Hi folks,

looking to rejuvenate my 2003/4 Epic for my son to ride as there’s a shortage of new ones to buy.

I’ve been able to source a bearing kit, but struggling to find anyone selling a bolt kit.

Does STW know of anywhere i can get hold of such a bolt kit for something so old.

thanks

What’s wrong with the existing bolts? Which ones in particular?

I had one of these which I sold at the start of Lockdown. I might have a few odd bolts around from when I did its bearings.

Try contacting Specialized UK? They are very helpful.

Id like follow this Post, as i have a 2005 Epic, which i love, but wish i could upgrade bearings/pivots to reduce tail wag….any tips or referrals welcome!

Thanks for the responses folks.

@drinfinity I suspect the bolts will be a bit tired (might have been changed in 2012, but possibly not since new) so wanted to do a nice job and change all the relevant bits and bobs on the rear suspension. I’ll take it apart at the weekend and see what the state of them is.

@boriselbrus I’ll try SpeshUK as well and see if they have any.

@jpal – I’ll post any progress on here. BEarings are not a problem, it’s the bolts.

@drinfinity so I am in the process of dismantling the rear end of the epic, and the bolts are looking OK. But wanted to ask your help re the two big bolts at the bottom bracket and seat post pivots. The nut has come off easily on the drive side, but both those bolts seem to be fixed, and not sure how to remove those from the frame so that i can take the chainstays off and the upper inkage. I have tried a little percussive maintenance with a rubber mallet to no avail.

Do you recollect how you managed to get those large bolts out of the frame?

TIA for any pointers.
Cheers

The axles are probably seized to the bearings after all these years. Either through the inner bearing races rusting, or aluminum axles oxidizing, or a combination of both of course. Try a bigger hammer 😉 While this is true, I would first of all put the nuts back on far enough to give good purchase on the axles but not so far that the axle can’t move in the direction of force. Then you can hit the nut without damaging the end of the axle. Ideally use a hammer with a plastic end. Rubber will be too soft. Metal will potentially mark what you are hitting. Check that the chainstays / rocker links are not splaying out when the axle starts to move as you might crack them. Use penetrating oil and heat if available.
Or just take it to a shop if you think you might damage something as you’ll probably never find spares if you crack stays and the like.

Last I needed bolts etc for my old Spesh Enduro (the 06 alloy one) my pals at Rayments had quite a few Spesh bolts in stock

Try a call to Will at Rayments Cycles Brighton.
+44 1273 697617

He’ll get your stuck bolts out too. Careful with indiscriminate force, you may easily crack the swing arm.

Thanks WallEater and Mudfish. yes the bolts are siezed to the bearings, and so far no joy on the penetrating oil and plastic mallet. I might try the Rayments call. Don’t want to bork the linkage or the chainstays.

Hope Will and his guys at Rayments can help you, he is quite the mechanical magician and has been a Spesh dealer for ever, like 20 years +. Can’t be the first time they’ve seen this happen on a Spesh bike. I hope they have the parts you need too.
My swingarm snapped (on the 07 Enduro, JRA) so they are certainly not hammer proof.

@mudfish Will has just phoned to say they’ve got the bolts out and they are reusable – so thanks for the tip off.