With the shock off, I get a very “indexed” feel through the swingarm movement. Two questions for the experts:

a) Do I need new bearings – I’m guessing yes?

b) might this be the cause of the very firm (think high compression) feel I’m getting – even with minimal compression set on the shock?

yes and yes

I should have pointed out I can’t feel the indexing when on the bike, only with the shock removed and moving the swing arm by hand. Still, same issue i guess and it wont be helping my ability to get the shock setup either will it…….

With respect to TJ – any other opinions? I’ve suffered from harsh travel on this bike for a while and am at the point of giving up – could this (new bearings) really be the answer?

<bump>?

Sounds very much like your bearings have gone, so you’ll be needing to replace them. Probably better to do it now whilst they’re still in one piece, than later when they’ve disintegrated and are a nightmare to remove.It will have an effect on how your suspension operates, but how much depends on a lot of factors, try it and see.