[Closed] Frame bearing lifespan ?

A year is OK on bearings.

Depends on too many variables - type and frequency of riding, hose or not, quality of bearings, size of bearings blah blah blah.

Riding a couple of times a week assuming mixed conditions, I'd expect annual changes.

I had an Orange 5 for 4 1/2 years and never had to change the bearings. I also had a '09 Trek EX9 for three years without changing any bearings and I am fairly sure the guy I sold it to hasn't had to either. My nearly three year old Canyon Nerve AL29 will need some new bearings soonish.
A friend hasa Santa Cruz Nomad and he changes his about every four months.
The point is it depends on the design I guess

Merida transmission LRS is 9 years old? and still on original bearings (used for 6-7 years but generally only in decent weather)..

Got rid of my SC blur classic due to it eating them way to quick (less than a year between changes used the same way as the merida).

LRS - 1 year and still all ok so far.

Single pivot bikes seem to last forever. I've heard it said horst link are the worst for bearing life (never had more than a year from my old Norco).

I'm happy to change them yearly on my Banshee. Most had life in them still, but one or two were past their best and they are very easy to knock out.

You may also consider that it could be more awkward to remove bearings that have been in the frame for 5 years, possibly a false economy.

Orange Gyro, 6000 miles 2 years and the bearings were like [url= https://goo.gl/photos/UHiKr3WEb3ZkQ7db9 ]this[/url]

The other month I got a set of bearings for my 2005 Enduro,(bike had been stored indoors for 6 years) & I've still not got around to fitting them..
I'm a bit worried that the old bearings will have seized in the frame.
I parked up my trusty Giant NRS after 7 years all season use & it's definitely time to change the bearings in that one..

Is this a way of saying they are consumables like headset and bottom bracket bearings ?

Yes they are exactly the same thing , bearings, which have a finite life depending upon a number of variables .

Original bearings in my old 2008 Trance were shot within about 15 months, did the top shock bush at the same time. Replaced them in August 2009.
The bike then had another six years of abuse and the bearings are still fine, although the du bush in the shock eyelet has been done twice in that time.

A big part is just how oblivious you are to wear and tear tbh. Suspension bearings usually have a lot of force and leverage on them and generally go off slowly so they can be pretty damn seized up without you necessarily noticing, which gives you extra "life".

2 1/2 years a day I did the lower link bearings in my blur lt, rest are all perfect.

Giant's Maestro design has 10 bearings. I replaced two of mine after 18 months, and then the whole lot about a year later. Those replacements are still fine after another 4 years.

A year is good going in my experience. Think mine are on the way out from March this year,about 175 hours riding pwrhaps?

You'd be amazed how many people think their bearings are fine because there isn't any play in them.
In reality, they're often seizing up & if you remove the pivot axels & check, they'll be tight & gritty.
We had one in last week, customer thought they were ok, but on inspection they were barely rocking & unable to rotate smoothly.
A year is going well if you want the best performance, often if it's ridden a lot it's more often than that.

Threads like this make me glad I bought a Turner...

Or a santacruz with free replacement bearings for life.

andysredmini - Member
Or a santacruz with free replacement bearings for life.

Yeah I thought they looked pretty well designed and not likely to need changing often. Even when I have pumped mine with grease through the grease port the stuff being flushed out is still clean and blue.

My orange 5 bearings lasted 9 months , that was about 1700 miles In all weather , were well shot when I changed them

i got over three years out of the bearings on my np mega
but i (sort of) put it away for the winter

8 years on the wifes stumpjumper and still going, about a week on a kona coiler! (solved by filling the down tube with silicon rubber)

My Mondraker has done 8 months and seized solid, the Saracen Ariel before that knocked bearings out in the order of 10s of miles. A year is bloody good going, but they should last years in all honesty, bike companies skimp so much on the quality

My process bearings lasted 18months, bit of play and when I checked drive side main pivot it had seized, been ridden in all weathers, probably should have changed them sooner

Riding on British winter and summer!, a year is what I get out of bb, frame bearings and headsets hubs a bit longer , even tho they spin more than anything else !

Got replacements from katec and took about an hour to change them round, with a cheapo eBay puller and a few sockets

Took delivery on a new canyon strive in June and the bearings needed replacing in September so 4 months. They were notchy but not seized. The problem is with the positioning of the pivots, right on the line of fire for all the mud from the back wheel. If you ride with seized bearings it can cause the frame around the pivot to crack which is much more costly than new bearings. Hope i get longer out of the new high qulity bearings i put in.

Lots of interesting replies , would have thought the quality of the seals is as important as the quality of the bearings though ?

Lots of interesting replies , would have thought the quality of the seals is as important as the quality of the bearings though ?

Well it depends if your bearings are wearing out due to the forces on them or due to getting full of water.

But as others have said, it depends how much you ride and in what weather, and how hard, and how much you weigh etc. A year and a bit isn't amazing but it's not totally rubbish either.

I got 5 years out of my FSR and it was 2nd hand when I bought it. Had the Whyte now for 8 months and still smooth.

oldfart - Member

Lots of interesting replies , would have thought the quality of the seals is as important as the quality of the bearings though ?

I think most people will use it interchangably? On frame bearings generally the bearing seal is doing all the work, you don't often get secondary seals.

I changed the bearings in my trance after about 5 years. I only noticed they were gone when removing the shock. When I checked them they were completely knackered and barely turning. I changed them and the suspension felt no better which surprised me. They must of been turning just enough for the rotation of the suspension.

My first FS bike that was used throughout winter and washed and lubed after every ride. Bearings were shot in 6-9 months. It was a 4-bar link Ghost ASX and all 12 or so bearings were shot. The main pivot bearings were totally crushed too.

Replaced them all with higher quality seal versions and then decided no more washing (dry brush cleaning only)... and the bearings lasted the summer + next winter and all still running really sweet when I sold it. It cost a fair whack to get it done. That bike also ate shock bushings. Must have had 3 sets in the 18 months I owned it.

I've since invested in those hand made single pivot bikes that were born and bred to take the fine weather we have all year on this fair isle.

Christ, i went through bearings on my nukeproof mega every 6 months.

Got knows how many (TFT, heavy duty) shock bushings it ate as well.

It will depend on the design and how much stress the bearing is under plus the bearing quality.

My Yeti ASR needs one bearing changing more frequently as it gets a lot more wear. That ends up being up to twice a year depending on how much I ride it.
Some of the others have been 2 years.

I was hacked off with twice a year until I spent time thinking about the forces that went through the bearing and decided it was what it was.

I usually get 2 years out of my Santa Cruz ones.

When I have the shock off (to replace the short lived shock bushings) I'll lift and lower the bike to get a feel of how buttery smooth or notchy the bearings feel.

IME, suspension bearing life is extremely variable - I guess much depends on amount & type of grease they were packed with, quality of seals, terrain & weather they're exposed to, how frequently the bike is used & washed etc etc.

With a similar level of use & bucket & sponge washes, I've had one Specialized FSR that needed fresh bearings after 12 months and another that was fine for over 2 years. Giant Anthem was OK for 3 years, 2 Orange Fives that were OK for over two years - my Santa Cruz Tallboy LT on the hand.....it's on its 4th set in 2 years.

I parked up my trusty Giant NRS after 7 years all season use & it's definitely time to change the bearings in that one..

My NRS (2002, actually called XTC back then) had a design flaw, the bearing wore away the frame on the pivot nearest the axle so a new one was no longer a push fit. So if you still want to ride it, make sure you do change them before its too late. It was terminal for mine.

Shock bush and main pivot every 8-12 months. Orange alpine.