Frame pivot bearings need replacing after just 10 months

I’m told all my Frame pivot bearings need replacing when it was only May 2016 when they were done last, and only 12 months before that, the bike was brand new.

With labour being £40 on this job and seeing it seems needing doing so damn often then I was wondering how hard it would be to do this myself.

The bike is a Specialized Camber Evo 2015. I might have a chance of borrowing the tools off someone. But I’ve never done this job before before so how hard would it be? Is it one not to be recommended for a novice when it comes to bike mechanics?

It can be very easy and straightforward or a total pain in the arse.

That’s what I’ve heard when I’ve (briefly) asked a few people, some say its easy and others say its really hard.

Does the difficulty depend on the type of bike, or is it just how worn the bearings are ?

Also interested in this. It’s a job I’d like to be able to do but one I’ve always avoided.

If you have the correct tool and the bearing comes out in one piece its a doddle. Have the new bearings in the freezer for a while and they go in easy enough. If the bearing falls apart when removing then depending on the tool you have it may be a pain to get the outer race out. I use a cheap blind bearing puller from ebay and a rawl bolt home made contraption for the FSR double bearings. If you take your time and work out how to do so correctly it’s not bad.

Is this one of those jobs where it’s easy to tell if you’ve done it right ? Because I don’t want to think I’ve done it then it breaks afterwards.

Also is it one of those jobs where I could make a real mess of it quite easy and end up costing myself more money ? they’re the sort of jobs I’d rather stay away from.

Is this one of those jobs where it’s difficult to tell if you’ve done it right or is it obvious if you’ve made a mess of it ?

It’s obvious but…

Also is it one of those jobs where I could make a real mess of it quite easy and end up costing myself more money ? They’re the sort of jobs I’d rather stay away from.

Therein lies the danger! £40 labour could look very cheap if you damage your frame.

As above, it really can be easy, or a compete nightmare.

I would suggest getting them fitted this time but asking if you can actually watch how they do it?

That’s what I did many moons ago at a lbs I got on well with.

Just a suggestion.

I did my Cambers bearings not long ago, the ones above the bottom bracket can be tricky to remove. If your bike shop will do for forty quid i’d snap their hands off.

Last year we were charging £60 in labour for specialized full sis bikes. Don’t often see them fail 12momths though

How do you wash it ?

As for doing it yourself. Just take your time and have a look on YouTube.

It’s only a hard job when the bearing fall apart and the outer needs removing from the blind hole

Sockets and washers with threaded stud can make a simple press to fit the new ones with

We charge £40 Labour for frame bearings too. Considering it will take 15 mins to strip the rear of the bike down, let along replace all 12 bearings I think its great value.

FYI, the bearings on a camber can be a bugger to remove. A bearing puller will save heaps of time and swearing as the double bearings above the bottom bracket and just in front of the rear mech are a nightmare to remove any other way than pulling them out.

I did all the bearings on my Pitch a while ago and it was a complete pain in the arse, I’d happily pay someone £40 to do it next time!

Quite unusual to see Specialized FSR bearings go after that short a time. Mine are still going after 3 years. The price quoted for labour is really good though. I’d just get the LBS to fit them if you are confident in their skills.

Their poor life might be more to do with the person fitting them.

But time is no way to gauge their life. You may be a heavy/hard rider who rides the bike several times a week through crappy conditions in which case it’s probably a fair lifetime.

Bearing life is dependant on a number of things:
-Quality of bearing & grease
-Maintenance (stripping bike down and removing dirt from bearing shields)
-Regreasing bearings (dirt and water will make it past the seals)
-How much and where you ride (&what conditions)
-How you wash your bike

I’m lucky if I get 6 months out of a set of bearings, but then I ride all year round in all conditions on rough trails.

£40 is a fair price, given the time and tools involved.

Do they all need doing? On my spesh it’s was the big bearings by the cranks that went first. The others never needed changing. Maybe if you ride it with play in one set the others then wear quicker