Going to replace some bearings on the Whyte T-130. I have a lovely bearing insertion kit which will do that aspect of the job, but what are people using/doing for removing ? I did the set on my Spearfish using a tappy whack technique, but thought i’d ask.

Slide hammer

Hope you dont mind me getting in on this Weeksy. I have to replace bearings on a YT Tues and a Transition Smuggler. The last time I replaced bearings on my norco, it was a sort of bodge with a socket set, and i needed help for a couple in the end from the local bike shop.

What insertion kit (?) are you planning on using OP and or can someone reccomened the right tools for the job. ta muchly!

My one is pretty much like this

I can’t recall exactly where i got it, so will google some posts of my own and see.

edit.
https://wheelsmfg.com/presses-tools/small-sealed-bearing-press.html

Wasn’t as expensive as that though. Obviously i’ll use a small piece of threaded bar for clearance instead of the QR they use for doing a wheel hub.

If you’re near West Berks/Oxon you’re more than welcome to do in my garage 🙂

I tend to use something appropriate from my insertion set in combination with a larger socket bit; big enough to fit the bearing inside it. That way you gently pull the old bearing out and into the socket bit whilst this is pushing on the frame. I don’t like taking a hammer to my bike.

I tend to use something appropriate from my insertion set in combination with a larger socket bit; big enough to fit the bearing inside it. That way you gently pull the old bearing out and into the socket bit whilst this is pushing on the frame. I don’t like taking a hammer to my bike.

That’s kinda the thoughts/road i was thinking too. I need to whip it all apart and see if i can work out if any of them are actually an issue… Got a slight noise at times, but we know how it is with bikes, is it pedals, BB, Qr/axles, pivots, seatpost, saddle, etc etc…. so just debating as i’ve got a full set of bearings so it’s just time and effort to replace rather than costs involved.

We use one like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bearing-Press-Installation-Tool-Universal-Bicycle-Bearing-Cartridge-Installer/283040217320?hash=item41e682f8e8:g:T9gAAOSw3VpbPOP0:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

and one of these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Inner-Bearing-Puller-Set-Remover-Slide-Hammer-Internal-Kit-8-32mm-9pc-Blind-Hole/123217577594?hash=item1cb057067a:g:AfUAAOSwSzpbMzjX:rk:10:pf:0

I’d avoid using the hammers to removed bearings, theres a greater chance of the bearing coming apart and thus leaving an outer race stuck in the frame needing to be dremmeled out.
I use a combination of threaded bar, washers and sockets.
Remember to always apply the force to the race thats being pressed in.

I’d like a decent handle like that one above, but smaller….

Best i can come up with currently is

but one with longer protrusions would be nice… ideas appreciated.

Can you get the extraction bits for your kit? I have the RRP kit and you get press and extraction bits as a kit for each bearing size.

A slide hammer has the benefit of being able to extract blind bearings, which a press kit cannot do.

A slide hammer has the benefit of being able to extract blind bearings, which a press kit cannot do.

Indeedy. Assuming you can get access to it fully then yes, the slide hammer would be ideal.

Yak, don’t really know, but the extractor in that context is just a 1 size larger diameter spacer really which could quite easily be a socket from the many sets i have.

Yeah a bigger hollow cylinder to take the bearing coming out + a press to push it out is basically what it is. Maybe try a socket then?

Can you get the extraction bits for your kit? I have the RRP kit and you get press and extraction bits as a kit for each bearing size.

I too have the RRP kit, great for removing non-blind bearings. For blind bearings I use this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bearing-Puller-by-BearingProTools-Braeview-Engineering-Extractor-Remover-Tool/132620443408?hash=item1ee0cb5f10:m:mMlpkNwNMvj2ISURDexJB7Q:rk:19:pf:0

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bearing-Remover-for-Whyte-Bike-Frame-Extractor-Puller-Blind-Tool/132605746713?hash=item1edfeb1e19:m:mMlpkNwNMvj2ISURDexJB7Q:rk:27:pf:0

What’s the thoughts on these, i’m guessing that spacer is expanding so as you tighten the outer nut, it pushes the inner nut and expander, therefore clamping itself onto the inner race ? You then knock it out at it’s secured onto the inner ?

Hahahahaaha, perfect timing HC…. You like it ?

I’ve just picked up some of these to do my frame bearings.
Does extraction and insertion.
Kinetic Bearings – Tools

Hahahahaaha, perfect timing HC…. You like it ?

Works perfect everytime, have got one for the frame bearings, then a couple of others for front/rear hub bearings. Slide hammers are bulky and heavy, always have a hammer in my toolbox!

I just ordered the RRP because of this thread.

I bought one of those Ebay ones Weeksy for my Litevile, since all the small bearings are identical. Works OK, if a bit of a faff, and you quite often need to tighten it more than you initially think. Before getting it I did a full change just using various sockets, threaded bar and a big vice. Secret is keep it square and never force it.

Another top tip. Warm the area with a hairdryer or similar to expand the area the bearing is pressed into before extracting the bearing.
Conversely, pop the new bearings in the freezer for an hour before fitting and warm the frame up again. It should make it a bit easier fitting them.

Welsh…. Yeah no worries..

Yinn, Yup, i’d have done that anyway.

Currently have to wait until the weekend anyway as my bike is down in Calne as i rode there in that sodding headwind on Sunday….. 76km of Ridgeway into a MASSIVE headwind, yeah that was a laugh !

I’ve used both the ebay braeview engineering ones and the slide hammer kit off ebay. Either would have probably worked if the bearings hadn’t been seized in place. As it was they didn’t have enough grip and kept slipping out.

I ended up modding the braeview one as I also don’t like taking a hammer to my frame. I got it to pull into a socket with a nut on the back and used heat from a hot air stripper to get them free.

I generally don’t like bashing bearings out of frames. I’ve got the braeview engineering bits for when I need to (and they are quite excellent), but my favourite kit is actually this one which I bought a few years back when I seemed to be servicing loads of Giants:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/giant-sixpackplus1-maestro-bearing-tool-kit

It’s a superb and very adaptable kit and I’ve used it on loads of bikes since by mixing and matching the bits. It generally means that most in-frame bearings can be gently pressed out and back in again without bashing them with hammers – a good thing on lightweight, plastic bikes IMHO. I’ve got a really good track record with not splitting bearings up when removing too.

A good trick to use is heat. It seems that the perfect temperature for this task is about 100C – any hotter and you risk damaging stuff, any colder and it doesn’t do anything. So I just pour a a bit of boiling water from the kettle over the part in question and, assuming it’s a steel bearing in an aluminium mount, the two metals will expand by different amounts and the bearing will pop out much more easily with no risk of damaging the frame through overheating. Works a treat with hub / freehub bearings too!

My one is pretty much like this

I can’t recall exactly where i got it, so will google some posts of my own and see.

edit.
https://wheelsmfg.com/presses-tools/small-sealed-bearing-press.html

Wasn’t as expensive as that though. Obviously i’ll use a small piece of threaded bar for clearance instead of the QR they use for doing a wheel hub.

If you’re near West Berks/Oxon you’re more than welcome to do in my garage 🙂

I’ve got the cheaper Wheels MFG bearing tool (about £70 for the tool and the drifts from Amazon) mine doesn’t remove bearings though, only install them? I think the RRP one does, but I can’t see how it would work on any of my bearings on my Intense, most of them are blind or semi-blind at lease.

I use a punch and a hammer, but I’m a ham fisted oik who breaks more than he fixes.

Spent some time reading the Whyte manual for suspension on this, i’m still struggling to work out the right torque settings for the right bolts when installing again.

shock mount bolts. 5-6Nm
Pivot 4mm Allen 8.5-10.5Nm
M8 nuts, back linkage 16-19Nm

Seems to be correct…. I was only going to do the ones by the main frame, not the ones at the end of the swingarm, i think that’s them… .but their document is confusing for sure.

I’ve got the cheaper Wheels MFG bearing tool (about £70 for the tool and the drifts from Amazon) mine doesn’t remove bearings though, only install them? I think the RRP one does, but I can’t see how it would work on any of my bearings on my Intense, most of them are blind or semi-blind at lease.

Not sure which model yours is, but I’ve done a couple of Intense Carbines and they’re quite similar to SCs, having partly blind bearings. The Giant kit does them a treat, as it has fittings that go into the back of the bearing and support the part that is visible allowing it to be pushed out without too much faff:

In this, the part on the inside is a “top hat” shaped piece, which slides into the semi-blind mount and contacts the bearing. The outer is a receiver, into which the bearing is pushed. In this regard, they are quite similar to the Kinetic ones.

I ordered a pair of the Braeview Engineering extractors for the Whyte. I’m not actually sure yet if there’s an issue, but i’m running out of options of things it can be now. I’ve fitted a new headset, it’s not cables internally rattling, i’ve cleaned and checked the BB, rings, crank etc, I’ve even got a new Hope BB arriving today/tomorrow. It could be the chain or it could just be an over-active imagination 🙂

Either way, i’m going to strip the rear triangle and at least give the bearings a check.

Now, assuming i swap any, the Whyte suspension manual recommends Loctite 638 on the bearing outers, seems excessive and will potentially make it more difficult if replacing the bearings another time ? Do you guys usually use Loctite on the mating faces ?

I use anti-seize, but that’s what my manual says. You won’t have a problem extracting a bearing with the bearing compound on though. Did the old bearings come out with Loctite 638 or other bearing compound on stuck on?

Not taken any out mate, not seeing the bike until tomorrow as it’s away at a mates.