You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / MTB Gear / Real World Cycling DU bearings

Real World Cycling DU bearings


jackthelad's picture

By jackthelad - Posted on 04 March 2014

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.

Has anybody used the DU bushing needle bearing replacements?
looking into spending a bit more for my next du bushing replacement
what shops in perth or online might have them in australia

Oldernslower's picture
jackthelad's picture

have read this forum post, the diymtb ones dont seem to be the same kits even though they do the enduro fork seals

fairy1's picture

They are great but you only need them at the shaft end of the shock fitting one at the head end is a waste of time. If you source your own bearing make sure it is a full complement bearing as it will take the shock loads much better than one with a retianer.

It is also a good idea to pack the bearing with grease, install the hardware, compress the suspension a few times and re-pack the bearing, you can never do too good a job.

People carry on about the wrong sorts of bearings used on bikes but the main problems are poor frame alignment, rough/dirty installs and cheap Chinese and Indian made bearings(both countries do make good bearings but the cheap ones are nasty. However if a needle roller is used on a pivot that doesn't rotate more than a few degrees it will die a quick death.

nh's picture

The needle bearing from RWC was an improvement over the metal bush in my bike. Keeping the dirt out is the key making them last. So as the previous posts have mentioned use plenty of grease and make sure the rubber seals are snug.

If you have a Fox shock the 5-piece Flanged Bushings ( http://www.cambriabike.com/Fox-Shox-Reducers-803... )are meant to be much better then the older style metal bushes. I am going to give them a try next time. Might be worth asking a bike shop as Fox stuff is really hard to get from overseas.

radar36's picture

There is a fork service place (around Kenwick I think) that sells RWC seals. Unfortunately I can't remember what they were called. Someone here may know who they are.

It is possible that they also sell the needle bearings. Prices were comparable to RWC prices, so you don't need to worry about postage costs. I ordered new fork seals and I think the postage cost was almost the same cost as the seals.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Best Mountain Bike