Timeline goes like this-

Knock noticed at top shock mount during maintanence, figured cheap top hat bushes worn after nearly a year, so order new 'tough' steel bushing from betd for top and bottom shock eyes.

Fit bushings and new eys bushes, slop still there but perhaps marginally better.

Figure it must be the shock bolts have worn (unlikely and didn't appear to be) so order from orange some new shock mounting bolts.

Fit new shock bolts which perfectly fit the frame, slop still there at top shock mount.

So is this a design fault/intention for the betd ones? are they designed to have slightly more movement in order to move free'er? or have they just been badly made and should fit perfect with zero slop?

Basically if anyone has fitted them to their single pivot can they just go see if they have a bit of slop or not. I couldn't get through to betd to ask them direct.

Personally i don't want to pay that much to have a knocking sloppy mount if they are designed that way.

try Betd again, I've never had slop after changing bushing's (on various bikes, though haven't used Betd bushing's)

I've never experienced slop before either, i'm pretty sure that i read on the sites blurb that they are 8.1mm internal diameter and the shock mount is 8mm so that would account for the difference but i'm sure the slop cant be right i just assumed that .1mm was the difference in fitting and not. Gotta wait till monday now for them to answer their phones (maybe)

Got betd nylon shock bushes on my 5 and no slop when fitted to the original top hat bush, if there is any play you should be able to feel it off the bike. Try all the different parts one by one:
Bush in shock
Top hat in shock bush
Threaded sleeve in top hat
Threaded sleeve in frame mount

Bolts do nothing other than stop the sleeve falling out and hence the shock coming off

So you order tougher steel ones to stop them wearing. Surely the point of them being softer is to protect the shock and frame.

If it helps, I checked with Santa Cruz on the suitability of those 8.1mm internal diameter bushes, as SC also specify 8mm for my Blur LTc. They said 8.1 isn't good enough…they have to be 8mm.

cheers pedalhead, it's not good enough for me either, best part of £30 for something that is loose.

Just to clarify the movement is between the internal diameter of the replacement steel bush and the replacement shock mounting bolts (steel threaded tube) in the process of elimination i have replaced everything so i know it's all good or as designed.

I always had BETD bushes on both my old Enduros. They were always a perfect fit, and lasted much longer than standard. It seems a bit odd to be so far out of whack to cause movement when new.