Had to delay my mini SDW bivvy "adventure" due to throwing my wrist out shopping. Yes really. so decided to change the bearings on the Jeffsy.
Made me realise 2 things.
1 No matter how many bearing presses and tools you have, you still end up bodging a tool as there is always that ONE tool you dont have.
2 Dont drive bearings out late at night. Its damned noisy.
Seven bearings done and going to do the rest later today I think.
Good thing is, they needed changing, some not too bad, others dry and rusted...
One of the genuine reasons I went for a Five - When I last changed the bearings on my Stumpjumper, it was not an enjoyable experience! Pretty much started looking at hardtails after that weekend of hell
Well, just put the other five bearings in.
Just need to refit cranks etc now.
Phew. 🙂
1 No matter how many bearing presses and tools you have, you still end up bodging a tool as there is always that ONE tool you dont have.
I bought this a few years back and I've found that it's an absolutely ace kit for doing frame bearings on pretty much any bike:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/giant-sixpackplus1-maestro-bearing-tool-kit
The only thing it lacks (because Giant design bikes well!) is any sort of blind bearing puller, for which I use various solutions including http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131982076375 which I mentioned elsewhere.
I've now managed to get enough proper presses together that my socket set remains firmly closed throughout most bearing replacements 🙂
I do to...I have a Five...it is a joy, takes 10 minutes...quote therapeutic.
My Orbea Rallon has 12 bearings to change, but they're not actually too difficult to do.
However I am tempted by an alpine 6 for my next bike - not solely because of the lack of bearings though.
+1 on being a Five and SC Superlight owner.
The Lappiere was a pain to do, I am dreading the FSR when it needs...
I can see us being a family of single pivot riders for this reason.
It really does depend on the bike. I mentioned that Giants are really easy to do, but any bikes that have blind bearings of any sort tend to be more difficult and time consuming. At least Santa Cruz have a bearing warranty, so I don't have to put my hand in my pocket to replace them when they need replacing, but it's still an evening in the workshop if you want to replace the lot.
Perhaps those all-steel hardtail riders have got a point... 😉
Have both the Giant kit and a rapid racer one, makes changing bearings a doddle. With the right adaptors, can also change hope hub bearings.
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This is my job this weekend, hopefully it will go ok
The only thing it lacks (because Giant design bikes well!) is any sort of blind bearing puller, for which I use various solutions including http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131982076375 which I mentioned elsewhere.
So how do you pull blind bearings with it? Looks like you need to improvise quite a bit?
from the ebay link [ no offence meant]
I thought it was a hassle changing eight bearings - I hadn't considered that quite a lot bikes have even more!
The RRP kit makes it quite painless on my Banshee - only slight irritation is also having to remove one BB cup to get to one of the bearings. I've packed the new bearings with a ton of heavy duty marine grease (that Mobil XHP stuff that Hope use) so hopefully that'll lengthen the service interval.
from the ebay link [ no offence meant]
Maybe I'm being pedantic about blind bearings then, as blind bearings won't allow you to tap out from the other side ie they're 'blind' there's no hole there. Pedantic because I'm not sure my bike actually has any truely blind bearings. It has some that sit on a ridge with a hole in so this tool would be good for that.
Maybe I'm being pedantic about blind bearings then, as blind bearings won't allow you to tap out from the other side ie they're 'blind' there's no hole there. Pedantic because I'm not sure my bike actually has any truely blind bearings. It has some that sit on a ridge with a hole in so this tool would be good for that.
Yes, moderately pedantic, but I'll let you off 😉
Yes, they're not true blind bearings, which typically need something to be inserted into the race itself, but more "short-sighted" bearings instead, that allow you to get to the back of the bearing, but you can't actually press it out.
The biggest annoyance of this sort of bearing is that you effectively need to push/pull on the center race and you need to be really, really careful when you do so to avoid the bearing exploding at leaving you with the outer-race still stuck in the linkage. I've mentioned elsewhere that a bit of judicious heat, applied to the linkage block (but not the bearing itself) works wonders for making them easier to get out and I've now got a pretty good success rate (say, 95%) of getting bearings out intact.
Giant manage to make bikes without this sort of bearing, but a lot of other manufacturers' bikes are full of them and they are a pita when they go wrong.
Have both the Giant kit and a rapid racer one, makes changing bearings a doddle. With the right adaptors, can also change hope hub bearings.
Yes, I looked at those, but when you price up the adapters it got very expensive, very quickly. I've got a pile of proper Hope presses now for doing the hubs / freehubs and combined with a load of threaded rod, nuts, bolts, washers and sleeves, this seems to serve me well.
How many adapters did you end up getting?
after doing my 301 id think almost any other bike must be a piece of cake!
despite making my own pressing tools i still think the best way is a bit of dowel and a block of wood.
daern - Member1 No matter how many bearing presses and tools you have, you still end up bodging a tool as there is always that ONE tool you dont have.
I bought this a few years back and I've found that it's an absolutely ace kit for doing frame bearings on pretty much any bike:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/giant-sixpackplus1-maestro-bearing-tool-kit
The only thing it lacks (because Giant design bikes well!) is any sort of blind bearing puller, for which I use various solutions including http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131982076375 which I mentioned elsewhere.I've now managed to get enough proper presses together that my socket set remains firmly closed throughout most bearing replacements
Thanks, will look at the ebay blind bearing puller in particular! 🙂