How to Service Pivot Bearings // Mountain Biking

[@WilltoRide]

Bearing Tools I Used: www.bearingprotools.com/

[@ofirnichtern497]

Hi, I also have slayer 2017. which tools do I need? which and where to buy the bearings from?

[@WilltoRide]

@@ofirnichtern497 bearingprotools.com . Just select your bike and they'll send what you need

[@goatspeedecoadventures609]

yes mate, one of the few clear videos about the topic out there!

[@bcmtbvids]

Awesome video! Had me watching til the end. Clean , concise and informative! Looking forward to more!

[@tonymontione1525]

Nicely demonstrated and described! I would add the not-so-small detail about following the reassembly torque sequence, as the order of the bolts can matter greatly. Thanks!

[@rickc2222]

good job! I just repacked all the bearings on my (new to me) 2012 Giant trance. I left them all in place without removal as in your example. 1 tip to make the cleanup / repack faster: douse it in degreaser (i also used wd40), then gave it a really good spin using a socket and drill, with the socket pressed against the inner race, then spray again to flush out the crud, then blast it with compressed air. this removes far more dirt, saving you time and uses less wd40. - 2 cycles of this and all crunchiness was eliminated. All my bearings were really tight tolerances, no detectble play so I felt very comfortable re-using them.

[@WilltoRide]

that's awesome. thanks for sharing that tip! Will definitely try it next time I service my bearings

[@DanHenderson-g1p]

Great tip. Also, note that you want to use a non citrus degreaser. I also find that simply compressed air and rubbing alcohol is often good enough to clean the bearings.

[@tekjim]

Thanks for making this video; I am due soon to replace the bearings on my Slayer and I haven't hard carbon chainstays and rocker before; so I was a bit nervous about doing it even though I've replaced bearings on alloy frames before. Your info is very helpful.

[@ryanedwards8549]

Great video. Really appreciate you making the effort 👍

[@jltrack]

It’s a good idea to use blue tape with numbers to remember where everything goes. And a diagram of the swing arm. Doesn’t have to be pretty. Also a torque wrench is pretty important.

[@WilltoRide]

Thanks for the tips! Tape with numbers is a great idea. I'll do that for the Firebird this spring.

[@rubenvor]

Very clear and understandable! Thanks for the video!

[@andrewscasualmtb]

Very helpful information. Thanks

[@snarp408]

Very helpful!

[@nonegiven9579]

Good vid and clearly presented

[@frostmediaprod344]

My lower bolt of the pivot "under the shock bolt" the one near the crank is moving freely, it has an allen hole in it but it's also wrench shaped, so when i screw it with wrench it just moves... It should move this way or it means its loose?

[@WilltoRide]

It could be loose, but not necessarily. For some pivot bolts, you have to hold the other end of the bolt with another allen key/wrench when loosening and tightening. What bike is this on?

[@frostmediaprod344]

@@WilltoRide Norco Fluid FS. I was afraid that I did something wrong when screwing it, so it didn't have any resistance

[@WilltoRide]

Looks like it's a through bolt so you'd have to hold the other side when torquing it 🙂

[@joeintern]

@@frostmediaprod344 I have a '17 Range C9... I was able to take off the 'bolt' on the non drive side w/o using the allen key (also on non-drive). The pivot shaft now spins in place and I'm assuming I need to tap it out. I lightly tapped with no movement. I'm going to take the rest apart before trying this as there is probably some pressure on this shaft. Is this what you eventually found?

[@rpiian]

Mind sharing where you got your bearing presses? Those look like they worked real slick.

[@WilltoRide]

I got them from www.bearingprotools.com/ . Fairly affordable and arrived in Canada quickly. I added the link to description as well. Thanks for asking.

[@KiwiInGermanyMTB]

Hey man nice video. Im just doing this now but not sure how to tap out that pipelock collet. I've taken the outer screw covers off and the 5mm hex bolt out the non drive side but now what do I tap to get the center piece out and what side. Have gently tapped both but nothing moving

[@WilltoRide]

Hey. Have you tried threading in one of the pivot bolts on the open end and tapping on that? 1:54

[@KiwiInGermanyMTB]

@@WilltoRide Thanks heaps for your help dude but I'm not really understanding sorry. So are you saying I should screw in one of the larger end cap screws, then with a long skinny thing that fits through from the other side, tap against the large screw. I assume mine is the same but its the 2018 model.

[@WilltoRide]

@@KiwiInGermanyMTB ok. At 1:58 I pull out one side of the collett. Have you pulled that side out yet?

[@KiwiInGermanyMTB]

@@WilltoRide no I don't know how to pull the collet out. I had a large cover screw either side which easily unscrews with an 8 mm allen key

[@WilltoRide]

So you got the preload screws out. That's good. Did you remove to pipelock bolt? See pg 17 of the this link: www.bikeaction.de/fileadmin/techgarage/techmanual/Slayer_2017_Tech_Manual.pdf?_=1494575383

[@sham8723]

I'd be sketched about using solvents in the bearings / afraid of residue when done that would interact with the new grease, but maybe the follow up alcohol would be enough to strip that away... idk.

[@WilltoRide]

That was kinda what I thought as well. I used to just use brake cleaner and not follow up with alcohol, just made sure it was dry before repacking the grease. I did this about 4 times over the last 6 years and if there was any residue, it never seemed to be enough to break down the new grease when I opened them back up.

[@TheMountainBikingChannel]

Nice video! Not sure if I’d be able to do this though

[@WilltoRide]

Thanks man! Definitely one of the most difficult things for bike maintenance that I've done and I'm not sure it's worth it rather than taking it to the lbs to have them do it. Still, it's nice to have done it at least once :)

[@madsjensen5737]

remember when removing air from the shock you have to push down the suspension to make the air flow into the negative air chamber, or else the suspension could be locked down.

[@WilltoRide]

very good point. thanks for sharing

[@madsjensen5737]

@@WilltoRide great video tho!

[@pnwmotocross]

Always good to clean the areas you can’t normally get to while doing this. Just a thought.

[@WilltoRide]

Good point. Thanks for mentioning

[@andrewnorris5415]

Great vid! And snow outside but in sandles and no gloves!

[@WilltoRide]

thanks. Sandles and snow are part of spring/summer in the Canadian rockies hahah

[@gleniu2]

Really good video, thank you.

[@jamble7k]

any pro tips on getting outer bearing races out of frames? bit worried i've left mine too long and will disintegrate on removal 😱

[@WilltoRide]

If it's not a blind bearing, I'd use an old bearing of the same OD to press it out. If it's a blind bearing, either a blind bearing puller or very carefully cut it out with a dremel. If the bearings in the chain stay or other small bike part, you can try cooling it in the freezer before trying to remove it. Won't change the OD much but maybe just enough to loosen it 🤷‍♂️

[@jamble7k]

@@WilltoRide they're all blind bearings meaning the outer race is behind some sort of edge - not got the tools yet but it's nice to know there are ways around it!! cheers

[@adkmtb5046]

Super helpful, thanks! How often do you do this? At the end of the season? Cheers

[@WilltoRide]

Depends how often you ride and in what conditions, but I usually replace the bearings every second season and clean/regrease them once in between.

[@nothingintheremeow5739]

Is the peak high temp Red grease good for my bike and the pivot?

[@WilltoRide]

I haven't tried it but my guess is that it's ok. It is water resistant and provides corrosion protection. I usually use marine grease. Provides the same protection but is just thick enough to pack the bearings.

[@superspecky4eyes]

It's times like these that I am glad I ride a single pivot bike!

[@WilltoRide]

lol. I hear ya!

[@soulsikk2011]

Just had a shop replace mine and took out chunks of paint on mine. So pissed right now it's brand new bike. What should I do?

[@WilltoRide]

that sucks. Maybe it was sloppy work. I'd talk to the shop that did it. See what they can do. Some bike manufacturers warranty paint defects. If those fail, touch up paint...

[@soulsikk2011]

@@WilltoRide I did mention it and they said it's what happens sometimes so I'm giving it the 24hr rule haha. They also mentioned touch up paint. Just ticks me off. Thanks for the reply

[@WilltoRide]

@@soulsikk2011 Yeah I understand your frustration but I think it's something that might be unavoidable sometimes. I can certainly see how it's possible. Ideally the shop would touch it up at least.

[@soulsikk2011]

@@WilltoRide ya true, I'm going to pick up some touch up and just deal with it. Appreciate your time

[@Hawlkeye-e9p]

Took a black plastic bag. Cut a 3 inch by 4 in slice. Covered the pivots with blk zip ties. All black. In two years they were perfectly clean. 2018 meta trail mullet.

[@WilltoRide]

That's a good idea. Can't get dirty if dirt can't get in

[@rogerb3927]

Excellent

[@luckyyou774]

How often to do this?

[@WilltoRide]

I regrease after one summer and replace after two, but it kinda depends on how often you ride and in what conditions

[@luckyyou774]

@@WilltoRide mostly dry trails. Bike doesnt get dirty

[@WilltoRide]

Yours will likely last longer then. Check them once a year or so by removing the shock or letting all the air out. Then grab the chainstay and cycle the suspension. If it feels rough or sticks, it's time to replace.

[@luckyyou774]

@@WilltoRide ok thank u.

[@joseph-the-seventh]

How much does it cost to replace bearings at a bike shop? No way I’m capable of doing this myself.

[@WilltoRide]

Depends on the shop, but anywhere from 150-200 for labour. Another 70-100 for bearings. Canadian prices

[@BlueGoose2]

clean your linkage before installing new bearings

[@kevinkmiller]

This is a VERY helpful vid. Thanks!

[@WilltoRide]

Sweet. I'm glad it was helpful Kevin!

[@DigitalNegative]

Can we get some affiliate links for our convenience and your profit? For bearing press/removal tools, bearings, whatever

[@fuertep2do]

Hey nice video

[@WilltoRide]

Thanks! 🤙

[@trailblazerking4906]

If my Bike Shop was "Not" so Fully booked ...ie.. Took 1-month just to have my rear wheel Tru-ed up and 2 spokes replaced cost me '£40.00 pounds and its Still not strait..☹. I will Fix most things (but wheels) bro ....😟😟🤗

[@Cleanmusiccuts]

Wow this is a great video you definitely deserve more subscribers! I actually make MTB videos too so check them out if you want🤙

[@WilltoRide]

Thanks dude. Great channel! Love the trail building aspect!

[@lawlerskeetz]

Nice video, but don't use marine grease, it'll give them good water protection, but it's too thick so the bearings won't perform optimally.

[@51249ca]

Socks and sandals

[@FirefighterBobby]

Nice and good "how to" video, but clean your bike first or whatever you work on people. Cleaning should be your first step in servicing or repairing!

[@surronzak8154]

Ball bearing aren't the best suited for this application

[@WilltoRide]

Agreed

[@Hawlkeye-e9p]

Epic fail. Those need to be completely cleaned out. All you did was mix up dirt lmao

[@PierreSimon71]

I get your point, but it's still better than nothing. Actually in my case, the way bearings are installed allows me to remove only one of the 2 seals of each bearing (second ones are hidden by frame geometry which does not allow me to get the right leverage with a tool without damaging them). I did what was shown here and it worked ok. I reckon it s not optimal, but if that s the best you can do... Note : i used a big compressor to blow all the dirt out after using the solvant, it did most of the job.

[@CalgaryDynastar]

Did you watch the video?? He put new bearings in...