Bafang mid-drive and pedal creek and beer

[Bobber]

Spoiler alert, it ain't the pedals. I kept getting that creaking sound down there since converting my Specialized Crosstrail bike. I removed the motor a few times and checked for dirt and put it back in but the creaking would come back. So, yesterday I'm removing the motor again and figured out that there is a little bit of slop in my bottom bracket, maybe that's what's creaking. I'm drinking a can of beer at the time because the rules state you must always drink a beer when working on your bike and I always follow the rules and I'm thinking if only I could shim that motor a little tighter. I had another swig thinking what could I shim that with? I'm drawing a blank because i don't have any scrap aluminum sheet metal so I had another swig. I looked around the shop and there ain't no sheet metal, I had a few more gulps and now my beer is empty. Damn I'm gonna have to go to Home Depot so this calls for another beer. And then it hits me, I'm holding the sheet metal in my hand. I cut off a section of the can and expertly figured out that a double beer can metal was the right thickness. Because my front sprocket seemed always a little to far to the outside I used 2- 2 layer beer can sheet metal shims on opposite sides of the motor bottom bracket thingie therby tilting the front sprocket ever so slightly in to the rear cluster. I put the entire doohickey back in there and voila no creak. You may ask what brand of beer can is best for this because all beer cans are not created equal. I used a Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing IPA (9.0% ABV) can because that's a big boy brew so it must come in a big boy can thickness. I would caution using a Bud Light can because only sissies drink that so it must be a sissie can and who wants a sissie can shimming their mid-drive?
I hope this hint helps. If it doesn't make sense then have a beer or 2 and it will all come together.

 

[rich c]

Thin aluminum makes a horrible shim. It will be galled and extruded thinner in no time. You can drink my beer, I prefer not to be inebriated when working on expensive and critical rides.

 

[Bobber]

And you have the gall to accuse my precious aluminum shims of galling?

 

[SondorsMXS]

Bobber,

That was a great read!!!!! Lol. Hey, at least it was a 'free-99' repair.

 

[Bobber]

So that frikkin creak came back again. I took the motor out and the shim was still fine, I was having a fit trying to figure out wtf it was so I had a beer. I had the bike on my workbench and had my grown nephew for a helper. Scuse me for a sec, I had to have a sip, bourbon and coke today. Anyway he's holding the frame and I'm yanking on the pedals and we're trying to figure out the issue. The creak is so pronounced that you can feel it in the frame. I had some spare pex tubing that we cut up to use as a stethescope and then we zeroed in on the kickstand. I took that sucker off and now silence is truly golden. I guess the frame was flexing just enough to make that kickstand bracket complain about it and the kickstand was up. I've done 2 rides with no issues, eventually I'll remount the stand when I find a rubber pad to isolate it.

 

[AHicks]

I had a kickstand make me nuts too. This one would rattle at anything resembling a small bump (a near constant rattle). Went nuts over a 2 week period trying to find it. Could have sworn it was the rear fender somehow. Finally, one day I was riding next to the wife's bike (the one with the rattle) and happened to spot the kick stand moving in time with every bump. Me noticing that a sheer coincidence.

I removed the kickstand and found a coil spring inside that wasn't extending quite enough to hold the kickstand in the fully up position. I added 2 washers under the spring to shim it, making the spring a little longer, reassembled, and it's been quiet since. Thank God.....