Suspension pivot maintenance

[Odinson]

My take on it: Wash your bike frame as little as possible. In Cape Town it works well especially in summer because your bike doesn't get very dirty. When it is, a light wash with minimal water works fine. I clean my drive train with a brush and old towel more often and use a wax lube like Smoove. Stuff seems to last okay. 

 

My new bike has neat little aluminium disks with rubber seals at the edges to help keep water out the bearings at the back. I took a linkage off the other day and the bearings there were still smooth after 14 months. I think bearings in other more high stress, wetter locations wear out more quickly. 

 

When it is time to replace them, after my experiences, I'd recommend taking it to a trusty mechanic who has the right tools i.e a bearing press. Either that or buy a bearing press and do the job properly. Using bolts, nuts and washers is recipe for frustration and possible a damaged frame and/or sticky bearings.

 

I try to do this as far as reasonably possible. Keep your drivetrain and suspension seals free from gunk, but washing your bike with crazy strong degreaser and a pressure washer after a light trail dusting is unnecessary. 

 

I can also attest to how quickly mud can f*ck up your bike. Went for a ride 2 weekends ago - rode through thick slop and was to cold and grumpy to wash my bike after the ride. Fetched it from the garage the next day and the BB and jockey wheels were completely seized. Very annoying. 

[Puncture Kid]

If this happened then the LBS did not put in a washer.....By design most frames can not be over tightened 

My frame does not have a washer by the pivot bearings...

 

 

 shouldn't but they do. Dry rubber sliding over dry metal

Hardly. Your pivot bearings rotate so little when the suspension is working. Prob not even quarter turn.

 

So, I'm assuming then, that most people do not just fit and forget pivot bearings, but actually do do some form of relubrication and cleaning?

Yes every 3 months or so I do complete stripdown of my bike. Right down to pivot links, bearings, headset, rear derailure cogs. Then clean, relube and reassemble. Even take the cassette apart and clean each individual spacer & gear properly. Deep clean chain by cleaning each link and relube each link. Rebleed brakes. I find it quite therapeutic and you get to know your bike and see issues easily.

 

My take on it: Wash your bike frame as little as possible. In Cape Town it works well especially in summer because your bike doesn't get very dirty. When it is, a light wash with minimal water works fine. I clean my drive train with a brush and old towel more often and use a wax lube like Smoove. Stuff seems to last okay. 

 

My new bike has neat little aluminium disks with rubber seals at the edges to help keep water out the bearings at the back. I took a linkage off the other day and the bearings there were still smooth after 14 months. I think bearings in other more high stress, wetter locations wear out more quickly. 

 

When it is time to replace them, after my experiences, I'd recommend taking it to a trusty mechanic who has the right tools i.e a bearing press. Either that or buy a bearing press and do the job properly. Using bolts, nuts and washers is recipe for frustration and possible a damaged frame and/or sticky bearings.

Currently Tygerberg trails are hella dusty. Lots of dust accumulates on the bike. I regularly do deep clean on my chain. Works like new afterwards. I also like Smoove. I take the chain off, brush each link and wash it. In the sun to dry. Then Smoove each link a few times. I find that when the chain is hot from the sun, the wax flows nicely between the plates and the rollers. That's also why you lube a motorcycle chain with wax after your ride and not before (chain is hot after a ride).

[DieselnDust]

I try to do this as far as reasonably possible. Keep your drivetrain and suspension seals free from gunk, but washing your bike with crazy strong degreaser and a pressure washer after a light trail dusting is unnecessary. 

 

I can also attest to how quickly mud can f*ck up your bike. Went for a ride 2 weekends ago - rode through thick slop and was to cold and grumpy to wash my bike after the ride. Fetched it from the garage the next day and the BB and jockey wheels were completely seized. Very annoying. 

 

 

Day 2 of W2W Ride last year completely destroyed  SRAM GX Eagle Chain in 40km.

 

Bike creaked and squealed. Grease in the bearings but water displaced the greased around the seals causing them to  run "dry". Sounded like I had a budgie under my helmet

[Quagga]

I must add that after a wash I use air compressor to "dry" of my bike and the pivots

[Puncture Kid]

I try to do this as far as reasonably possible. Keep your drivetrain and suspension seals free from gunk, but washing your bike with crazy strong degreaser and a pressure washer after a light trail dusting is unnecessary. 

 

I can also attest to how quickly mud can f*ck up your bike. Went for a ride 2 weekends ago - rode through thick slop and was to cold and grumpy to wash my bike after the ride. Fetched it from the garage the next day and the BB and jockey wheels were completely seized. Very annoying. 

 Agreed. I normally try and not ride in muddy condition because of this. I don't mind riding a dirty bike, but you have to deep clean properly after a muddy/wet ride, otherwise seizure...

[Puncture Kid]

I must add that after a wash I use air compressor to "dry" of my bike and the pivots

 

Hmm be careful as you can easily drive moisture into areas where you don't want it. Don't use it to close...

[Headshot]

My frame does not have a washer by the pivot bearings...

 

 

Hardly. Your pivot bearings rotate so little when the suspension is working. Prob not even quarter turn.

 

Yes every 3 months or so I do complete stripdown of my bike. Right down to pivot links, bearings, headset, rear derailure cogs. Then clean, relube and reassemble. Even take the cassette apart and clean each individual spacer & gear properly. Deep clean chain by cleaning each link and relube each link. Rebleed brakes. I find it quite therapeutic and you get to know your bike and see issues easily.

 

Currently Tygerberg trails are hella dusty. Lots of dust accumulates on the bike. I regularly do deep clean on my chain. Works like new afterwards. I also like Smoove. I take the chain off, brush each link and wash it. In the sun to dry. Then Smoove each link a few times. I find that when the chain is hot from the sun, the wax flows nicely between the plates and the rollers. That's also why you lube a motorcycle chain with wax after your ride and not before (chain is hot after a ride).

You clearly have a lot of time on your hands....

[Lapierre]

Hi All

 

Would Marine Grease be better than the standard grease for pivot bearings and BB ?

[Puncture Kid]

Hi All

 

Would Marine Grease be better than the standard grease for pivot bearings and BB ?

Marine Grease is what is recommended for my pivots ( SC Tallboy CC). Think its got better water resilience

Edited January 24, 2019 by Puncture Kid

[Quagga]

Hmm be careful as you can easily drive moisture into areas where you don't want it. Don't use it to close...

I have been doing it for 5 years now and I do my own maintenance so I take my bike appart often and inspect and check bearings and only need to redo the bearings about 1 evcery 12-14 months

[Puncture Kid]

You clearly have a lot of time on your hands....

Takes a whole Saturday and in terms of time spent it is quite 'expensive'. But it is getting serviced waaay better than any LBS would, guaranteed.

[Quagga]

Hi All

 

Would Marine Grease be better than the standard grease for pivot bearings and BB ?

I would not use it, Marine grease becomes very tacky and does not sit well with bearing that does not rotate ofthen. Maybe it is OK for BB but not pivots

Edited January 24, 2019 by Quagga

[Puncture Kid]

I have been doing it for 5 years now and I do my own maintenance so I take my bike appart often and inspect and check bearings and only need to redo the bearings about 1 evcery 12-14 months

  Doing your own maintenance makes a huge diff IMHO. And it isn't difficult. As a result, my bike is always in tip-top riding condition (seldom very clean though). No need to take it to LBS each time there is a niggle

[droo]

If this happened then the LBS did not put in a washer.....By design most frames can not be over tightened 

 

Some pivots (Santa Cruz, Intense and a few others) use a collet axle which very much can be overtightened by people who don't read the instructions.

[droo]

On topic though - pivot maintenance is much the same as most things on a bike - every 100 hours or so, or if there's any play or noise, strip, clean and reassemble.

 

It's useful to get hold of a copy of your frame manual for tightening torques, correct assembly procedures and any odd tricks (like the o-rings on Rocky Mountain bushings, which are painful to fit but will wear your very expensive bushings out in a matter of hours if you leave them out).

 

When stripping, pay attention to the location and orientation of spacers - pivots will bind and damage the frame if you get this wrong.

 

Check each bearing to make sure it's running smoothly - in the process you'll rotate them so they'll wear on a different point as someone suggested further up, which should make them last a bit longer.

 

When reassembling, check the frame instructions for instructions about thread lock, sequences and torque spec. Lightly grease the pivot axles before reassembly - too much grease and it'll attract dust. Make sure all the spacers are back in the right order and orientation, and check each pivot for smoothness and lateral play as you go. Play either means you've missed a spacer or the bearing is worn - sometimes there's just enough play on a bearing that you can only feel it when the pivot is reassembled.

 

When it's all back together, check that the whole swingarm moves through its full range of motion with no binding, play or noises, mount the shock and wheels and you're done.

[Puncture Kid]

On topic though - pivot maintenance is much the same as most things on a bike - every 100 hours or so, or if there's any play or noise, strip, clean and reassemble.

 

It's useful to get hold of a copy of your frame manual for tightening torques, correct assembly procedures and any odd tricks (like the o-rings on Rocky Mountain bushings, which are painful to fit but will wear your very expensive bushings out in a matter of hours if you leave them out).

 

When stripping, pay attention to the location and orientation of spacers - pivots will bind and damage the frame if you get this wrong.

 

Check each bearing to make sure it's running smoothly - in the process you'll rotate them so they'll wear on a different point as someone suggested further up, which should make them last a bit longer.

 

When reassembling, check the frame instructions for instructions about thread lock, sequences and torque spec. Lightly grease the pivot axles before reassembly - too much grease and it'll attract dust. Make sure all the spacers are back in the right order and orientation, and check each pivot for smoothness and lateral play as you go. Play either means you've missed a spacer or the bearing is worn - sometimes there's just enough play on a bearing that you can only feel it when the pivot is reassembled.

 

When it's all back together, check that the whole swingarm moves through its full range of motion with no binding, play or noises, mount the shock and wheels and you're done.

 

Excellent advice, although I find the specced torques sometimes out. Maybe my torque wrench not accurate.

 

I also 'feel' the movement of the bearing/pivot point after assembly and tightening by just moving/rotating the pivot. If the rotation feels rough, then you have likely overtightened it. If it is smooth then be sure to check for play as then it may be not tight enough. I normally tighten until it starts to not be smooth and then back up 1/8th or even less turn and then lock.

 

A bearing is designed to take rotational loads and not axial loads (loads in the same direction as the axle through the bearing). Depending on your suspension design, overtightening will create an axial load and destroy your bearing.

 

My LBS completely overtightened my pivot bolts so much that my frame was creaking like crazy. Swingarm rubbing against frame.... I called the owner and he sent the techie to my house, I had to show him how to properly tighten. I made him feel the difference between overtight and correct.