Hello

I have to paint my Giant Reign fullsuspension frame, i guess they will sandblast it, so, can i cover up the bearings, and how ???
Or does i have to take them out….. oh no….. how ???

Thanxxxx

I think you know the answer to this…. stop being lazy! 🙂

You will need to drift them out using something appropriate; a socket the right diameter to sit on the outer part works if you can get behind the bearing. Sometimes a screwdriver gently tapping the outer race is the only method. Just don’t bang the inner race, unless you are replacing the bearings.

get em out and replace them while your at it, and any other bushes or bits that wear then it will be like riding a new bike rather than a tired one that looks nice. Sorry; i love been lazy myself.

I would say this depends on who is doing the paint job. is it someone you can trust to mask up properly? If so, take them out and fit new ones when it returns. If it’s a local powdercopaters on the cheap, I’d say use the bearings as a mask. When the frame comes back, cut around the bearings with a scapal and then drift them out (and replace with new ones) safe in the knowledge that the bearing surface isn’t full of paint. Don’t just tap them out without cutting though or you’ll pull big chuncks of the new paint job off!

I’d agree with Onzadog, leave old ones in, replace post paint.

Same with any threaded parts.. IS mounts for brakes, water bottle cage rivnuts, BB.. otherwise you’ll have to chase all the threads out too.

But the bearings, is fine, it is nearly a new frame.
So i would rather leave the bearings there, is it possible to mask the bearings, with som bolts and washers, get it sanded and painted, and then afterwards, clean them in solvent, blow them with a airgun, and regrease theme ???

for the sake of £10 is it worth it???

If you’re getting it blasted then the bearings will be full of cack when it’s done.

If you’re getting it powder coated then any grease left in the bearings will melt and leak out and spoil your paintwork.

Take them out, tell the painter where you need it masked and then replace them.

If you’re just getting it rubbed down and painted then leave them in but if it’s going anywhere near an oven to bake the paint I’d take them out.

Better to be safe than sorry

As said above, it depends who’s doing the paint job – if it’s just a DIY thing you can get away with leaving them in, if it’s being sandblasted/heated then you want *everything* out – bolts, washers, bearings, mech hanger the whole lot.

Part of repainting surely is that you have the frame looking perfect again afterwards and rechasing the threads/fitting new bearings is part of that.

it’s not the blasting that kills them because they will be properly masked using bolt and washers or silicon plugs. If you are getting a powder coating then its the temperature of the ovens that will boil any grease in them and this will stain the powder coat. The ovens generally aren’t hot enough to melt the plastic/silicon sidewall on roller bearings.

just had my Hustler done, guy that painted it recommend leaving them
in so the pivots on the frame dont need cleaned up afterwords, just
drift them out after painting and fit new ones.

How you do ‘rehase’ the threads after a paint job and is it difficult?

rechasing threads – the bodgers way – cut grooves down the length of a bolt the right size and run that down the threads.

Proper way – use a tap

A BB thread cutter/chaser:

Similar tools are used on the headtube to ensure that the ends are perfectly parallel to each other and free of paint so that the bearings sit properly when the headset is installed.
If you’re going to do the job do it properly, get the whole thing down to bare frame, paint then clean out the threads and start from scratch. IMHO.

also, if you have a finicky multi-bar linkage then the thickness of the powder coat will incur plenty of swearing and filing down to get it all fitting back together again.

[pedant] that is actually a BB facer, not a chaser [/pedant]

Of course