary fix to get you by in a jam.
Many new and cheaper pedals are not designed to be serviceable, and usually require replacing the entire unit. If it doesn't bother you too much, you can continue to use the pedal until it becomes really bothersome or the pedal function is deteriorated enough to necessitate replacement. If you feel that they have served their purpose adequately, then I would just replace them and save the old ones as spares, especially since you still have one good one.
I did forget to ask if the "bad" pedal was on the drive or non-drive side. Often, a bottom bracket assembly problem will "transmit" through to the pedal(s) and make it "appear" as a bad pedal; this most frequently occurs on the drive side, and is most noticeable under normal load use.
Maybe a photo of the outer pedal end when dismantled will help myself or others to assess the problem and provide a possible remedy. Good luck!

Take care,
Jesper
I am ReapThaWimpWind and I view the world from a plexiglass window in my lower abdomen because my head is a sigmoidoscope always shoved up my....
  Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread
Author
Replies
Views
Last Post
 
3,541
02-07-2022, 02:46 PM
Last Post: Jesper
 
3,713
08-30-2021, 03:46 AM
Last Post: Poissonj1
 
20,768
05-26-2015, 02:31 PM
Last Post: eric1023
 
46,256
01-13-2015, 12:13 PM
Last Post: joseph wolf man
 
19,636
09-16-2014, 01:39 PM
Last Post: GeorgeET
 
7,826
12-25-2013, 07:11 AM
Last Post: SchwinnMonkey
 
21,719
09-02-2012, 02:29 PM
Last Post: Philburns

Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
What was your favourite bicycle?
Today 12:33 PM
Happy Holidays
Yesterday 05:40 PM
How to Trick out your Recumbent Tadpole ...
Yesterday 09:47 AM
How many bikes do you have now?
Yesterday 08:24 AM
Energy gels for cycling
Yesterday 06:53 AM
New , To me ..
Yesterday 04:06 AM
need e-trike advice (wife knee surgery)
Yesterday 03:58 AM
Looking for Recommendations: E-Trike for...
Yesterday 03:55 AM
How often check or change mechanical dis...
Yesterday 03:48 AM
Ketone Ester $$$
Yesterday 01:54 AM

[-]
Join BikeRide on Strava
Feel free to join if you are on Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/bikeridecom

[-]
Top 5 Posters This Month
no avatar 1. Alexjohnson
41 posts
no avatar 2. GirishH
24 posts
no avatar 3. Flowrider
13 posts
no avatar 4. meamoantonio
13 posts
no avatar 5. Bweighmaster
9 posts