Hi all,
I’ve always stayed away from changing the bearings after a couple of bad attempts using bodged tools.
Now I have my son riding as well it seems to be getting quite costly getting a shop to change them all the time on all our bikes.
I have very little knowledge of the tools needed but am quite practical so have no issues doing the changes myself so What I’m after is some kind of set of mid range bearing extraction tools and press kits.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
I bought a lifeline bearing press from chainreaction a couple of years ago - it works, is well made and covers most of the usual bearing sizes on my bikes. Odd sized adapters are available on ebay if you can’t find anything to fit a particular bearing. Fitting is easy provided you don’t load and damage the inner race/balls as you fit them.
For bb bearing extraction, i use the hope tool. Wheel axles are a mixed bag but most of mine can be removed using parts of the lifeline press or gently tapping the axle. For headset bearing extraction - a cheap ebay tool that is no more than a piece of pipe cut lengthways into 4 legs that are splayed to push the bearing cup. I’ve not found the need for a bearing extractor yet but i’ve only got hardtails.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/lifeline-pro-bearing-press-set
I bought these from ebay. There's loads of these on there but this is a UK seller, they turned up within 3 days. An absolute bargain for £23 it cost me. I'm sure if I used then every day they wouldn't be very good but for the occasional use they are OK.
I also bought some drifts for knocking the old bearings out.
Rapid Racer Products press kit is what I use mostly. You pick and choose the presses to fit the bearings you have. I also have some other odd bits and pieces like blind bearing pullers but the RRP kit does most of the work.
I've bought a few different bearing pullers and presses over the years, but always seem to go back to threaded bar, washers and sockets...
RRP for me. Lovely bit of kit. You may need a couple of cheapo ebay bearing extractors depending on how they're arranged though.
I’ve got similar to this (*but make sure it fits your bearings.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403923125496
To get bearings out I tend to get a socket (* or something hollow and solid that is just wider than the bearing, tape it over to protect the frame, then you can use the correct bearing extractor to wind out the bearing into the socket (etc), (I put a metal plate with a hole in it over the socket.
I’ve also go a decent set of flat head punches.
And for blind bearings (like levo rear lower suspension double back to back bearings), you need to buy something like (*again correctly sized for your bearings like - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133877646297?hash=item1f2bbac3d9:g:B7MAAOSw1CthLiZt&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwCgHYmbViKLyeU5YNrt6E0I2K4GmK9xDL2xiranzFKeG%2Fe9ui5iyD92AUX6GRycTiN6oazYnWHlrtrnSkzCH6bsxZs9U99wTKuZUz2GWdjuQ2ZkKcFID0saJ3MoVIrzBCThE7%2B2LA0Vbs%2B91aOsaj9uRXNfGsWBWJ4B7M39RYMcmAa0BFvSQ8V3k0T7gJacpTs2wZok8oU6zcpW3LoCTRuU%2BYR6p3BknxdQATXcBI9es1GUm%2BwyUIIBSTLSPUutZ4Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_ih14WNYg
Again I wind them out using the socket technique rather than hammering
I use the blind puller tools (loads on ebay/amazon) with the slide hammer. Work really well.
Also a set of bearing presses but I use these with threadded bar, washers, and the presses.
Total was about £60-£70 for the two sets of tools
Bearing Pro Tools are good