Greased your suspension lately?

[Rick]

Just a quick post to see how often folks are greasing their suspension.  When I take delivery of my new bike, I disassemble the suspension, clean the water soluble grease from all the bearings, and grease each bearing with good water resistant grease.  About twice each year, I disassemble the rear suspension, and perform the same maintenance.  Saves on having to replace hard parts and only takes about an hour.

With the suspension greasing, don't forget those "sealed" axle bearings.  They, too, are packed with water soluble grease.  For the older bikes with only one rear bearing on the chain side, you can grease both bearings (one on each side) without removal.  Once the wheel is off the bike, remove the outer axle seal. Be careful or you will have to replace these seals.  If you don't have the right tool, use a brake spoon, as it has the right shape.  Next, using a dental tool, gently remove the outer bearing seal.  You will bend it a little, but just use a large socket to reshape the seal into it's previous form.  Place it on a flat surface, place the large socket on the inside metal surface of the seal, and tap.  Viola, perfect shape.  You can either just add grease, or use spray carb or brake cleaner to remove the old grease, let dry (both cleaners flash quickly), and repack with water resistant grease.  The seal will push back into place very easily, just make sure the rubber inside and outside edges are under each race lip.

For those of you who have newer bikes with two bearings on the chain side, you will need to pull all the bearings to do a good job.  Using an automotive flywheel pilot bushing puller remove the brake side bearing.  The inner bearing spacer will fall out the same side, providing access to the back of the two bearings on the chain side.  You can either tap them out or use your puller.  If you use the taping method, tap on the outside race, as you will damage the bearing taping on the inside race.  Once all bearings are out, remove the seals from both sides, clean and repack with good water resistant grease, and reinstall in reverse order.

Don't forget to perform the same surgery on the front bearings.

I learned very early that failing to repack the wheel bearings can lead to bearing failure and broken hubs.  I only had to replace one hub before I found the simple (and cheap) solution of just greasing the "sealed" bearings.

Rick

[Paul]

I grease 'em up three or four times a year - usually right before each dunes trip. I also replace them Once a year, at the end of the dune season. All that really fine grit plays hell with bearing even if they are properly maintained.

[mikesmith]

I didn't ride my bike when I bought it untill I had torn it down a regreased all bearings and pivot points.Sanded the paint off the frame where my ground wires were,used dielectric grease in the  connections and siliconed the outer connections.I also silicone both ends of the throttle cable,air box connections,ect.Used never sieze or loctite on all bolts and retorqued them ect.You get the idea,basically whent through the bike front to back.I also do the seal removeal trick on my sealed bearings,but Rick your the only one else I've heard do this.The small bearing on the shock/linkage seems to need the most attention.Good post Rick!