Pivot bearing replacement

[The Bull Shark]

I will do my new bike that is just over a year old's pivot bearings just after the W2W. Don't want to stuff around with pivot bearings 2 weeks before my main race of the year. I will remove them and stuff them with CRC Marine Grease and see what happens in the long run.

 

The thing to remember with pivot bearings is to always get high complement bearings so that you a have more balls in the races to distribute the load better.

[David Marshall]

Hi Alan,

 

Some of the bearings are quite difficult to get out.  I find it best to totally disassemble the rear suspension and then to hold each part with a cloth over my hand for protection and operate the slide hammer with the other hand.  Working on the frame in a stand  is just a no no.  If you have a very loose bearing in an aluminium frame you can try Locktite 609 (I think?) the green one.

 

As to grease on the frame/bearing there are two schools of thought - for and against.  I don't use grease where the balls don't run!  Solidified grease can really jam things up.  There is enough residual lube on the race to allow it to be pressed in.

 

Be prepared for the job to take a couple of hours the first time.

[AlanD]

 

Hi Alan,

 

Some of the bearings are quite difficult to get out. I find it best to totally disassemble the rear suspension and then to hold each part with a cloth over my hand for protection and operate the slide hammer with the other hand. Working on the frame in a stand is just a no no. If you have a very loose bearing in an aluminium frame you can try Locktite 609 (I think?) the green one.

 

As to grease on the frame/bearing there are two schools of thought - for and against. I don't use grease where the balls don't run! Solidified grease can really jam things up. There is enough residual lube on the race to allow it to be pressed in.

 

Be prepared for the job to take a couple of hours the first time.

Thanks David. I did have the bike in the bike stand when attempting it. Will take your advice on board.

[AlanD]

Having all the required tools (bearing puller and bearing press), i decided to give it a go as the bearings had seen better days from my last inspection.

 

This was by far the most frustrating bike maintenance i have done but at the end of all the chaos, was very rewarding. Let me give you my experience on this:

 

I proceeded to put the bike on bike stand and take all the linkages apart, carefully keeping on spacers on the bolts they came on and putting them all in a container with any other bits. I even took photos of everything (or so i thought) so i knew exactly how everything fits together....lol.

 

Once everything was taken apart and all linkages off and on the table, i proceeded to start with the first bearing with my bearing puller (the hammer one). Attached it all up and started to yank back and forth with excitement that this would tool would take them out easy as pie....after many yankings...the thing did not budge. Very quickly my excitement turned to dis-pare and frustration. Then tried heating the part with a hairdryer and pouring a little cold water on the bearing and tried again. After many more times it finally came free.....excitement back again.

 

Get to the next bearing, hook up the tool and go for it....the tool just kept slipping out...time and time again no matter how tight i made it and it was the only one that would fit. Eventually after a while of not getting it free, i turned to the bearing press i had and it finally pushed it free...whoop whoop. I used the bearing press until the presses started to distort from there original shape. I then realized this tool was going to be useless as the presses were made from plastic and not strong enough to get the bearings out. I then resorted to hammers, screwdrivers and punches but quickly gave up on those as i didn't want to be in a situation where the outer was stuck in and the rest got all bashed up.

 

Back to the bearing puller i went with renewed hope but still the things did't I had about 4 bearing to go and then in my frustration i hoped onto google and bought the specific maestro bearing removal tool kit as well as two more new bearing i messed up trying to push with the useless bearing press. Sure, i could have attempted a home made gadget with sockets and washes but at that point i had not intention of another struggle trying to hash something together.

 

Waited a day for the new goodies to arrive while the trance hung on the stand bear back. Tool kit and bearings arrive....excitement again. Managed to get the other bearings out in record time with this tool and was easy as pie. I heard a crack like sound when the bearing broke free and thought something went wrong but all good. Heard the same sound when pressing them in again. After cleaning all the bearing holes thoroughly i pushed them all in with my new tool...not all smooth sailing as when they start to go in a little skew, which happens alot, you have to stop and start again but the new tool was a pleasure and a worthwhile investment.

 

Put the bike back together with my new shock,washed her and then started at her for while with pride and joy...beautiful. Should be super smooth now after all that ball ache 

 

Things i learnt with this job:

 

1) The right, quality tool is paramount for this job, absolutely a game changer. Maybe expensive but will save you in the end and last a very long time.

2) Bearing pullers are not that great and don't work properly from my experience.

3) Plastic presses are rubbish.

4) Great patience is required...huge amounts.

5) Beer is the most important tool...lol

 

I have attached some pics.

[The Bull Shark]

Where did you get the proper bearing press etc, kit? Rush Sports?

[AlanD]

I got it from cyclestore UK. Its a giant maestro specific kit but I'm sure it can work for most frames that use the same bearings.