Occasionally when I incline or decline my NordicTrack treadmill, I will hear unusual noise.
Sometimes the treadmill even squeaks when there is no incline/decline performed as shown in the video below:
The first thing that comes to my mind is to lubricate the treadmill to remove the noise.
However, sometimes lubrication won’t solve the problem.
Before that, make sure you do not exceed the Weight Limit of the NordicTrack treadmill, check your model limit here.
I have listed the ways to remove the noise for NordicTrack treadmill when it inclines/declines.
This is the video showing my NordicTrack treadmill makes noise when performing incline and decline.
Related:
- Most Common NordicTrack Treadmill Problems
- NordicTrack Treadmill Won’t Decline Issue
- Why Pulse Monitor Not Working on NordicTrack Treadmill
NordicTrack Treadmill Making Noise When Incline and Decline
- The bolts or nuts are loosened
One of the most common reasons for the unusual noise coming from the treadmill is the loose bolts or nuts.
When regular exercising causes vibration, the bolts and nuts might be getting loosen from time to time.
As the bolts and nuts hold the components and structure of the treadmill, if it is loosen it will cause friction and noise when inclining.
Since there are many bolts and nuts on the treadmill, the first bolt and nut that I will check is the one that holds the support bar when the treadmill inclines and declines as shown in the image above.
Other important parts to check are the bolts and nuts on the metal bar and on the incline motor that supports the incline motor as shown in the image below:
- Lack of lubrication
As I mentioned earlier, the lack of lubrication is the first thing that most people will think of when they hear noise.
That’s correct, both the incline motor and pivot points of the treadmill structure need proper lubrication to reduce the friction.
When the lubrication is not sufficient since it tends to dry out over time, it will cause more friction.
More frictions mean more noises.
Normally I will lubricate the running belt only, but when I hear some unusual noises coming from the other parts of the treadmill, I will lubricate that parts too.
Read: NordicTrack Treadmill Belt Not Moving
I normally just use a common treadmill lubricant as shown in the image below.
One thing you should keep in mind is to focus the lubrication on the metal bar screw threads/texture as shown in the image below.
Avoid to apply the lubricant directly onto the electrical components of the incline motor as it might damage the incline motor.
- Metal Bar Screw Threads/Texture of the incline motor
There is one aspect which people always overlook.
The metal screw bar that associates with the incline movement of the treadmill could be the source of the noise too when inclining.
As you can see from my video below, this is how the incline mechanism of the treadmill work.
The incline motor “climb” on the metal screw bar to perform incline, and “climb down” the metal screw bar to perform decline.
When this metal screw bar threads are worn out or accumulate too much debris, it may lead to the noise when the incline/decline action is performed.
If the metal screw bar threads are still great in shape and does not has sign of worn out or damaged, just clean it thoroughly will be sufficient.
However, if the metal screw bar shows any sign of worn out or damage, the only thing you can do is to replace the metal screw bar with a new one.
- Noise caused by incline motor’s fan
As you can see from the image below, my treadmill’s incline motor comes with a fan.
I believe the function of this fan is to dissipate heat faster to prevent the incline motor from overheating.
However, moving fan tends to accumulate dust and debris easily.
Please clean the incline motor fan regularly and check for any obstruction that might cause the noise.
- Malfunction on the incline motor
The incline motor is responsible for the incline/decline mechanism of a treadmill.
The gears inside the NordicTrack treadmill could wear out over time.
Besides, since it is an electrical motor, it could lead to damage when experiencing any electrical issue.
Read: Motor issues on NordicTrack Treadmill
My video below shows how you could inspect whether the incline motor is working correctly.
If you are sure that the incline motor is damaged, please consider call a professional technician to solve this problem.
Unless you can replace the treadmill incline motor with a new one by yourself.
- Bearing issues
NordicTrack treadmill has bearings in various components like motor, pivot points and rollers.
Its function is to make sure the treadmill runs smoothly and quitely.
When the bearings are worn out, it could lead to unusual noises or even make the running belt to slid to one side.
My suggestions would be inspect all bearings available on your treadmill.
Lubricate the bearings that are still great and replace the old worn out bearings.
Besides, don’t forget to clean the bearings when you are able to access to remove the dust and debris.
- Treadmill calibration issue
The calibration of treadmill is important as it ensures that the treadmill can operate within accurate parameters.
For example, treadmill without proper calibration may lead to the treadmill to “Over incline” or could not incline to the desired level.
Besides, incorrect calibrations might even lead to uneven movement and misalignment that will eventually cause noises when inclining.
The only way to solve this issue is to recalibrate your treadmill.
I have written a post on how to solve NordicTrack treadmill unable to incline issue, this post contains a step-by-step guide on how I recalibrate my treadmill.
Since every models of NordicTrack treadmill might have different ways to calibrate, I would suggest you to Google or Search on YouTube on how to calibrate your treadmill.
Tips: Use the keywords below to search for calibration guide on Google or YouTube
“NordicTack Treadmill” + Model Number + “Calibration Step by Step”
Conclusion
I have listed the most common reasons that cause the NordicTrack treadmill to make noise when incline or decline.
In most cases, lubrication will solve the issue.
If the lubrication does not remove the noises, make sure to check for the other possible reasons.
If your NordicTrack treadmill experiencing the same noise issue when inclining, please comment in the comment box and share your solutions.
