I need to replace all the bearings in a santa cruz Bronson. Local santa cruz dealer wants to charge 125 quid for it, that’s with me handing over the links having already taken the off the bike! Seemed a bit steep as a new upper and lower links with bearings fitted cost 70. A less local shop will charge 30 which seemed sensible but would require a 2hr round trip. So to avoid being ripped off or wasting time I thought about the diy option.

A bit of research showed this tool https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bearing-Remover-for-Santa-Cruz-Bike-Frame-Extractor-Puller-Blind-Tool-/132175322834 anyone have any experience? Santa Cruz own brand tools will be about 80 as there are two bearing sizes.

Cheers

I did my intense with a drift and wood…

Verry slowly and carefully

I haven’t used that one, but I changed the bearings in my Bronson recently and used a long 6mm bolt.  Some various sized washers, a socket the same size as each bearing and a few 6mm nuts.  It worked a treat and cost less than a fiver.  I’m not normally one to bodge, but wasn’t going to pay for the SC tool at that price.

Thanks for the replies, gives me a bit of confidence that the diy option is not a crazy idea. While a bit more than a fiver I think the eBay press might be worth a try. Looks like it could be modified for other jobs as well. Cheers

Post the links to the other shop?

Depends if the bearings seperate, the Santa Cruz tool you can turn around if the inner race comes out and it removes the outer race.

Where are you based?

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/braeview-engineering

Well I’m emailing them with the manual for my Rocket to see if they have a press.  For only a tenner more than something cobbled together that’s money well spent in my book.

Dealer charging £125 should be reported to SC. Are they aware of the lifetime bearing warranty? Okay they can charge labour, but not aware of any reputable shops that would charge more than £30/£40ish for fitting.

You can get the bearings from Jungle for free by sending them picture of current used/wrecked bearings, plus evidence of bike purchase, and they’ll send new ones.

Don’t know about that ebay tool, though it’s not official Santa Cruz tool, but then again the official tool is complete shite and does nothing but knock out the inner race and gets dents in the tool.

Better is a kit like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Inner-Bearing-Puller-Set-Remover-Slide-Hammer-Internal-Kit-8-32mm-9pc-Blind-Hole-/282461490709?epid=506763865&hash=item41c4044e15:g:mi0AAOSwyQtVkkJk

Dealer charging £125 should be reported to SC. Are they aware of the lifetime bearing warranty?

Only if you own the bike from new though, I’m assuming the OP either bought bike used or doesn’t know about that?….

I’ve got that tool you linked to on eBay and it works a treat. That is if the outer race doesn’t get left behind.

@bigyan I have the SC removal tool as well. Have you ever managed to reverse the tool when the outer race stays in? In my experience that just doesn’t work

@mrl you’ll still need a press to put the new bearings in

Thanks for the comments. I am the original owner and got the bearings from jungle who were great. Both shops were waiting for labour. Not going to name the shop as I am going to ask them for another quote now I have seen the price of the tools and actual replacement links. They were helpful and explained things well on the phone, so I hope the quote was a mistake.

Bearings look in relatively good condition, just rough movement and the cear swing arm does not move smoothly. I don’t think they should fall to bits.

I’ve had SC bikes for 5 years now, done bearings loads of times. The genuine extractor is crap, bearing gets destroyed leaving outer race stuck.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>Get the press tool which is fine and a slide hammer set, it’s easier to do it you have a vice too to act as a third hand.</span>

When you have the tools it takes about an hour to extract and replace them properly, quicker than going to a shop and probably cheaper.

Thanks. Should have said i got the bike from Jungle direct and not from the shop I went to. So no buying history with the shop in question. Think I am going to diy it, I like having tools and doing jobs myself.

@bigyan I have the SC removal tool as well. Have you ever managed to reverse the tool when the outer race stays in? In my experience that just doesn’t work

The snatacruz removal tool works well if you use in combination with a vice and a piece of plastic plumbing tube to push the bearings out into

when the inner part of a being pops out – I found that you have to use use a bearing cover round the reversed extraction tool to stop it from popping open – got a broken bearing like that in garage at the mo – will take a pic this weekend when i remove it

. I am the original owner and got the bearings from jungle who were great. Both shops were waiting for labour. Not going to name the shop as I am going to ask them for another quote now I have seen the price of the tools and actual replacement links. They were helpful and explained things well on the phone, so I hope the quote was a mistake.

Holy ****.

My lbs changes bearings on both the SC’s I’ve had for free, 125 quid is ripping the piss big style.

@antares

I have the SC removal tool as well. Have you ever managed to reverse the tool when the outer race stays in? In my experience that just doesn’t work

Yup, I use it all the time both ways. When you turn the tool round to use the bigger end you need to make sure the jaws are seated and centre pin is fully seated or it will come apart and damage the tool when you hit it. I use a nylon ring to support the link, I wouldnt advise hanging it off the edge of the bench like you see in some pictures.

Have done bearings on various SC bikes (including my own) and swear by this little tool for getting bearings out of the linkage. (I think this is the same as you linked)

Never failed to get a bearing out of the linkage and very easy to use. Oh, and use a kettle of water first to heat the linkage part to aid with removal. Also grease the new ones when you put them in and next time, they’ll come out with two light taps of the hammer.

Where are you based? If you’re local to West Yorkshire, I’d happily do it for you.

125 quid is insane! I hope you didn’t buy the bike from them also or theyd never get my custom again!

my lbs did mine for a tenner last time (just took them the links and new bearings), and it was a 15 min job max, and to boot they don’t even sell santa cruz!

alternatively my mate whose spot on with bikes I gave him 15 quid for the job, again no stresses nor dramas and certainly didn’t take long

that’s an insane price, worst case as mentioned above send them off to some where and pay for special delivery there and back and youll have them in no time

The shop I used charged £30/35 labour to change the bearings in my Tallboy.

Thanks all, I think that is three links to the same tool so I will get one. I rang the shop again and they reduced the quote to something sensible but not using them!