Squeaky wheel bearings on TT250?

[flopsweat]

I think I have just that, squeaky wheel bearings on my TT250. It's just a little squeak-squeak-squeak coming from the front wheel when I'm moving it around my garage. At first I thought it might be the brakes but after 500 miles and a clean smooth rotor with no unwanted brake "grip", I think now it might be the bearings. Is there an easy way to confirm this, and/or fix it? I can probably make a quick 'tube video and post a link here if needed.

[Ol,fart]

Pull the caliper wire it to the fender and see if noise is still there. Then the bearings are the only thing left. Mine was making a growling noise. Sounded like a bearing,removed wheel and couldn't find anything wrong. Put it back together and noise disappeared. 800 miles later I'm still wondering WTF.

[Magician16]

MY front wheel was doing the same thing. I rode it with the brake just touching for a few hundred yards and it wore in and is quiet now.

[flopsweat]

Ok I'll pull the caliper and see if it's still there. If it is, is there any way to fix it, or would it just be replacing them? Is that a tricky job that requires weird tools, or pretty basic?



I see CSC sells the bearings for a whopping $2.95... wow. I've installed smaller bearings in motor encoders for way more than ten times that amount, so that's just insane.

[ChillRider]

Damaged bearings don't usually squeak, it's more of a rumble -that becomes a whine at high speeds.


However, if your bike has a speedo cable, that might be worth checking out. These usually do squeak at low speeds or at least are more noticeable when there are less wind/road noise, especially if low on lube.

[flopsweat]

I think it's my brakes, they're definitely squeaking at very low speeds. Any tips to replacing these? I've gone through the tutorial at CSC a bunch of times and doesn't look too crazy, although the bleeding part will be a new one for me.



Here's a couple pics of my front rotor... does anyone have anything to say about the lines you can see in it? It doesn't feel scored when I run my finger along it, but wanted to get some advice since this will be a new project for me in the very near future.

[JerryHawk250]

Looks like the rotor has an oily film on them. Clean the rotor and pads with brake cleaner.

[DualSportDude]

Make sure the speedo gear is greased up good as well.

[TominMO]

Tires can be squeaky too, depending on the surface.

[flopsweat]

Originally Posted by DualSportDude

Make sure the speedo gear is greased up good as well.

So which part would this be? If it wasn't well lubed and needed a touch up, are we just talking like a basic white lithium grease?

[DualSportDude]

Bearing grease, I use marine grease. It's more of a rotor than a gear I guess. It serves as the spacer on the right fork as well. The little rotor inside has spinning magnets that send rotation data to the speedo on the TT250.

[flopsweat]

Just wanted to give an update since I forgot to, I sprayed down the rotors and brake pads with brake cleaner, and what do ya know, the squeak completely went away. Thanks again for putting up with my dumb questions, there's a reason I keep visiting this site

[flopsweat]

Whelp, the squeak keeps coming back, and still only at very low speeds, coming to a stop or pushing it around my driveway. Should I just start looking at new brake pads? I know they're fairly cheap. The rotor still doesn't seem to be scored at all and looks pretty identical to the rear one.



If I did get some kind of oily residue on there over the winter, is it possible for it to sort of impregnate itself into the brake pads, causing the problem to keep reappearing? Anytime I spray it down with brake cleaner it sounds fine for awhile but then comes back. I'm not actually taking off the caliper for a good cleaning, so maybe that could be it as well?

[JerryHawk250]

I know it would bother me as well with the squeaky brakes. Yes pads are cheap and I would probably change them as well.

[Ol,fart]

Originally Posted by flopsweat

Whelp, the squeak keeps coming back, and still only at very low speeds, coming to a stop or pushing it around my driveway. Should I just start looking at new brake pads? I know they're fairly cheap. The rotor still doesn't seem to be scored at all and looks pretty identical to the rear one.



If I did get some kind of oily residue on there over the winter, is it possible for it to sort of impregnate itself into the brake pads, causing the problem to keep reappearing? Anytime I spray it down with brake cleaner it sounds fine for awhile but then comes back. I'm not actually taking off the caliper for a good cleaning, so maybe that could be it as well?

Oil will soak in to the pads . If you don't disconnect the brake line you shouldn't have it bleed it. Just spread the calliper and pump it back up after it's reinstalled.