# Bearing puller recommendations



## borabora (Feb 16, 2011)

Can someone please recommend an affordable and flexible bearing removal and installation tool. I just replaced the suspension links on my Ibis to the tune of $170 and now I want to refurbish the old links with 8 new bearings so that next time around I can save some money.

I don't need a shop quality tool since I only service my own bikes but one tool with enough doodads to deal with every bearing on a bike would be nice.

Thanks.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

The problem is defining "affordable". Have you done anything to maintain and service the bearings that you have installed? Or, is you preference to just replace and not bother with maintaining them?

Wheels Manufacturing Presses, Tools & Shop Supplies

There are affordable methods to remove and install bearings, but you did ask for "bearing removal and installation tool(s)".

Exercising patience and common sense, you can accomplish most bearing removal and installations with common tools that you likely already have.


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## Zatoichi (Oct 25, 2014)

borabora said:


> Can someone please recommend an affordable and flexible bearing removal and installation tool. I just replaced the suspension links on my Ibis to the tune of $170 and now I want to refurbish the old links with 8 new bearings so that next time around I can save some money.
> 
> I don't need a shop quality tool since I only service my own bikes but one tool with enough doodads to deal with every bearing on a bike would be nice.


Which Ibis are you working on?

If it's an HD3, check out this thread on servicing the HD3 pivot bearings:
http://forums.mtbr.com/ibis/hd3-pivot-linkage-service-1007901.html

RapidRaceProducts makes a bearing press and extractor/drift sets that may meet your needs:
RapidRaceProducts Bearing Press & Extraction Tool

Perhaps a less expensive route would be to use tools from Wheels Manufacturing:
Economy Bearing Press - Bearing Presses - Tools

Open bore adapters:
Wheels Manufacturing Sealed Bearing Open Bore Adapters

You may need to use a blind hole bearing extractor on the bearings where the pivot surfaces are not flat/parallel:
Wheels Manufacturing Bearing Extractors


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Zatoichi said:


> Perhaps a less expensive route would be to use tools from Wheels Manufacturing:
> Economy Bearing Press - Bearing Presses - Tools


Don't forget that you'll need to drop some more coins on this nice, $35 bearing press for all of your bearing adapters. This is ONLY the press.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I think the OP has departed the building.


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## borabora (Feb 16, 2011)

Cleared2land said:


> I think the OP has departed the building.


No, the OP is around -- he's just a bit dense.
I committed the crime of first posting here and after not seeing any replies for a while I posted a similar question specific to the bike on the Ibis forum. Then I saw some email replies but didn't see the posts on the Ibis forum and figured the forum was temporarily broken. It's what happens when you are my age and grew up in the 70s...

I already thanked Zatoichi and you in the Ibis forum even though your posts didn't show up there -- did I mention the 70s???

I am wondering if the economy press that you linked could be used with the bearing specific guide kits that RRP (Endure Seals) sells? It shouldn't be an issue unless the threaded rod is too thick.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

borabora said:


> I am wondering if the economy press that you linked could be used with the bearing specific guide kits that RRP (Endure Seals) sells? *It shouldn't be an issue unless the threaded rod is too thick.*


Exactly. That problem is easy to determine by finding any bearing press threaded rod size and comparing to any adapter set Inside Diameter. I have used bearing presses with appropriately sized sockets when I didn't have the correct adapter. Pretty common place unless you have a full-set of everything that you need.


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## borabora (Feb 16, 2011)

Cleared2land said:


> Exactly. That problem is easy to determine by finding any bearing press threaded rod size and comparing to any adapter set Inside Diameter. I have used bearing presses with appropriately sized sockets when I didn't have the correct adapter. Pretty common place unless you have a full-set of everything that you need.


Okay, I guess it's time to spend some more so that I can save in the future...
Thank you for the info.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

An earlier question...do you do any maintenance or servicing on your bearings?

In fact, I rarely have to replace bearings because I'm sometimes over the top on maintenance. I regularly clean, inspect and lubricate all of my bearings. Especially pivots and bottom bracket bearings.


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## borabora (Feb 16, 2011)

Cleared2land said:


> An earlier question...do you do any maintenance or servicing on your bearings?
> 
> In fact, I rarely have to replace bearings because I'm sometimes over the top on maintenance. I regularly clean, inspect and lubricate all of my bearings. Especially pivots and bottom bracket bearings.


I have cleaned out and re-lubed wheel bearings before but for these small and cheap linkage bearings I won't. It's too fiddly for me given the cost of the bearings. Additionally, Ibis actually guides against replacing the bearings and wants us just replace the linkages. I figure replacing bearings two or three times should be okay but they may have a point when I pull and replace them more often.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

Often when the manufacturer makes a statement like that it is for the linkage bore getting worn from sliding the bearing in and out. There are adhesive products made just for that but it is still better to have the press fit intact. The product for reference is Loctite Retaining Compound. Some MFG actually reccommend using it from day 1 to prevent bore chafe.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

borabora said:


> I have cleaned out and re-lubed wheel bearings before but for these small and cheap linkage bearings I won't. It's too fiddly for me given the cost of the bearings. Additionally, Ibis actually guides against replacing the bearings and wants us just replace the linkages. I figure replacing bearings two or three times should be okay but they may have a point when I pull and replace them more often.





supersedona said:


> Often when the manufacturer makes a statement like that it is for the linkage bore getting worn from sliding the bearing in and out. There are adhesive products made just for that but it is still better to have the press fit intact. The product for reference is Loctite Retaining Compound. Some MFG actually reccommend using it from day 1 to prevent bore chafe.


OEM recommendation to replace of linkages rather than the bearings themselves raises a little red flag issue with design shortcomings and/or perhaps a little marketing spin to assist in playing the bottom line game. I have replaced bearings in numerous linkages (carbon & alloy) where some have been a little tricky because of extraction or installation clearances. However, I've never experienced any issues that would have compromised bearing fit because of bearing interface fitting issues. While I suspect that there are applications where retaining compound to prevent bore chafe sounds plausible, I have failed to see this on bikes. In fact, I usually lube before pressing bearings.

While we all have our reasons for choosing to maintain or not to maintain the bearings, I prefer to. For me, it's simple to maintain all bearings (big or small) by simply popping the seal, cleaning and lubricating appropriately. A set of replacement bearings on my ride is not an inexpensive decision. I have several hundred plus dollars in bearings and servicing and maintaining is a far less-expensive option over replacement.


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## borabora (Feb 16, 2011)

Cleared2land said:


> OEM recommendation to replace of linkages rather than the bearings themselves raises a little red flag issue with design shortcomings and/or perhaps a little marketing spin to assist in playing the bottom line game. I have replaced bearings in numerous linkages (carbon & alloy) where some have been a little tricky because of extraction or installation clearances. However, I've never experienced any issues that would have compromised bearing fit because of bearing interface fitting issues. While I suspect that there are applications where retaining compound to prevent bore chafe sounds plausible, I have failed to see this on bikes. In fact, I usually lube before pressing bearings.
> 
> While we all have our reasons for choosing to maintain or not to maintain the bearings, I prefer to. For me, it's simple to maintain all bearings (big or small) by simply popping the seal, cleaning and lubricating appropriately. A set of replacement bearings on my ride is not an inexpensive decision. I have several hundred plus dollars in bearings and servicing and maintaining is a far less-expensive option over replacement.


I think you make good points but they apply mostly to home mechanics.

I understand why the extra labor of replacing bearings is not worth it when a manufacturer tries to streamline repair procedures for shop mechanics. If an LBS were to replace the 4 bearings in each linkage of my Ibis instead of replacing the linkage I doubt that my final bill would be less due to the labor cost of replacing the bearings.

Same thing for performing preventative maintenance on the bearing. Mine lasted 3000 miles. If I had a shop perform regular maintenance on the bearings I estimate they'd have to charge me about $150 every let's say 1000 miles. That compares to about $300 to just replace then after 3000 (all estimates based on parts costs and $75 per hour labor.)

If you do it all yourself it's a different ballgame -- your labor is free and hopefully is something you enjoy. But in my case I wasn't willing to disassemble the bike to test first which linkage and bearings needed replacing because then I'd either have to do the disassemble and assembly twice or live with an unridable bike while waiting for parts...


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

borabora said:


> *Can someone please recommend an affordable and flexible bearing removal and installation tool. *





borabora said:


> I think you make good points but they apply mostly to home mechanics.
> 
> If you do it all yourself it's a different ballgame -- your labor is free and hopefully is something you enjoy. _*But in my case I wasn't willing to disassemble the bike*_ to test first which linkage and bearings needed replacing because then I'd either have to do the disassemble and assembly twice or live with an unridable bike while waiting for parts...


My assumption was that you were choosing to perform your own maintenance based on your original post seeking out bearing pullers recommendation.

However, in your last post your argument seems to reinforce paying an LBS to do the job because you "in your case, you wasn't willing disassemble your bike...".

What? There's a little contradiction here. What are your intentions?


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

I am with you as a repair professional and a diy on the regreasing. I even degrease and regrease with my preferred greases when I get one oem. Some instances the parts were designed properly but speced with inadequate grease. If they come with rubber shield cartridges it makes more sense to do so than not. Pressing them out of the bores is quite often unneccesary for maintenance level greasing since you are not talking about grease contamination as much as it is keeping the right level in to reduce condensation/corrosion.


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## borabora (Feb 16, 2011)

Cleared2land said:


> My assumption was that you were choosing to perform your own maintenance based on your original post seeking out bearing pullers recommendation.
> 
> However, in your last post your argument seems to reinforce paying an LBS to do the job because you "in your case, you wasn't willing disassemble your bike...".
> 
> What? There's a little contradiction here. What are your intentions?


My points were:
1. Manufacturer service directions are meant for LBS mechanics. In that case directions to replace linkages rather than service them makes sense. I don't think the manufacturers are necessarily trying to pad their pockets.

2. I replaced the linkages on my bike from the get-go because I didn't want to go through the process of diagnosing, ordering only the needed parts, putting the bike back together, and then do the repairs after the parts arrive. But now I have an old set of linkages that I want to service for the next time. It wasn't the most cost-effective way to do things but it saved time.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Supersedona...

I have discovered on several occasions new component bearings inappropriately lubricated. I understand that certain bearings, perhaps most, will offer reduced rotational friction when greased or lubricated to the minimally acceptable level. However, some of my bearings I prefer to offer a greater level of water or bearing protection over rotational friction. 

For me personally, pivot bearings and bottom brackets (to some degree) come under this category. Pivot bearings have very minimal rotational movement, so my desire to protect the bearing supersede the rotation forces needed to rotate. I attempt to offset friction on bottom brackets, by incorporating a lighter grease like Buzzy's Slick Honey or the like. This generally results in slightly increased service intervals. I'm fine with that.


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## Jaymanjibe (Nov 30, 2012)

I recently purchased this blind bearing puller set from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerUS...460479382&sr=8-12&keywords=bearing+puller+kit

I used it to pull a 25mm ID Bottom Bracket Bearing on my External Bearing Cup on my Fat Bike. It worked well. I have not tried it on any smaller bearings yet.


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