My '07 Oasis with maybe 400 miles on it has developed a creaking noise (like a creaking wooden rocking chair or loose wooden floor board in a house) coming from the cam lock area. I can reduce it to some extent by loosening a cam lock one click, but obviously running with a cam lock loose is not good for the cam bolt columns, so I can't run like that.
The noise seems to only occur after I have already pedaled for maybe 1/2 mile or so...as if heat buildup or ??? is causing it.
My concern is that perhaps a crack has developed in the cam bolt column area, and that continued operation will only make the crack get bigger/longer. Or has someone else out there had the same creak and determined what was causing it?
My Mirage Drives are fine, and the creaking occurs with either my regularly used Drive, or the other Drive which I have rarely used.
I can also cause the creaking to occur by simply gently pushing forward on both pedals at the same time and then releasing them.
I don't have TurboFins, I don't pedal particularly strongly nor travel fast very much, I keep my Drives lubricated and adjusted, I adjust the cam locks finger tight (just enough to remove any play), I don't apply (excessive) pressure to both pedals at the same time (except to test the creaking...see above), and I am very careful to not strike objects underwater so there has been no unusual stress upon the cam bolt columns from any of these sources.
The only unusual useage on my part would be that I use the kayak as a solo kayak almost exclusively, which might put some extra stress on the rear drive well area vs. if I always had a second pedaler up front.
Has anyone else experienced this creaking noise?
Jerry
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