I took my 301 Mk10 into the local bike shop to get all the frame bearings etc sorted as I didn’t want to have a go myself and ruin the frame, but its been 2.5 weeks and Liteville apparently aren’t answering emails or the phone about replacement parts. I took it in on 9th November!!

Does anyone know if the needle bearings and other bearings are a standard size and can be purchased elsewhere?

Thanks

Give Andy a call at Yorkshire Mountain Biking in Easingwold, he knows the frames and parts well, and should be able to help you out.

https://yorkshiremountainbiking.co.uk

Assuming the Mk10 uses the same bearings as the Mk11 (and I am pretty sure they do) then, yes, you can buy standard off the shelf needle bearings, as I did my own earlier this year.
These are the ones I fitted…

https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p8551/NA49002RS-Needle-Roller-Bearing-With-Shaft-Sleeve-and-Two-Rubber-Seals-10x22x14mm/product_info.html

Yeah they are the same from Mk10-14. What about the main frame bearings? Did you do those too?

I did my mk10 last year….took me ages to get all the different bits I needed. All different! The needle bearings in the shock turned out to be the only bits that didnt need changing.. they were perfect. The worst offenders were the roller bearings in the middle of the top tube…they were screwed. Couldn’t find them anywhere. I finally emailed this German bike shop dsbike@dsbike.de they were brilliant. Sorted me out with the rollar bearings and the bearing axle which you also need as it gets terribly pitted. The rest of the bearings were standard cartridge ball bearings which that bike shop will probably do for you too. They were in pretty good shape but i replaced them anyway. Its not cheap for tge whole set…Id put money on the roller bearings being the culprits.

The LBS replaced the Horst link ones from stock parts. I haven’t needed anything beyond that

My link is for those needle roller bearings in the top tube. The really fine needle bearings in the shock are an aftermarket option and most bikes would not have them, just a simple bushing.

I got a complete set from BETD – I sent them the bearing codes and they gave me a price for the set.
Give them a shout, they’ll have the details on file, I’m sure.
It worked out cheaper than I could have bought them for as separate items. The needle roller bearings were included but not the pivot axle, of course. Luckily, mine was fine anyway.
Included were two inner races for the needle roller bearings – I might machine down the inner axle so that I can press fit one of these races either end when I need to replace the bearings again.

Re. the needle rollers in the shock – there’s arguably not much point in having one in the rear shock mount as there’s hardly any rotation there and needle rollers don’t lend themselves to that application. In the front, maybe.
One of my 301s has needle rollers, the other bushings. I can’t notice any difference, tbh.

Needle roller bearings will outlast bushes by a long time, part of the reason they are used. I have some bearings in stock here in the UK. Over the next year we will be making significant changes to the UK setup and support to improve service and response time. In the meantime, if you have any specific requirements please pm me. I rarely visit the forum. Cheers.

OOOH i love changing the bearings on my MK10.

look here for photos of mine
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipODOThfuCWdpUt0PZJphA2sxM9NGbq484qmoATCffL28KLWwXn–Lu-Wd0cV1emgg?key=TDVWMktxNExRbXZXLVJPWWRSS0F6MUE2cS1uZU5n

If your in hudds i can lend you the fitting tools i made.

Try and buy the bearing kit from liteville. It has the seals rmoved on the inside of the top bearings and the ablity to grease the shaft on the top bearing that the original mk10 did not.

otherwise a couple of these and clean up the shaft
https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p8356/RNA4900-Needle-Roller-Bearing-With-Flanges-Without-Shaft-Sleeve-14x22x13mm/product_info.html

the lower ones are a bit harder and need these ones
http://www.wychbearings.co.uk/6902-llu-max-e_enduro_bearing.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjws_m6BRCv37WbtNmJs-IBEiQAWKKt0A36vr2hxyZ1OmqKuRID4iFIw3jICyZbog_XYp7AkvcaAts28P8HAQ

others are standard enduromax bearings.

Any questions just ask. Took me 2 evenings Hardest thing was feeding the gear cable

oh i think the horst are 6801.

remove the lower arm and knock them out using the axle. You cant pull them through.

Liteville are crap at stuff like this and you really need to pester them.

CRAP!! Just seen your responses andybrad. My bike is still at the LBS awaiting German bearings from Liteville. Only been 2 months since I dropped it in…

I am getting them to keep the bearings so I can source them more easily next time but this is very useful

where are you tim? Ill give you a hand if you fancy bringing it over Huddersfield way?

TimP – Member
CRAP!! Just seen your responses andybrad. My bike is still at the LBS awaiting German bearings from Liteville. Only been 2 months since I dropped it in…

Two months!! Why do they have to get them from Germany anyway?
I’d have had it back and ordered a set from BETD.
Which you’d have had in a few days……

Have you tried contacting the UK dealer?

Liteville: had always the reputation like RollsRoyce for me.

Service, as described in some of the posts: makes me wonder…

Some companies are strange.
Sadly.

A mate has one..I remember him having loads of grief replacing the bearings.
He’s also having a lot of trouble with the internal cable routing sleeve thing….

Not a fan.

Don’t judge me!!

I dropped it to the LBS knowing it would take a bit of time to contact Liteville and get the bearings. I wanted the bearings from them as i spent some time trying to source them myself (I tried asking Liteville who never replied, I tried on here and I tried on Liteville owners on FB, I emailed BETD and got no response), but no one (until andybrad up there) gae me very much to go on, so I decide to stick with the LBS and keep the bearings that come out so I know what to order next time. The responses have been poor from Liteville, LBS has been chasing for me, problem is there is no definte timeline. I also don’t have the time/inclination/skill/tools to have a crack at doing it myself right now
andybrad, I am on the south coast, so thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to decline!!

Don’t like to compare my low cost full suspension bike with an Liteville.
But had the naive idea that money might be able to buy a “trouble free” bike and close to perfect service…

P20 – Member
Have you tried contacting the UK dealer?

no such thing!

you can post it direct to liteville (1 month turn around) to get them to replace it if that helps.

Send them an email saying you want to spend money and they reply pretty quickly 🙁

TimP – Member
I emailed BETD and got no response

Strange – they were very helpful when I contacted them with the bearing specs. and asked them to put together a complete kit. And, like I said, you’d think that they’d keep the bearing details on file?

andreasrhoen – Member
Don’t like to compare my low cost full suspension bike with an Liteville.
But had the naive idea that money might be able to buy a “trouble free” bike and close to perfect service…

But bearings are bearings and they’ll wear no matter what frame they’re fitted to – and anyway, non of them are proprietry items, everything (apart from the inner sleeve for the top tube pivot) is available off-the-shelf without going to Liteville.

Evolution still look like they’re doing something with them

My LBS were in contact with Evolution – didn’t help

I mentioned this before but an email to dsbike@dsbike.de can sort you out with a whole set of new bearings + axle very quickly.

Then if you don’t want to do the work yourself – give to your local bike shop

how about we post the links for the bearings, you can order them and get the lbs to fit?