After replacing my worn shock bushes on my dhx5 air and stumbled across these on the beted website:
http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=231&Name=Fox+Needle+Roller+Bearing
Anybody tried them? Do they offer any performance improvement over std bushes? Also do they last as long ?

Total and utter waste of time unless the pivot moves upwards of 90degrees, which it wont

Obviously bland has tried them and so speaks from experience, but I also have them and find they last better on my bike than either the original Fox bushes or the plastic ones whose name I have forgotten.

However, I would say it is marginal whether they last so much longer to justify the extra cost, and I can’t honestly say that I have noticed any difference in the suspension action.

note many gudgeon pins use needle rollers (piston engines) and the angular rotation is only about 30 degrees…

http://enduroforkseals.com/id275.html

yeah i think they feel better, but i’m very light (hence low pressures) and aware of what suspension is doing.. ymmv.

note many gudgeon pins use needle rollers (piston engines) and the angular rotation is only about 30 degrees…

and many just use a plain bearing, needles are more common on 2 stroke due to the differing lubrication strategy for 2 strokes. on a 4 strokes with a pressure oil system the oil is the bearing.

needles are good though they are not tolerant of misalignment or grit/dirt

metal backed acetal bushes work well.

for bike shock links doubt you could tell the difference between any types…

They go rusty and seize unlike a standard bush so I wouldn’t bother

Think I’ll order the “bog standard” bushes then. Thanks for the responses.

Polymer ones are best bet price v performance/wear wise