Santa Cruz DIY Bearing Service How-to for Hightower, Bronson and more.

[@michaelkroleski]

Nice vid, a couple tips from my experience: You can buy bike specific bearing puller/press combo off eBay for around $25 bucks. They work very well. If replacing bearings in winter, place your linkage somewhere warm like on top of an oven or next to a sunny window for a couple hours and place your new bearings in the freezer. This will make replacing your bearings 100% easier.

[@YardworkWithJohn]

Got a link? I'm not finding anything that cheap thats single purpose and i can't find any puller/press combo items at all. And before I even read your post, i'm thinking why don't they just make one kit that does both, should be easy enough!

[@TPV07]

nice video. The SC links are great because you can just place them in a vice with soft grips, get the punch out and no harm done unlike on some carbon link\stay designs. I like pullers too, but you can easily punch out the bearings in the links with a regular punch too, the inner sleeves can be pushed aside slightly and that gives you enough surface to use a punch. The puller set you have is great. but overkill for most people if they only have one bike. Although it is really cheap. Santa Cruz sells their own extractors for their bearings. pretty neat and easy to use, but expensive. If you replace the bearings once a year it is an easy job. However I have seen some very neglected bikes before, sometimes even with the puller the inner race comes out with all the ball bearings but the outer race gets stuck, so if in doubt just use a heat gun, get the area on the link nice and hot and you will be able punch it out or wedge the edge of a slightly larger size puller in the outer race. Also when you are installing the new bearings, the method you are using is nice and straight forward however if you want maybe a bit better alignment you can simply use the old bearings as guides for the new ones. I prefer clamping the link in a vice for both removal and installation, an M8/M10 threaded rod with 2 nuts on either side (flanged, flat) and like you did, with the bearings guides (old bearings or socket like in the video) and a couple of washer. this way you can use 2 wrenches and you can pay attention to alignment a bit better. SC bike are my favourite bikes to work on. Simple but reliable design unlike some others out there. (my mate who races got a yeti 4 months ago. he cracked it twice already and he also warrantied the infinity link)

[@rubberrob04011]

What type of punch would work for this?

[@Adam-vm8kp]

Punching bearings out like that can damage where the bearing sits in the link. Once it’s ovalised it’s knackered. Blind bearings extractor is the way to remove bearings from the links or using the sc tool. Much easier, much quicker, much less chance of damage. Not exactly expensive tools.

[@rmhfpv9225]

the bearing press from HF is called a Disc brake pad piston compressor. THANKS!

[@Eohvfueudghh]

Great video👍🏻 Anyone know what number is all bearing for hightower 2020 alloy model?

[@DrJMTB]

amzn.to/3kL9NI4 It looks like the seller I ordered from is no longer offering, but the above looks to have the correct kit. The collets (black pieces that go into the bearings) that I used were the 15mm diameter and 10mm diameter (they are listed as 15-17mm and 10-12mm in the kit). If you have a different bike, just be sure the collets fit the inner diameter of your bearings.

[@James-ec9vv]

Hi, this is James from Rocky knob. I checked out your channel and I think it is cool, I subbed and also keep up the hard work on your channel. I already have a YT channel but I might make a MTB channel too and thanks for talking to me. Good luck, James

[@DrJMTB]

Hey James, thanks! Rocky Knob was an awesome place! Great talking to you there!

[@James-ec9vv]

Yeah, I haven't been to a ton of bike parks but that is my favorite out of all of them. That bike park is an amazing place!

[@James-ec9vv]

Yeah, I haven't been to a ton of bike parks but that is my favorite out of all of them. That bike park is an amazing place!

[@DrJMTB]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqCVpGhqhd2XfdE Here you go James!

[@dancing8595]

Great vid. Not sure if this applies to your frame, I have a Nomad 3 -- Did you ever have a gap form between the lower linkage and the rear triangle, on the drive side of the bike? When I screw in the pivot axel bolt into the rear triangle, the tab the bolt screws into is pushed away from the linkage - leaving a 1-2 mm gap. It super tight/flush on the non-drive / bolt insertion side. If so, any solutions to fixing it? Thanks!

[@ryanforsyth3869]

Good day, I am looking at a similar tool for my sc. Can you tell me what size the puller was that you used?

[@karllange2910]

Thanks for the video dude!

[@DrJMTB]

👊🏼

[@DrJMTB]

www.harborfreight.com/disc-brake-pad-piston-compressor-63701.html. So apparently a disc brake caliper compressor the the “bearing press” , but here it is!

[@larrymorgan2261]

I can’t find that bearing press anywhere. Anyone have a link for a cheap one that is not a whole kit?

[@didzy9349]

great video dr.j - quick question, the spacers that sit inside the link, do they literally just float in the centre? grease them up and put it in the centre so it just sort of floats unti you have both bearings pressed in place?

[@DrJMTB]

When you put the bolts in, they line everything up perfectly. So yes, just put it in the middle and it will be a bit loose until you put the bolts in and then there’s no movement.

[@didzy9349]

@@DrJMTB Yeh dude cheers, by bolts you mean bearings right? they snug up and align the spacer im guessing you mean? great vids man i enjoy your channel dude!

[@DrJMTB]

didzy Thanks! And no, I’m referring to the pivot axles that go through the frame, spacers you’re referring to , and the bearings 👍. www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-US/bike/hightower/2-carbon

[@didzy9349]

@@DrJMTB Ahh i see what you mean, got ya - the pivot slides through that space when its in place and floats about in the middle until that point, awesome just about to do this myself using a punch rather than a puller thing you have, but should hopefully be a simple job

[@jeffeversole291]

Maybe a stupid question but do you wait for these things to go bad or is there a rule of thumb in terms of maintenance schedule for the bearings?

[@DrJMTB]

Depending on how often you’re riding, and your riding conditions, I would say most people should consider it every 1 to 2 years. If you’re really hard on your equipment, maybe less. If your bike has excess noise, or there is notable play in the linkages, it would definitely be a good time to consider doing the service.

[@edwarderikiari1835]

how do i remove the upper link for a bronson v3 ????

[@akabukiman]

Nice! This guy has way too less followers. Great content!

[@DrJMTB]

👊🏼👊🏼

[@Hawlkeye-e9p]

Dont forget to pop off seals and pak new bearings.

[@gaceconi1]

Do you need to pack the new bearings with grease?

[@Mxgtumgoten]

@@gaceconi1 yes

[@MTBVirusJohnDavis]

Do you have the link? I searched it and don’t know which one to choose.

[@gerrymccarthy8813]

Yeah? There's a 5 PCE and a 9pce. Do you know what size attachments are needed? Def wanna do this on my mega

[@DrJMTB]

www.ebay.com/itm/9pc-Blind-Hole-Inner-Bearing-Puller-Kit-Remover-Slide-Hammer-Internal-Set-8-32mm/274289682844?epid=4014552525&hash=item3fdcf0699c:g:5rMAAOSwv-5eWSx5. It looks like the seller I ordered from is no longer offering, but this looks to be the exact same kit. The collets (black pieces that go into the bearings) that I used were the 15mm diameter and 10mm diameter (they are listed as 15-17mm and 10-12mm in the kit). I'd say as long as a kit has those, you'd be fine. If you have a different bike, just be sure the collets fit the inner diameter of your bearings.

[@MTBVirusJohnDavis]

Dr. J MTB thanks

[@gerrymccarthy8813]

Perfect, I was actually looking to get these so I could do bearings in in my onyx hubs 👍

[@DrJMTB]

@@MTBVirusJohnDavis 👊🏼

[@jpdirt289]

Hey all I am coming from a rigid bike, I am thinking on getting a high-tower, and by watching this makes me think? How often do you have to have this done with these Full suspension bikes? If I ride 17hrs a month how often do you worry about this type of thing?

[@DrJMTB]

Maybe once per year, depending on your climate and how you take care of your bike. If you live in a dry climate, maybe not even that much?

[@denesk2794]

100-150 hours of use is the recommended. First owners have lifetime bearing replacement for free. Mine just started to poop-out after about 300 hours.