Suspension Refresh

Since purchasing my Scott Genius LT, it's been riding on the original pivot bushings & bearings. Other than fixing some boneheaded assembly by the previous owner, I haven't bothered replacing any of these components until now.



I created a press to remove the bearings consisting of a long bolt, socket just slightly smaller than the frame opening, and a piece of 1" PVC pipe (matching the ID of the "open" side of the bearing cup).



Since the cup surface was irregular on two of the six cups, I removed the other four first, then ground reliefs into the PVC so it would fit over the irregular surfaces of the final two.

Drawing from lessons learned while removing the [stubborn] flywheel from my jetski, I devised a technique for removing these bushings in addition to the press. The technique involved light tapping of the press bolt with a hammer. Let me stress - LIGHT tapping! With carbon fiber components holding these bearings in place, I didn't want to go overboard with either the press or hammer.



With each bearing, I'd apply some light pressure with the press, then hold the entire system in my hand and lightly tap the bolt using a socket extension to pinpoint the blow. As soon as I felt the press loosen, I'd reset it and repeat the process until the bearing fell out. This process worked phenomenally - removing all six bearings without an issue.



Installing the new bearings took some patience, as I needed to check for alignment as I tightened the press. If I noticed the bearing protruding more on one side, I'd reposition the press to apply force to that side, tighten until the bearing was again square with the cup, then center it again. Sometimes it pays to be meticulous, especially when dealing with these somewhat delicate components.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Follow