Home » Blog » Why Is My Elliptical Making A Clunking Sound?

Why Is My Elliptical Making A Clunking Sound?

Elliptical trainers are really popular for their overall functionality and maneuverability as stationary exercise machines by stimulating conditioning like stair-climbing, soft-jogging, cycling, etc. Effects like a lack of lubrication, broken parts, loosened joints, or indeed accumulation of dirt can beget your elliptical to make a weird clunking sound.

Why Is My Elliptical Making A Clunking Sound

So If you are wondering “why is my elliptical making a clunking sound?”, then it article is for you. Here, we will give some of the most common reasons why ellipticals may make a clicking noise, and also you will get to know many of their possible results as well. So, keep reading till the end for a probable result to your problem.

Elliptical Making A Clunking Sound – Major Causes

Have you ever gone for a peaceful brief morning exercise? And then you came back because the elliptical started to make a really loud clunking sound? Super annoying, right?

Well, it happens all the time, and it’s one of the veritably introductory troubleshooting that an elliptical trainer goes through. Here are the main reasons why your elliptical makes that offensive clunking sound.

Clunking Sound Causes - Levelling Issues

Levelling Issues

You must have seen the rubber paddings while positioning them down; if you have ever bought an elliptical to exercise at home. There’s one on both sides to stabilize the elliptical while you’re using it. There could be leveling issues with your elliptical if you didn’t set it up duly.

In simple terms, uneven distribution of the weights on both pedals while using the machine. As a result, the overall frame becomes unstable. Every time you put redundant pressure on one side, the other side moves up a little and causes a little grinding sound.

Clunking Sound Causes - Lack Of Lubricants

Lack Of Lubricants

Another reason your elliptical may beget extreme clunking noise is – if the gears are dry and out of lubrication. Every time you use the elliptical, colorful mechanical gearset is displaced within the cardio machine to induce separate affairs.

Although two major issues take place if you didn’t use enough lubricants with the nuts and bolts while setting up the elliptical. One – it’s more harder to pedal and accelerate since it takes way further force to engage the inner compartments. And Two – the drier the gears are, the further will be the sound produced every time you try to strongly engage them. Lack of lubrication is also a major cause of elliptical squeaking.

Clunking Sound Causes - Loosening Of Joints

Loosening Of Joints

In general, elliptical come disassembled when it arrives as a package and that latterly needs to be joined together to produce the final machine. Similar miscalculations latterly affect the loosening of nuts and bolts in and around the elliptical. Generally, a severe clunking sound is a warning commodity like this is passing, and it incontinently needs to be fixed.

However, the machine could fall piecemeal at any given time, which can beget serious injuries if you don’t heed similar warnings.

Clunking Sound Causes - Guide Rails Alignment

Guide Rails Out Of Alignment Or Loose

Your elliptical uses companion rails underneath to allow the bus to glide easily back and forth. These rails can occasionally come loose or come fully undone and beget a clunking noise. Assess your companion rails to see if the noise is coming from them. However, determine what tackle is loose or out of spec, and strain it up if so.

Guide Rails Out Of Alignment Or Loose
Clunking Sound Causes - Console Mast Bolts

Console Mast Bolts

The pillar present in the center of your elliptical that holds up the interface screen is called the press mast. Occasionally, the bolts at the bottom of the press mast will come loose. This can spawn a clunking noise that’s fluently fixed by tensing them down.

Elliptical Console Mast Bolts

Is My Elliptical Safe To Use When It’s Making A Clunking Sound?

Yes, they’re fully safe to use whether they’re clunking or not. The clunking represents a commodity that’s out of alignment, but it doesn’t generally beget critical failure of the elliptical.

To generally keep the clunking sound all toned down, set up your music to drown the noise out.

How to Resolve the Clunking Sound in Elliptical

Now that you know why and where the issues in your elliptical are to beget such horrendous grinding noises every time you go to exercise on it, it’s time to figure out some results. After all, for every problem, there’s always a remedy out there nearly.

Hence, here are some possible results that you can find super helpful when your elliptical machine starts making noise. In addition to the result, they’ll also let you know the step-by-step instructions on how to apply them.

Fix The Joints

Fix The Joints

After repeated use, the joints and bars of the elliptical or perhaps the elliptical arms frequently get loose. In such a case, examine all the placements of the comportments precisely to see which bones are problematic.

Fix the loosened bolts of elliptical

After that, use the separate screws, nuts, and bolts as instructed in the elliptical assembly companion to strain the comportments that need to be fixed back to a good shape. Stay conservative of any unwanted accidents.

Lubricate The Bearings

Lubricate The Bearings

It’s time to slick the comportment and spray silicone lubricant If the sound persists indeed after you have tensed up the nuts. For lubricants, it’s stylish to get good synthetic grease from your original mechanical shop.

Lubricate the Bearings

Gently apply a light coating on the shafts and pivot points; if you formerly know how and where to apply grease.

However, take the help of a handyperson or technician by all means. If not, flashback the external corridor like bars, pedal arms, etc., before applying the grease.

100% Silicone Treadmill Belt Lubricant
100% Silicone Treadmill Belt Lubricant
IMPRESA 100% Silicone Lubricant / Treadmill Lube
IMPRESA 100% Silicone Lubricant / Treadmill Lube
DuPont Silicone Lubricant
DuPont Silicone Lubricant
Replace The Broken parts

Replace The Broken parts

Just like people get exhausted after a long-tiring exertion, cardio machines wear out too. More specifically, some of the corridors, like the battery, motor, bar, etc., wear out after months of use.

The clunking noise will be a subtle signal that it’s time to change this. Precisely examine the battery and the places where the sound is coming from and also replace the worn- eschewal/ broken parts.

Focus On The Flywheel

Focus On The Flywheel

Occasionally, the problem lies in the flywheel itself rather than any of the internal compartments. Indeed though it’s a comparatively rare circumstance, it does be a lot of the time. Don’t try to be DIY in similar cases, as that can frequently do further detriment than good. Ellipticals are heavy machines, and they bear special.

Elliptical Flywheel

However, effects can go from zero to thirty hot, If you don’t have former experience with similar heavy mechanical outfits.

The possibilities of heavy injuries are high enough as well in similar cases. Anyways, enough about the preventives. These fresh nuisances beget kindly a resistance that gets into the internal compartments as well if you don’t clean them up in time.

conclusion

Now you know why your elliptical is making a clunking sound, and the effects you can generally do to troubleshoot the issue. So, the point is, keep your elliptical clean and duly waxed to avoid this clunking noise. However, if they persist indeed after all these, it’s eventually time to find the damage and visit the nearest service center.

Hopefully, with the tips we suggested, you’ll also be suitable to fix your issue. But if the issue is complicated or beyond your capacities, communicate with an experienced person to fix your elliptical. As said earlier, tinkering with your elliptical without the proper knowledge can beget further detriment than good.

Matthew Fletcher

Matthew Fletcher

Matthew is a fully qualified fitness trainer specializing in weight management and strength training. He is a certified trainer with more than 15 years of training experience. He uses his technical know-how's with his passion for fitness to provide thoughtful curation of objective exercise equipment reviews. His insightful reviews will help you find the best fitness product for the price.

Leave a Comment

Who we are

The Wellness Wonderland is a website dedicated to provide consumer-friendly resources on fitness equipments, gears, and fitness guides. Our team members are passionate about helping you to choose the best fitness equipment based on your fitness goals, body type, budget and more.

contact us via


THEWELLNESSWONDERLAND is a member of the Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. It is a Co-advertising program designed to provide websites a meaning to earn by advertising Quality products on our site by linking it to Amazon.com. We ensure the quality and integrity of each and every product that we feature on our website.